A very early start to a very long day. My alarm was set for 2:45AM. I parked at an offsite parking location near the airport and arrived at a reasonable time.
Despite the news saying it could take more than two hours to check in and get through security it only took about 45 minutes.
I managed to select exit row seats and one that didn’t have a seat in front – so double leg room.
The first flight was uneventful, although I did manage to get a nice sunrise picture from the sky.
The flight landed from the south, so it wasn’t possible to see the city of Seattle.
After a very long walk in the SEA/TAC airport (to the end of the A terminal) I had a couple of hours to wait for the flight to Ketchikan.
The first class seats offered some additional space, but no extra frills.
I was able to see the city of Seattle after take off, but there were some clouds obstructing part of the city. The plane took off to the south, but had to turn north otherwise we would be in Mexico instead of Alaska.
Seattle
The snack was a cliff bar and a small bag of peanuts. I did manage to get a Jack Daniels and Coke.
Land was obscured by clouds most of the flight, including all of Canada, but I did get some nice photos when I landed in Ketchikan.
After landing the plane disembarked onto a ramp, I retrieved my luggage from the baggage claim…. that’s right the baggage claim – as there is only one in the entire airport.
So far everything has been going smoothly, I followed the signs to the ferry since there is no bridge to the town from the airport. The ferry trip wasn’t too long and was only $6 (round trip or each way).
Ferry ticket booth Alaska State Ferry which apparently has been under repair for a while The ferry tugboat pulling a barge with containers
After arriving at the airport parking lot a struggle to find a cab became a slight issue. It also started to rain, although not too hard. Eventually a cab showed up and I proceeded to the Gilmore hotel.
I found out upon arriving that the hotel actually pays the cab fare from the airport, so that was a pleasant surprise.
I arrived well before check in, but well after I should have eaten lunch, so I decided to eat in the restaurant next to the hotel.
Menu antique slot machine in the restaurant restaurant interior view from the restaurant window
I ordered the herb butter salmon and it was delicious. It came with garlic mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus. I also got french fries and a side salad.
salad herb butter salmon fries
After lunch I walked across the street into a store and to look out at the waterfront.
I also stopped by the visitor center and got some more ideas for things to do. They had a nice walking tour brochure of the city.
I was able to now check in to my room at the hotel, the room was on the second floor and facing the harbor. The room is a bit small, but it is almost expected in an historic building.
After getting some of my camera gear sorted I went for a walk out to Creek Street. It is a wonderful little area with a creek running through it.
I then walked out to a viewpoint on the harbor and got a nice view of the mountain behind the town.
I was looking at the walking map and thought the loop around the town would take too much time and then when I looked at the fine print the entire town was only a mile long. Since the day was so long I decided to take the long route up past the Totem Heritage Center.
While on the trek there was a fish ladder. It’s a bit too early in the season to see the Salmon spawning, so I didn’t actually see any fish today.
After arriving back at Creek Street I started to take another long variation on the way back to the hotel. The walking tour map spoke about a viewpoint accessible from a boardwalk (more like stairs to me) – Edmonds Street, number 27 on the map. The view of the harbor and the mountain was spectacular – probably one of the best viewpoints in the city. Shortly after arriving at the top a rainbow appeared over the harbor. And then it started to lightly rain. I got a couple of pictures and then decided to go back to the hotel without any further detours.
Since lunch was filling, (but not overly so) I decided to skip dinner for tonight and just have a snack.
The Wi-Fi back at the hotel was similar to what you would have expected in 1990, so uploading photos to the blog will have to wait until I return to civilization.
I took a few pictures of the sunset late at night.
