Ketchikan Next!

We docked at Ketchikan, and had a brief tourist visit to the inimitable gift shops, where I bought an Ulu knife for the kitchen. We then embarked on a city tour, which didn't take very long because it is a small city of about 8,000, and explodes to 18,000 when the ships dock. We journeyed to Totem Bight State Park, and walked the trails through the woods full of hemlocks, Sitka spruce (the Alaskan state tree), ferns, alders, and blueberry and thimbleberry bushes, and out to the water's edge. This park has totem poles placed all through the area, and a clan lodge which was reassembled there, for us to walk through and around. We saw eagles perched on top of totem poles, eagles carved on the tops of poles, and were told some raven tales, illustrated by the totem poles, on how the raven stole the sun, and how fog woman gave salmon to the Indians. Just as at the glaciers, everyone walked quietly through the woods, and into the lodge, then out to hear the stories of the totem poles, an inspiring day with nature and Alaskan natives.