Final Day in Alaska - Ketchikan Once More (Saturday 6/1)

I sure do love Alaska!  It was hard to believe this adventure started 3 weeks ago . . . and that Pam had flown home nearly a week ago too. As they say, time flies when you're having fun, even if you're not feeling 100%.

While I was still experiencing a cough and nasal congestion, it didn't prevent me from getting out and taking in all that Ketchikan had to offer.  On this day, I had most of the day to get out and see what I could see.  My flight home (via Seattle to Chicago's O'Hare) didn't depart until 5:30pm so I still had roughly 6-7 hours before needing to get to the ferry and over to the airport to return my rental car.

For breakfast, I took another suggestion from someone who provided me with local input on where to eat.  The New York Cafe is another neighborhood place where locals are known to dine.  Open for breakfast, lunch & dinner, I was surprised at how busy they were when I arrived at 9:00am on a Saturday.

Service was a bit slow, but I was enjoying my leisurely morning out of the rain.  I guess in a rain forest climate, it rains a lot!  My breakfast (toasted bagel with salmon cream cheese spread, scrambled eggs and tea) was a very reasonable $18 (including tax & tip).  The amount of salmon in the cream cheese was the perfect ratio . . . not skimpy and not too much.

After breakfast, I wanted to accomplish a couple of things before leaving Ketchikan . . . 1) check out wildlife in areas known for possible sightings, and 2) visit a couple of the totem parks.

I headed south out of town first, bypassing the Saxman Village area because of the rain. As I approached Herring Cove, I remembered hearing about black bears frequenting this area.  When I turned down the road, I saw a lone photographer with a long telephoto lens.  My goodness, while there were a couple of bears "out there" . . . they were WAAAYYYYY out there!

I was fortunate that with my Nikon P900, I could zoom in enough to take a couple of nice photos.  With the rain and distance, they weren't real sharp, but I'm happy with my effort.

This one just looked lazy, but eventually got up and walked away from us and into the forest.

 

 

After this stop, I headed further on down to what I knew would be a dead end.  Imagine my surprise, when I came around a corner and saw this eagle eating something in a small turnout.  I pulled up slowly and as quietly as I could (thankfully I was in a dinky Nissan Versa).  I turned off the engine and just sat there for a minute or two.  The eagle didn't seem to care that I was there, so I rolled down my window and took this video.

I couldn't really tell what it was eating but when I came back through this area about 15 minutes later, it was gone so I got out and took this photo of the remains. I'm pretty sure it's what's left of a crab.

By now the rain had stopped, allowing me the perfect opportunity to stop at the Saxman Village to check out their Totem Pole Park.  There was an admission booth with a posted $5 fee. I was prepared to pay the $5 until I was told that I would not be permitted into either of the buildings (the carver's workshop and the clan house).  I wasn't sure what the purpose of paying a fee was since the totems were throughout the area in a open space.

The guy told me that mostly people come here as part of a cruise tour/excursion and that the fee is paid for them to have access as a group.

As you can see, the guests on the tours had a guide who was telling them about the various totems and their cultural significance.  Ketchikan is know as having the largest collection of Native American totem poles in the world.  It is little wonder that visitors from around the world want to see and learn more about them.

Since I was by myself, and there were a number of tour buses arriving, I decided to just walk around and take a few photos and head on out.  Next on my agenda . . . Totem Bight State Historical Park north of Ketchikan!

This was more my speed . . . Totem Bight State Historical Park is a self-guided walking tour with signs and story boards which along with the park brochure shared history of the area and totem poles on exhibit here. While it was mid-afternoon on a Saturday, I pretty much had the entire park to myself.  Given its location further out of town, my guess is that the cruise ship tours don't venture out this way.

The clan house with totems around it.  For more information about the clan house and totems at Totem Bight Historical Park, check out their park brochure.

Inside the clan house

After my walk around the park, I was hungry and ready for a late lunch before heading to the airport.  But I was in a pretty remote area, and unsure what if anything might be around.  TOOTS (my Garmin GPS) was pretty useless in helping to find "food" but fortunately, I saw a couple of large motor coach buses parked in a church parking lot near a road sign pointing down to a local marina.  I figured there might be a chance of finding a restaurant there, so I headed off to the unknown.   A mile or so down the road, I found the marina which had one group of tourists coming off boats, while others were getting suited up with life preservers to go out.  I went inside and asked if their grill was open.  They had what looked like day-old hot dogs, but he suggested I check out the Local Grounds tent out in the parking lot.

I had seen it when I drove in, but thought it was just a coffee hut.  To my surprise they had several hot food options, including chicken tenders, hamburgers, pulled pork sandwiches, along with sides like cole slaw, onion rings and french fries.

Add a chocolate shake and I was good to go!

Back in town, I had to top off the gas tank . . . I had driven a total of 79 miles over the two days.  At $4.17/gallon, I took 2.76 gallons for a 28.6 mpg in the Versa. Given the dinky size of the car, I'm pretty sure the gas tank wasn't "full" full . . . but what did I care?  For basically $237, I enjoyed my two days of self-touring without being dependent on taxis, the city shuttle or a tour operator.  I was on my own schedule, did what I wanted and enjoyed my 48 hours in Ketchikan. The ferry had me across to the airport by 3:30pm, ready to check in for my 5:30pm flight home.  WHEW!

AND THAT'S A WRAP!  I hope folks enjoyed reading about our RV2AK Adventure.

Ketchikan! (Friday 5/31)

 

Back in 2019, I fulfilled another "Alaskan Bucket List" trip, when David & I did 3 weeks by the Alaska Marine Highway utilizing the Alaska State Ferry system.  While I knew I wanted to experience the culture and people of SE Alaska, I also knew that a cruise ship with thousands of people, stopping for mere hours per port, was no way to do it.  It took several years of planning to put something together, while also trying to schedule such a long time way from work.  I was able to put together a fantastic itinerary, which included Juneau, Skagway, Petersburg, Sitka, Glacier Bay and Hoonah.  We had a wonderful time, but I also knew something was missing . . . KETCHIKAN!

This RV2AK adventure provided me with the ability to piggyback Ketchikan at the end of my travels, while working my way back home.  Just as with most of my other SE Alaska stops in 2019, it seemed 2 days was the perfect amount of time to have to explore and experience the local flavor of Alaska's 1st City.

On Friday morning (my first full day in town), it was pouring rain and pretty chilly.  I travel with good rain gear whenever I'm in Alaska, but I still didn't feel like being out walking around in it so I opted to head downtown to the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center, an interagency visitor center for the Tongass National Forest.  Like they say, there's nothing like a nice museum when the weather outside is bad.

As with the visitor centers/museums Pam & I visited in Fairbanks, this one was very well done.  It depicted what life in this region of Alaska was like for the indigenous people who have lived and fished these waters for centuries.  There were also a number of short (20-30 minute) movies shown in the theater, adding to the learning experience.

After spending a couple of hours there, I noticed the rain had started to let up, so I thought it might be a good time to find the Creek Street area of the city.

Originally the "red-light district" of Ketchikan (until the 1950's!), many of the buildings have been restored and repurposed to attract tourists . . . most of whom have arrived by cruise ship.  It was interesting to see them all, as on this particular day there were 6 ships in port.  Many appeared ill-prepared for the weather, and could be flagged as "tourists" by the umbrellas they were carrying. (It's been said that Alaskans will never be seen with an umbrella.)

But I have to give them credit . . . there were a lot of them out and about enjoying the city.  It was a challenge for me at times, avoiding the rain and the people, but I did get some photos of the Creek Street area.

With a scheduled tour on my itinerary for 2:00pm, I wanted to get something hearty to eat for lunch, especially since I ate the last of the Hostess mini-donut packs I had for breakfast that morning.  It started to rain heavy again, as I approached this blue building . . . The Good Fortune (Chinese) Restaurant.  Formerly "Annie's Place" (circa 1920),   Annie was a black madam from Arkansas who continued to live here after prostitution ended in 1954.

More of her story can be read here. 

According to the information provided by the restaurant owners today, the Good Fortune Restaurant is "the first and only Chinese American fusion restaurant in Ketchikan."  Found in the early 1970's, multiple generations of the original owner have owned and operated this business.  As remarked on YELP and Trip Advisor reviews, there's not much ambiance or atmosphere here, but the food is outstanding.  I enjoyed my table on the second floor overlooking Creek Street eating lunch during my respite from the rain.

After lunch it was time to head to the docks for my Misty Fjords' tour with Major Marine.  As you can see, the rain had resumed . . . the weather (and people) were miserable! I couldn't count the number of grumpy people whining about how cold and wet they were.  One man was overheard crabbing that he didn't care that the excursion was paid for, he did not want to go!  The wife and an adult child walked away, later to be seen on the boat without him.

The tour was probably organized well, but with so many cruise ships in port, plus the terrible weather, people were cramped and huddled under an awning near the public restroom facility.  The person from Major Marine seemed to have her hands full dealing with the excursion people from the various ships.  Our boat was not ready for boarding yet, and people were tired of being in the rain.  It was not a good start to a 5 hour boat trip.

Along the way, there was narration by a naturalist who did a good job of telling us about the wildlife and geology of this area.  There were also crew members on the look out for interesting sights along the way . . . like an eagles' nest seen on an island, and a singleton humpback whale off in the distance.  With the rain on the outside of the windows and condensation on the inside, it was pretty challenging to take much in the way of photos on this trip.  At a couple of stops, we were allowed out onto the bow of the boat . . . I got some nice photos of the "misty fjords" . . . which like the Blue Ridge Mountains are really just whispy clouds that shroud the mountains and valleys.  There were also some interesting waterfalls throughout the fjords, some off in the distance while others were right where we were able to pull up to.

During the trip, the crew served us seafood chowder, which was warming and delicious.  That along with the hot chocolate, tea & coffee served, the tour did a nice job of not nickle and diming guests.  (The Kenai Fjords tour out of Seward charged $11 for a refillable cup for beverages while on their trip.)

As you can see here, not everyone was engaged on the tour.  It was a shame they took prime seats up front, only to spend most of their time doing whatever on their mobile devices.

Once back to the port around 8:00pm, I was ready to head to my hotel and a hot shower.  I think I was in bed by 9:30pm that night.

 
TO BE CONTINUED - MORE KETCHIKAN (SATURDAY)

 

Transitioning - All Good Things Must Come to an End (Wednesday 5/29 - Thursday 5/30)

I thoroughly enjoyed my time along the Sterling Highway and the cities of Soldotna, Kenai, Homer and points in between!  Waking up Wednesday morning, it was time for me to prepare the campervan for return to Great Alaskan Holidays (GAH) the next morning.  This meant going through the remaining food and make decisions about what would be eaten the next 24 hours and what I should give or throw away.  I also needed to pack up my clothes and gear in preparation for flying to Ketchikan on Thursday.  Much of what I had, was still good, so I gave it to Ronna (the owner of the Diamond M Ranch Resort & RV Park where I had stayed the past couple of nights).

She was gracious and appreciative of things like charcoal briquettes, lighter fluid, campfire starters, unopened jars of alfredo & spaghetti sauce, as well as the remaining eggs and other food items.  The very last of the food would get me through the day and early morning, when I would have to do the final clearing out of the refrigerator and pantry.

I thoroughly enjoyed my breakfast of french toast and sausage before heading north to Anchorage.  To be honest cooking in the camper was very easy and convenient.  While not much room for two people to be "in the kitchen" it was very workable for just the two of us during our time together.  Cooking for one was a breeze.

Once on the road, I stopped at the Walgreens in Soldotna to pick up some cold medicine in hopes of knocking down whatever was coming on me.  My sinuses were still stuffy and my head/nasal draining.  I wasn't looking forward to flying the next day . . . especially since I actually had 4 flights from Anchorage to Ketchikan with stops in Juneau, Petersburg and Wrangell enroute.  At the time I book my departing flights from Alaska, it seemed like to good idea especially to provide multiple opportunities to see the mountains and glaciers through the inside passage region of SE Alaska.  But in this moment and not feeling 100% . . . not so much.

The driving north on the Sterling Hwy up to the junction at Tern Lake was rather uneventful.  I stopped at the visitor center in Cooper Landing, but it was closed.  I always marvel at how green the Kenai River is and enjoyed a short walk behind the museum building.

Of course, being a weekday there were several construction zones along the way.  They were moving pretty well, so I don't think they delayed me more than 20-30 minutes total.

And whenever I just wanted to stop and pull over to enjoy the view, that's what I did!

By mid afternoon I arrived to Anchorage and Centennial Park, a municipal city park and campground, where I had booked my campsite reservation the day before.  I expected my check-in to go smoothly and without incident, especially since my campsite had been selected/assigned the when I made and paid for my site.  Unfortunately, it was a comedy of errors, created by some apparent homeless folks occupying my site as well as the one across the road.  It was an uncomfortable feeling for me, so I went back out to the campground office to discuss the situation with the on-site security officer.  After about an hour of hassling with the campground management by phone, I was parking and settling into another campsite in an area I felt comfortable with.

I won't go into any further detail here at this time, as I have been in contact with city officials regarding Centennial Park, its operations and current state of affairs there.  It is my hope that they will be able to make improvements so that future guests do not have the issues that I had on my final night of camping in Alaska.

The next morning I was up bright and early, needing to get the gas and propane filled before turning in the camper at GAH by 8:00am.  Everything went smoothly and on schedule.

He are the final dashboard readings . . . the odometer read 5,667 which meant we logged 5,529 miles in our 18 day rental.  The reported 17.5 mpg was close, as our actual calculation for all fuel purchased was 17.0.  With a total drive time of 135+ hours, that worked out to roughly 7.5 hours/day for the 18 days . . . which is actually a bit low considering there were a few (3, maybe 4?) days when the camper sat and wasn't driven much at all.  But I think you get the point . . . there was A LOT of windshield time while moving this vehicle from Iowa, through Canada and to its new home in Anchorage.

Once all of the paperwork was completed, GAH provided transportation over to the airport.

My flights from Anchorage through SE Alaska were nice.  Early in the day, the skies were relatively clear enough to see the surrounding mountains.  It wasn't until Wrangell, that the rain and heavy cloud cover prevented much in the way of flightseeing.

This photo is looking up the Turnagin Arm of the Cook Inlet towards Anchorage.

Mendenhall Glacier is in Juneau and was visible upon approach to the airport.

The LeConte Glacier is barely recognizable upon approach into Petersburg . . . but it could be seen in the distance.

Arriving in Ketchikan as scheduled around 4:30pm, a new adventure was to begin!  From my research in planning this trip, I knew the airport sat on an island and that it required ferry service to get from there over to the actual city of Ketchikan.  I had a rental car booked for my 2-day stay, which was going to incur a $26 round trip fee for the ferry.  I don't know what it is about a car ferry, but they never cease to give me a smile.

Once on the other side, I hooked up TOOTS (my Garmin GPS) and set her to navigate me to the Super 8.  This is probably where I should thank BCAW for the ability to drive around the state of Wisconsin to meet with bowling center owners, staying in hotels and getting to keep the Wyndham Rewards points for personal use. 

My 2-night stay in Ketchikan in an "oceanview" room would have cost roughly $200/night . . . but using my rewards points, my stay was FREE!

It wasn't really that great a room, and being located in a wet rain forest climate, the place had a damp musty smell (not great for someone with allergies and respiratory ailments who is already not feeling well and chugging Robitussin every 4 hours).  But I wasn't planning on hanging out in my room much other than to sleep.  And yes, the king size bed was VERY comfortable . . . more so than a murphy bed in a campervan.

 

 

After getting checked in and unpacked, I headed out to find supper.  Months ago, I had someone suggest the Alaska Fish House down by the harbor, as a local hangout for the fishermen after coming in from a hard day's work.  I ordered the 2 piece halibut fish & chips basket.  While it was very good, I'm not sure why locally caught seafood is so expensive throughout Alaska.  I guess location, location, location. And the fact that their summer season is so short.  That said . . . $35 for this lunch (including tax & tip) just seemed steep.  I was thankful that for the most part, our food expense on this trip was not bad having most of our meals self-prepared in the camper.

TO BE CONTINUED

Flying Solo For a Few Days (Monday 5/27 - Tuesday 5/28)

 

The views on the western side of the Kenai Peninsula are vast and inspiring.  The expansive images do not do justice to being there, whether looking out across the Cook Inlet to the range of active volcanoes or simply looking beyond the end of the land across the bay in Homer.  It was for this reason, and the fact that my last journey to Homer back in 2020 was pretty much fogged in for two days, that I wanted to return to spend some time exploring Soldotna, Kenai, Ninilchik and Homer.  These couple of days before having to return the campervan to Anchorage provided such an opportunity.

In my last post, I mentioned how I felt drawn to the Diamond M Ranch and RV Park for these 3 nights of solo camping.  It proved to be the perfect location to set up as a home base to explore the area, as well as keep me a bit further north when time to head to Anchorage on Wednesday afternoon.

Making a leisurely morning of it, Monday started with a wonderful shower and then breakfast.  It was wonderful to have the fixings for one more pancake breakfast on the road.  I was feeling better than the day before and optimistic about what the day might bring.

After breakfast I visited Ronna (the owner at the campground) to take care of my campsite fees.  She suggested I check out the Soldotna Homestead Museum as well as the City of Kenai Visitor Center.  Unfortunately with it being Memorial Day, both were closed, but I still make the most of my time in the area.

Heading north out of Soldotna was the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge visitor center.  Like most, there were several nice exhibits both inside and out, but with the rain, I spent my time inside.

I then headed a bit further north to the western entrance to the Skilak Wildlife Area, a part of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge.  David & I had camped there the summer of 2020 . . . the year after there were devastating fires in the area. I was curious to see how the forest had started its rejuvenation and whether or not wildlife might be visible from the narrow two-lane gravel road.  While the views were lovely on the 19 mile loop road, I didn't see any wildlife during my time there.

I did enjoy having lunch at this overlook before heading out and back towards town and further south to Kenai.  This small city was the highlight of my day!

The Kenai Visitor Center had a number of large exhibits out on their front lawn area, so I spent some time learning about the history of fishing and how industry grew, developing this region.  But before industry flourished, the fishing communities in this region were largely settled by Russians.  Their history is still present through the ancestors who remained in Alaska after the United States acquired it through what was known as Seward's Folly in 1867.  Folly indeed!  I'm happy for the $7M purchase.

Old Town Kenai is home to one of the most beautiful Russian settlements in Alaska.  This first photo is of the Chapel of St. Nicholas built in 1906, honoring the first priest in Kenai who brought the small pox vaccine saving the lives of hundreds of Dena'ina.  It was built on the ground where the original 1849 church had stood.

The  Holy Assumption Orthodox Church was built between 1894 & 1896.  A simple, wood-frame structure with clapboard siding, Holy Assumption Church features a square two-story bell tower and a distinctive crown-shaped cupola, both with the three-bar Orthodox Cross.  Of particular interest to historians is the interior. 

The icons, religious artifacts, and historic objects are important not only for their connection to the specific structure, but for the larger symbolic association with the Russian Orthodox faith.  In addition to being the oldest standing Orthodox Church in Alaska, it is an excellent example of Pskov (ship or vessel) design.  For its exceptional value in our Nation’s history, the Secretary of the Interior designated Holy Assumption Church a National Historic Landmark in 1970.  SOURCE

The next morning, I would stop and visit the Transfiguration of Our Lord Church, another historic Russian Orthodox Church, located in Ninilchik (about 30-40 minutes north of Homer).  While widely popular with tourists, this church is in much need of some TLC and renovation.  Sitting high atop a hillside, overlooking the old fishing village, the view across the Cook Inlet includes four active volcanoes.

While visiting, I enjoyed walking around the cemetery and reading the grave markers and tributes to family members.

Approaching Homer back in 2020, I didn't have the opportunity to capture the image you see here, because it was upon us so quickly, there was no way for David to turn "the beast" around for the pullout area provided for the scenic photo op . . . and when we left Homer, we were socked in with heavy clouds and rain.  This year, I was ready for it, especially since the skies were so crystal clear.

While in Homer on Tuesday, I stopped by the beach to walk around a bit and have lunch.  (Sorry I didn't get the name of the beach, but I think it may have been Bishop's Beach Park.)  The tide was out, but working its way back in.  I didn't want to venture too far away from the parking lot or out into the shoreline, but I did enjoy the fresh air and sea breeze.

While out on the beach, a GAH/SAP Minnie Winnie with an RV2AK decal parked next to me.  I was giddy with delight, hoping to have the opportunity to meet my fellow travelers.  Here I am with Tony & Michelle!

As I was leaving the beach park, this moose ambled across the road right in front of me.  I was of course happy to let it cross while snapping a photo or 2.

Ever wonder what "nighttime" looks like in Alaska?  Well this was 1:00am when I had to go out to get my propane tank filled.  It's a long story how I ran out of propane . . . but needless to say, waking up cold Monday night/Tuesday morning after being sick over the weekend really sucked!

I seemed to rebound well however, and didn't let the temporary setback put a damper on my day!

One of my more humorous moments in Homer was when I used TOOTS (my Garmin GPS) to find local places to see & visit.  She found the "Kilcher Homestead Living Museum" as an historical attraction.  It sounded right my alley, so I set it to get me there.  Imagine my shock when I arrived to this point.  The sign you can't read on the left basically says "NO RVs - TURN AROUND AND GO BACK."  I had gone probably 15 miles out of town to get here, only to be turned away as I wasn't going to hike in.

Back in town with further research on my cell phone, I learned the Kilcher Family are the stars of the Discovery reality series Alaska: The Last Frontier.  I felt like a bit of a dope, having channel surfed through the show once or twice and feeling like the series was some bogus "made for TV" hype show capitalizing on the fascination with life in Alaska.  I never watched a full episode, so I totally missed the connection with the family name.

That said, my journey up into the wilderness above Homer afforded me a random encounter with a moose and her very young (and tiny) twin calves.  She was very protective of them as I approached where they were, so I gave her a wide berth and didn't attempt to take any photos from the camper.  But it was cool to see them and have that image in my memory from my time in Homer.

One of the other local experiences I had while in this area of Alaska was the pull tab store.  While shopping at Safeway in Kenai, I noticed the storefront across the parking lot.  Pam & I had seen pull tab stores elsewhere, but never went in to see what they were about.

With my curiosity piqued, and time on my hands, I ventured in to check it out.  I met a lovely local woman Michelle, who told me how the pull tabs work here in Alaska.

Of course I had to give them a try . . . after all they support a local 501(c)3 charity doing work for local senior citizens.  I started like it always begins . . . $20 initial buy-in.  Win a few, cash them in for more.  Win a couple more, added another $20 to play.  Eventually, all $40 is gone but it was fun . . . and the only gambling expense I had on my entire vacation.  I feel I actually got off pretty cheaply.  But more importantly, I met and made a new friend!

TO BE CONTINUED - RETURNING TO ANCHORAGE!