Ketchikan, Alaska

Southeast Alaska 2003

Life is full of surprises, and our week-long June 2003 trip through wilderness and small ports of Southeast Alaska was full of mostly unexpected gifts of beauty. We expected whales and bears, and yes, we observed and photographed these magnificent animals. We expected grandeur, and certainly found that.

But we also found intimacy in the small details of plants and reflections. We forged friendships, reveling in the beauty of the place in spite of rains that drenched us for much of the trip. This was Betty Sederquist's fifth trip with Dolphin Charters, and perhaps one of the best. Details are now being finalized on the 2004 trip. Stay tuned!

Using the 50-foot boat Delphinus (www.dolphincharters.com), which carries up to eight people and four crew as our comfortable platform for eating and sleeping (and we did a lot of that!), we daily ventured shoreward, strolling docks or exploring wilderness beaches. Daily, Dall porpoises rode the bow of the Delphinus, exuding FUN! We were fortunate to have some very low tides during this trip, so we explored the often alien-appearing environment of intertidal critters.

Our always-flexible itinerary this year included these ports of call: Ketchikan, Meyers Chuck, Anan Creek, Wrangell, Petersburg, Tracy Arm, Pack Creek (Admiralty Island), Frederick Sound/The Brothers Islands, and Petersburg.

This year's trip started in the bustling community of Ketchikan,the southernmost large community in Alaska and a favorite stop for cruise ship passengers. Thousands of visitors stroll Ketchikan's infamous "Creek Street," once home to a red-light district. The pale green "Dolly's House" was one such establishment. Reflections (above) give a different perspective on this popular tourist spot.

We arrived in Ketchikan by jet on a rare blue-sky day. Rain is the norm here. Hundreds of work and pleasure boats crowd the waterfront, while steep mountains rise behind the town. From the airport, one has to take a ferry across Tongass Narrows to reach the town.

During the busy summer visitor season, several cruise ships a day dock in the town. Fleets of tour buses and dozens of gift shops easily accommodate the influx of visitors. The town is also accessible via Alaska state ferry and several scheduled jet flights per day.

It's been said that Ketchikan has more totem poles than anywhere in the world. A Native heritage center here displays ancient totems rescued from the abandoned village of Kasaan, while newer poles grace the exterior of the building in which the old totems are housed.

Right, below: a contemporary eagle carving by well-known carver Nathan Jackson welcomes cruise ship visitors.

Below: a group of tourists learn about Native culture at a reconstructed clan house at Totem Bight, a few miles north of Ketchikan. This slightly unusual view was taken from aboard the Delphinus.

More photos of the 2003 trip!