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KETCHIKAN |
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KETCHIKAN , five hundred miles north of Seattle, is Alaska's "first
city," and as the first port of call for many cruise ships, its historic
downtown, wedged between water and forested mountains, becomes saturated
in summer with elderly tourists. Beyond the souvenir shopping it can be
a delight, built into steep hills and partly propped on wooden pilings,
with boardwalks, wooden staircases and totem poles dotted throughout.
By 1886, white settlers had opened the first of dozens of canneries in
what was soon to be the "salmon capital of the world." Forests of cedar,
hemlock and spruce, which had provided timber for Tlingit homes and
totems, also fed the town's sawmills. The timber and fishing industries
have declined, and with the closure of the antiquated pulp mill in 1997
the town's economy is in a state of flux.
The state's fourth largest city is a strong contender for the nation's
wettest; annual precipitation averages 165 inches. The tourist board
shrugs it off as "liquid sunshine" and, indeed, Ketchikan's perennial
drizzle and sporadic showers won't spoil your visit
The town and around
The bulk of Ketchikan's historic buildings lie on Creek Street , a
rickety-looking boardwalk along Ketchikan Creek. This was a red-light
district until 1954; now all the former houses of ill-repute are given
over to gift shops and arty cafés |
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