We did an excursion at Ketchikan, Alaska and decided to go with the Totem Bight and Ketchikan City Tour through ShoreTrips. We booked it through our travel agent as she was able to get us a discount as we were booking other tours at other ports too – Juneau and Skagway.
Departure
We met by the huge rain gauge by the visitors centre right outside our cruise ship. Then, waited till our bus arrived to pick us up.
There was about 20 of us on the tour. We started off by driving through town and getting a better sense of the history and why certain walkways are built the way they are. Karen did an awesome job guiding us and she was very transparent and hilarious. You can tell she has a lot of passion for Ketchikan and making sure we had a good time.
Here Comes the Rain
We had an option to either continue to Totem Bight or head to Potlatch Park just next door. It was raining a lot so Karen left it up to the tour to decide what we wanted. She gave us a list of pros and cons and left it to us. We quickly decided that we would go to Potlatch Park instead since it had more indoor areas, more to see and also a few washrooms.
Potlatch Park
Potlatch Park was built on the old fishing grounds of the Tlingit Natives of Southeast Alaska, just 10 miles north of the quaint Alaskan town of Ketchikan.
We were taken on an awe-inspiring trip back to the 19th century as we explored a the fully recreated Native Alaskan village, including 5 tribal homes and beautifully carved totems.
It’s nice to just wander around the area and take in the beautiful views.
We also walk shortly in the forest and its so lush green.
Lots of good photo ops too.
Carving Centre
The carving centre has 2 totem poles that are currently being carved. It’s pretty cool to see them this close and also the tools and techniques used to create these.
Tribal Homes
The homes are absolutely stunning. The design is pretty awesome as they can be taken apart and moved if needed. No nails, just beams that slot into one another.
Antique Car Museum
There is also a Antique Car Museum, including a 1934 Ford Coupe and 1924 Stanley Steamer. If you are a car fan, you’ll love this little area.
Alaska Totem Trading Shop
At the end of the Potlatch Park, there is a shop where you can purchase any souvenirs. There’s a little bit of everything here.
Antique Museum
Inside the trading shop is also an Antiques museum, where they show off their display of extremely rare Antique Firearms.
One of the cooler pieces are their gatling guns.
Back to Town
As we drove back to town, Karen pointed out some great areas of town and even helped us catch a glimpse of some bald eagles hanging around. We really appreciated how spectacular of a tour guide she was. She then dropped us off at the dock where our cruise ship is located at. We still had plenty of time after the tour to walk around town.
