Ketchikan Top 10 List

So everyone has been telling us that we need to update our blog, so while we are STRANDED in Las Vegas, Nevada I guess that I have no excuse. Las Vegas will surely be Susan's post later this week!

So we headed South the night of October 28th, after I finished my last shift at Ketchikan General Hospital and after filling up on Mexican at the Oceanview. We have started a tradition over the past two assignments to list our top 10 (or so) favorite things about where we were for the past few months. And as we were eating, this is what we came up with for our time spent in Ketchikan.

10) Relaxing at the New York Cafe: I think this was the first place that we went into and it felt so comfortable. The New York had great food, live music on Friday and Saturday nights, and the patrons were always very friendly.



9) Mushrooming and Berry Picking: Wow, talk about abundance! We have always been berry pickers, but the shrooms here in Southeast are to die for (figuratively speaking.) Our friend, Sandy showed us the ropes of how to pick'em, cook'em and eat'em without having a bad trip. And the salmon berries, raspberries, huckleberries, and blueberries were a great treat while out hiking. Right Riley?



8) Hiking the Lunch Creek and Salvage Trails: We took weekly hikes to both of these picturesque trails. They were awesome trails for the pooches and Salvage was the site of Susan's infamous (and successful) bear whisperer tactics.

7) Chocolate Malts at the Dockside Galley: Okay people, notice how the post-hike reward lists above the actual hike. Well this was our little slice of sin, our treat for hiking in the heat, or the mud, or the storms, or maybe just because. We really didn't need a reason to head to the Galley for the best malts West of the Rockies!




6) Sandy and Shep's Place: So we were in need of a new perch because the Clover Pass Resort, aka the Walmart parking lot, was going to be closing at the end of September and Sandy made us an offer we couldn't refuse: stay on their property (with full hook ups), eat her AMAZING food, learn how to mushroom pick and not to mention, wake up and go to sleep in paradise. We had to sign on for that one! Sandy and her husband Shep were so kind to welcome us into their home and become our "host family" for our last two months on the island. Thanks guys!




5) Kayaking the Clover Passage: OMG. We lived in a kayaker's heaven for about 5 months. How about sailing the protected waters of the inside passage from island to island, be followed by sea lions and get to take in the wilderness that is Southeast Alaska?




4) Fishing Ward Creek: So there may only be a few fly-fishable locations in Ketchikan, but Ward Creek lived up to my expectations of Alaska fishing. I purchased a yearly, non-resident fishing license for about $150 and probably averaged less than 50 cents a fish...you do the math.




3) Full Circle Farm: So how do the locals get their fresh produce? Full Circle Farm, of course! Talk about fun. Each week we would receive a box of fresh, organic produce from a co-op in Washington state. We received lots of veggies and recipes that were new to us and we looked forward to our weekly shipments like kids waiting for the Easter Bunny. Thanks to my supervisor, Joanna, for turning us on to this. Support community supported agriculture (CSA) y'all.

2) Bar Harbor Restaurant: This was our favorite dinner spot. Great atmosphere, staff and food. It was a real local's restaurant and had a Missoula feel to it. We loved hanging out on the deck in the summer and inside, by the fireplace, when the weather turned cold. We took both Nadia and Susan's brother, Tom, here. We always had a great time.

1) All of Our New Found Friends: Ketchikan was no different than any other small town that we lived in. The locals were great! We were welcomed into their community and felt like locals ourselves by the time we left. We will remember everyone we met and became good friends with for a long, long time. Thanks for being so kind.

So there you have it. Ketchikan has so much more to it than this top 10 list, like the eagles and the ravens, the totems and the salmon, or the hordes of tourists coming off of the cruise ships. It's what makes this place unique and gives it, its character. Susan and I are glad we had this experience and will have fond memories of our time in Ketchikan.