Posted on 10/19/2005 12:02:11 AM PDT by Mama_Bear
Now, that is very interesting.
We saw lots of totem poles in Ketchikan and Sitka, but I don't know if they were originals or reproductions. The cruise ships don't let you stay ashore long enough to really learn much about what you are seeing.
Most of those are originals, even if they were carved recently.
Some day, I'll post the picture of me standing under the eagle's butt. (The large wooden eagle, near Tongas Trading Center).
God bless you tourists. Ketchikan wouldn't survive without you.
/john
Not knowing this thread on Alaska was coming up, I a few weeks ago described some of the things we went through before we got on base, including going through the Good Friday Earthquake in March of '64, as well as in the past. Won't repeat all of them here, since most of the regulars have heard them more than once..:))
That includes a week of camping (Special Services foldout tent camper rented for $2 a day) the summer of '65, going north on the Steese Highway (snow flurries on August 13th) to above the Arctic Circle.
We then went back to the base to replenish things, and south to Mt. McKinley.
It was truly primitive then, and we were free to drive the Denali Highway all the way to 126 Mile (within 10 miles of it) before turning back to set up camp at the 88 Mile overlook.
Here is a description I found of the highway:
"Denali Highway
I have looked at this road on the map for years, but I never had time when I have been in Alaska to do it. I love the off the beaten path roads, the roads that don't go directly anywhere, the roads whose time and utility have mostly passed, the Blue Highway's that William Least Heat Moon talks about in his book of the same name. It did not disappoint.
Elevation
I was a little concerned because it was early evening and I had about 2 hours of light left. The first 20 miles are paved, so I made good time as the road wound up to the high alpine tundra to the south of the Alaskan Range mountains. The land was tundra with some willow brush, but mostly open. It was pocked with little lakes and the colors of red and brown dominated the vegetation. The road gains eleveation up to over 4200 feet and is above 2600 feet for most of its length. I was keeping a close eye on the snow cover and road elevation, to make sure I could make it across on two wheels. Luckily the snow level was quite a bit higher in this area.
Into the gravel
At mile 20, the pavement ends and it becomes a fairly rough gravel road. There was some hardpacked dirt where I could drive 40-45 miles an hour but a lot of the road was pock marked with pot holes - thousands and thousands of them. I would be driving 45 mph and then hit a row of pot holes that would loosen my teeth. In areas, especially on some of the hills, the gravel was very large, and it was a little disconcerting, but luckily, these areas were limited, and it eventually returned to the pot holes. I had to slow down to 5-10 mph in places, but other areas, I could speed up to 30 or 40. The area was spectacular as the road curved along the hills like a wet spagheti noodle. The Alaska Range of white capped mountains was visible to the north."
This is similar to my experience, although those "first 20 miles" were that week just being torn up TO pave! The pot holes and terribly rough gravel road were not by any means an exaggeration.
[just like the Alaska Highway in the summer of '66 when we drove out.)
In 1965, there were absolutely NO conveniences - hotels, gas stations, stores - no advertising - just pristine wilderness.
Bit of a handicap with the vast open spaces with only scattered low brush, when Mom had to well - answer the call of nature.
Complicating Factor was it was the day before Moose Season began, with parties of hunters cruising up and down the highway looking for an ideal spot to get one.
My boys were then 10 and 11 (daughter 3) and were stationed to WATCH THE ROAD and shout if they saw a vehicle coming, while I took advantage of a slight depression..:))
You absolutely knew "Who hath made these things" looking at the utter VASTNESS stretching across areas below you!
Thank you all for coming over and welcoming scubachick's husband home, and for expressing your appreciation for his service. I know it will mean a lot to scubachick (and to Mr. scubachick) when she comes in and reads your posts to her and her husband.
We are sure happy to have him home. Even though he is in NC and not HERE, at least he is safely back in the USA. :-)
The worst part was not having communications with the Lower 48 for 4 days, so our families did not know how greatly we were affected - were dead or alive.
You have moose everywhere don't you..
When I was a kid living in Maine a moose scared the day lights out of me.
I heard noise outside the back window and opened up the shades to see a huge one staring me in the face thru the window.
I was only 8 in 64.. but I was the man of the house.
God bless you tourists. Ketchikan wouldn't survive without you.
I am sure the tourist dollars are very welcome and necessary, but I have also heard that, by the end of the season, the natives are very glad to see us go, along with their stupid comments like: "you speak very good English here"...and the comment from the lady standing on the dock who wanted to know how high above sea level she was. (The man looked over the side of the pier at the water and replied "oh, I'd say about 15 feet".). LOL
May God continue to watch over and bless that beautiful family.
Thank you so much. We are going to call him before it gets too late tonight and offically welcome him home and will tell them both of the many FReepers who have come here today to welcome him home and to tell him 'thank you' for his service. It will mean a lot to them.
My professional culinary opinion:
#1. The Landing.... The service staff are the greatest. The cooks are professional. The kitchen is clean. It's pro stuff.... Downside... It's mostly fried food. I have new dentures, and fried food, while tasty and appealing, doesn't work with new dentures.
#2. The Gilmore. Great menu. Changes a lot. Great cookstaff. Excellent waitstaff. Good bar. Soups are the best in town. Period. Exclamation point. Turn the page. Fresh stock every day.
#3. That place down by the dock with the beer sampler package and the T-shirt (I've got one). The food is good when the right cooks are there. Ownership is in turmoil. Some of the specialties are really good. It needs a good owner, a good firm hand at the wheel, and to lose the prom night cache.
The above is just my professional culinary opinion, and doesn't mean squat. I've eaten at all three, and would go back to all three.
And Lord knows I miss being up there.
/john
Thanks, proud2be. We are breathing a sigh of relief now that he is safely home. Now we can concentrate on praying that the rest of our men and women come home safely as well. :-)
So was I... but not for any simple reason. It's a great town, but it's population is about 16000 and tourists double that when there are 5 boats in town. I know that after a couple of months, I learned to count how many boats were in moorage (as we came into Ketchikan for liberty), and figure out whether I wanted to go downtown or not.....
Tourists are great. We love you guys. But when you put double the population is a little footprint like Ketchikan.... It wears after a while. You think back to March, when there was only us there.... and how quiet and sedate it was. In spite of everyone working their butts off to get ready for the tourists and then the salmon.
I will always have a sweet spot in my heart for a)My first dog (R.P. Coltrain) b)The Great State of Texas and .... c) Ketchikan, Alaska.
/john
In Fairbanks, we had sub-zero tempertures most of the winter.
It was common for the HIGH for the day to be -40, and hung closer to -50 for several at a time. One day it had a slight breeze and was -80.
The thing is, like when in Rapid City, South Dakota, there were no cafeterias in the public schools, and unless bused, the children had to walk to school, home for lunch and back, and home afterward.
An exception was made if it got below -35. Then they could take a lunch with them to eat there.
With my "break in" period in South Dakota preceding going to Alaska, I adapted quickly.
Even though I grew up in Florida, I reached a State of Mind where my comfort level was set at:
"If it would just get UP to ZERO, everything will be all right!" -
and meant it.
I will make a note of your restaurant choices, I definitely intend to return someday to Ketchikan. :-)
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