Dim Sum – Travel – Ketchikan 21 July, 2011

Image via Wikipedia

Ketchikan – Built out over the water and climbing weathered stairways, Ketchikan clings to the shores of Tongass Narrows. Visit Creek Street, the Tongass Historical Museum, Totem Bight State Park and the Saxman Village. There are numerous galleries exhibiting Native art and works by talented local artisans. A floatplane flightseeing trip to breathtaking Misty Fjords National Monument is a transforming adventure not to be missed. (from Tour brochure).

Travelers with access to a boat of some sort, whether single-person kayak or gargantuan luxury yacht, should devote some time to exploring the scenic passages and inlets of the nearby waterways where fish are bountiful, it’s not uncommon to see whales and porpoises, and bears and eagles can frequently be seen on the shore.

Many kinds of shops exist in the downtown area, including museums, galleries, souvenir & jewelry stores and many fine restaurants.

Several galleries specialize in native-design art. Consider some of the strikingly executed carvings or baskets, or if you’re on a more modest budget, a print.

Ketchikan’s art scene isn’t limited to native art, however. The town’s scenic location and active participation-friendly art community have attracted artists working in a number of media. Local photographers offer some remarkable photos of the area’s scenic wonders — be sure to save some time to actually see the wonders, though and not just their photos. Other artists work in a variety of media; many are influenced by local scenery and/or wildlife. Excellent work can be found throughout a price range which can accommodate almost any budget.

Misty Fiords National Monument – About sixty miles from Ketchikan, on the eastern side of Revillagigedo Island and the mainland opposite, lies this 3,570 square mile National Monument, which straddles the 2,000-foot deep waters of narrow Behm Canal and spans rich marine, coastal and mountain forest ecosystems. The highlights of the monument are two spectacular fjords, Rudyerd Bay and Walker Cove, each of which winds miles into the mountainous coastal mainland. Thousand-foot waterfalls zigzag down spectacular cliffs, their flow augmented in the spring and early summer by melting snow, and fed throughout the year by the copious amounts of rain that define Southeast Alaska’s coastal climate. (Ketchikan Travel Guide).

We leave Alaska with the words of Carl Boburg on our lips

O Lord my God,
When I in awesome wonder
Consider all
The works Thy Hand hath made,
I see the stars,
I hear the mighty thunder,
Thy pow’r throughout
The universe displayed;
Stanza 2:
When through the woods
And forest glades I wander
I hear the birds
Sing sweetly in the trees;
When I look down
From lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook
And feel the gentle breeze;
Refrain:
Then sings my soul,
My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!
How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul,
My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!
How great Thou art!
Stanza 3:
When Christ shall come,
With shouts of acclamation,
And take me home,
What joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow
In humble adoration
And there proclaim,
“My God, how great Thou art!”
Refrain:
Then sings my soul,
My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!
How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul,
My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!
How great Thou art!
how great thou art.