Visiting Seward, Alaska/Carlos Pueblo

Visiting Seward, Alaska/Carlos Pueblo

Seward, Alaska is on the outskirt of Anchorage and is a major fishing seaport

plus a key terminal of the Alaska cruise. Our back to back ends here and starts

also here, most of the times, cruise passengers are busy get on board or rush

to the airport of Anchorage to be home. This time, the cruise gave up an easy

pass no check out and check in processes just leave the room and luggage were

moved to a new designated room. We had had a whole day to visit the lovely

township for an entire day. Six years ago, I did manage to reach Seward after

wondering around the Moose Pass for a smaller glacier and I didn’t expect that

one of these days I would come back to Seward and visited two huge glaciers.

A school bus took us to downtown Seward and it was arranged by the city for

the summer vacation school bus drivers came to help the seasonal business. The

driver was very considerate to point out a coin-operated laundry shop for us just

before the main street. We walked toward a beach front park and met several

visiting families from lower 48 states. They drove their recreation vehicles through

British Columbia, Canada to Alaska for the summer, they knew and I was admired

of their determination. It is very comfortable to visit Alaska during the late spring

and summer. Now I remembered our 2010 land trip in Alaska, it was in August just

at the leaves changing color and the end of summer season. I remembered that we

did run into a creek with hundreds of red color salmons coming home. The senior

coming from Arizona told me that halibut fishing required a fishing boat because that

the string needed to reach 300 feet deep while salmons could be right on the beach.

We walked by a school called Alaska Institute of Technology and I thought that was in

equivalent to the famous MIT. The school employee told me not. It is a vocational

school to train students to meet the requirement skills for an employment. We were

recommended to hike on the back of the campus, a Twin Lakes Trails about 2 miles.

The pedestrian paths are fine; however, we exited at the second lake, actually was a

pond, to a pretty restaurant on the small top of a hill where we could overlook part of

the city. We decided to walk down the hill through a luxury residential subdivision with

beautiful gardens in the front yards. We came to the welcome center monument of the

city and got lost on our attempt to go back to the ship. Finally after many asking for

direction, we got back to the ship and saw the railroad station where you took the Alaska

train up to the north, Anchorage, Denali National Park, and Fairbanks etc.

After lunch break, we did go back to the downtown for shopping, for Amy actually. I

still had had a good memory of my last rental visit here at downtown. I found out a

town library not far from the returning bus stop. I also had had a good conversation

with a young restaurant manager from the ship while we were waiting outside the shops.

蘇沃港行/莊峻華

蘇沃港行/莊峻華

蘇沃港在安可路治市外圍，是一漁港，阿拉斯加郵輪旅行大站，我們

七日遊之終點，也是回程七日遊之起點，平常來到此港，多半是匆匆

忙忙上船，無暇欣賞小鎮幽雅風景，這次郵輪對出資料，無需搬運行

李下船再上船，郵輪服務員自動，幫忙搬到新房間，我們有一整天，

在小港閒逛。有一年，我們從安可路治市，開車到蘇沃港，沿途巧遇

一鲑魚返鄉小溪，成千返鄉鮭魚，因人地生疏，錯過一座冰州，只見

到一些翡翠色層冰山，甚稱遺憾，不想事過境遷，幾年來，又重回阿

拉斯加觀賞更大冰洲。

有一學校巴士，載有興趣旅客上街，司機就是平日校車駕駛人，暑假

週六出來幫忙，巴士一整天，而且經過一銅幣操作洗衣店，真是設想

週到。我們在城中鬧街下車，然後走向海邊公園。公園內有休旅車露

營場，許多美國家庭，從西部開車，經過加拿大，來到阿拉斯加釣魚

，釣甚麼魚？很多很多大魚，像大比目魚，我說皇帝魚，中外均通，此

魚比人都大，味道鮮美，需要開船外海垂釣，水深300呎處，還有幾

種鮭魚。蘇沃港提供深海垂釣，而且掛保證，有許多相片人證，但價

錢昂貴。

如此美景佳境，並非富貴人擁有，許多平民，也來享受，有人開休旅車，

有人甚至開普通轎車，攜帶帳篷，搭帳露營，在營地旁烤肉，小孩們在

附近嬉玩。我們走出公園，找到一畫廊咖啡店，在民宅內，有美麗花園，

這是阿拉斯加春天，氣候溫和，百花齊放。我們在一工藝職校後院，步

入一雙湖健行步徑，走入樹林，然後進入一餐廳在山崗上，可以眺望一

部份城市，下山後，走入蘇沃港歡迎中心，想先回船午餐，結果在港灣

繞行一大圈，經過一火車站回郵輪，我印象中之火車站，似乎有異，此

車站可以北上，到安可路治市，底那莉國家公園，和費爾邊市。

午餐後，我們又搭車到城中逛街，我在板凳等候艾美購物，她已受到我

節儉影響，直呼太貴，我和船上一位年輕餐廳經理聊天，我已經有九次

，公司郵輪旅行經驗。找到市立圖書館，美侖美奐，我是使用免費電腦

網路，查閱來信和回信。

阿拉斯加在1867年，為美國所購買，當年主張購買者，就是國務卿，威

廉蘇沃，名垂青史。阿拉斯加，過去產黃金，現在以石油，觀光，和漁業

為大宗，風景絕佳，但冬季酷寒。

Viewing glaciers on board/Carlos Pueblo

Viewing glaciers on board/Carlos Pueblo

Viewing glaciers on board is one of the major purposes for Alaska Cruise. We

have had three days on our back to back trips to visit two large glaciers,

Glacier Bay National Park twice and Hubbard Glacier, of course, there are

some smaller glaciers on the way. All of the glaciers are located not far from

Juneau where more rain participation and freezing cold at the top of the high

mountains. Ice formed and accumulated gradually until too heavy, the theory

of the gravity, forced the ice pack to move to the lower ground. By the definition

, as a glacier must be increasing of its size not decreasing the cruise curator

Indicated. On their ways downhill, the ice also carried the rocks along the way to

form a clear path called valley. This is the reason why the glaciers have brown

and black layers while the blue ice is a reflection of sun light.

After Skagway, the ship sailed to the Glacier Bay, one of the Alaska inner seas called

inside passage and the Glacier Bay National Park. Two park rangers came on board

to help to introduce the park and answering questions. I felt the ship captains were

more aggressive than my previous experience with another ship, Jewel. The captain

sailed the huge vessel much closer to the main glacier. A fellow Taiwanese lady from

my hometown back in Taiwan told me that was because of global warming push the

sea level higher therefore deeper to avoid any risk for the ship. All of the passengers

are enjoying the view from all of the viewing windows all over the decks especially

in the front of the top deck, later the ship turns and let all sizes have the same positon

to face the main body of the glacier, it is huge as large as the state of Connecticut.

Habbard Glacier visit was on the next day. It is also huge with a slightly different shape

and an island nearby; therefore, I could remember the difference. We didn’t visit this

glacier on our way back due to some bacteria issue which converted the itinerary. We

changed the route to visit the Icy Straight, Hoonah, and the old Russian era capital,

Sitka, a lovely city and skipped Habbard and Skagway. Because this inconvenience,

the captain offered $100 on board credit for each state room. The American companies

are very good in doing business. I have had a story to tell about my loss of my 30 years

old binoculars at the Habbard Glacier visit. I lost it in one of the tree re-location between

decks and cafeteria while viewing the glaciers. I blamed it to Amy for her frequent requests

to relocate places to avoid boring. I let the staff out of my hands for some reason and

somewhere in a matter of 10 minutes. I had checked with the lost and found some many

times in vain. Now this offer should get me even; however, I misunderstood the captain’s

letter for that $100 was as a cash to deduct from the tip expanse. To make a long story

short, I didn’t purchase a new binoculars and the credit was forfeited. I had to complain

to Miami headquarter and there was a happy ending that I got my credit back.

船上觀望冰洲/莊峻華

船上觀望冰洲/莊峻華

搭乘阿拉斯加郵輪旅行，船上觀望冰洲是一重頭戲，太陽號分兩日，駛近兩座

巨大冰洲，海灣冰洲和哈博特冰洲，其中尚且經過幾小座冰洲，這些冰洲，都

在吉屋諾市附近之，內海海灣內，也是鯨魚故鄉。離開史凱格衛鎮後，船即開

向海灣冰洲，這是一座國家公園，公園派遣兩位看守官員，上船介紹。翌日船

駛向哈博特冰洲，也是停留一日，我覺得太陽號輪機長，藝高人膽大，巨輪逼

近冰洲，同船我之土庫女小同鄉曰，全球暖化，熔雪增加，水漲船高也。

阿拉斯加這部分，美國人稱之為手提鍋處，雨水豐富，又是高山累累，冬日積

雪不化，郵輪有開一節課，介紹冰洲定義，冰洲必須每年增加體積，就是新雪

加上舊雪成冰，重量增加，山坡不勝負荷之至，冰山底稍熔化，滑入山底，造

成峽谷，堆積在海口，前撲後繼，所以有一層層，不同顏色之冰層，我問公園

專員，黑色層是否為加拿大石油岩，他曰否，就是黑色岩石。船確實逼近冰洲

，所以郵輪這次，不再推銷小艇海面遊覽冰洲生意。冰洲都非常美麗壯觀，美

國政府和民間，通力合作，維護自然環境。這次不見海獅，但見鯨魚噴水，也

見到峭壁上飛鳥，不禁讓我連想到燕窩湯，廣東名菜，此地必是勝產區。

哈博特冰洲是新發現者，巨大冰洲形狀，泰半一致，就是結晶冰塊，堆積成河

，堆滿山谷，然後堵住山谷入海開口，堆積成山，大約25層高樓，幾十哩長，

面積約大於美國東部幾州，聽說格林蘭一座，全球最大，冰島和阿根廷也有，

美國在阿拉斯加內海，非常安全，而且郵輪旅行普遍，費用合理，是一享受。

我之相片畫廊，一時誤置，腦海分辨不出，海灣冰洲和哈博特冰洲，連忙查谷

歌，兩冰洲都有許多相片集，哈博特冰洲有一小島在附近，，郵輪環繞該島，

北近南出，讓全船每一方向，都可面對冰洲主體。

我在哈博特冰洲行，遺失笨重之老望遠鏡，其中故事曲折，剛好我尚有一格，

可以描述。我全付暖衣武裝，躺在臥椅上，觀望近處冰山，非常舒適，結果

艾美要我換到他處躺椅，不久又要陪她吃午飯，走進餐廳，我又要上廁所，

坐在餐桌上，才想到望遠鏡，無翼而飛，於是我連忙回男廁所，和兩處躺臥

椅，均無結果，於是我到遺失物招領處尋找，一直到回程每日，經過七層辦

公室，仍舊不死心，仍舊無結果。

回程中，郵輪因船上污水處理廠，生物細菌不夠，需要改道，船長寫封信道歉

並贈送一百美元購物用，我拿信問櫃台，是否可抵小費？櫃台肯定說是，結果

帳單上小費未抵，而且購物紅利沒收，於是我開始緊張，想到攝影影店，買支

新望遠鏡，但船停靠溫哥華，為加拿大港口，所有船店，都不准作生意，於是

我只好回家後申訴船公司，此事有圓滿結局，容後再述。

Hiking at Skagway, Alaska/Carlos Pueblo

Hiking at Skagway, Alaska/Carlos Pueblo

We went on hiking at Skagway, Alaska on both times while we were on our

cruise trips. The ships on each time dock at the same place, Ore Dock, and

allow us to walk toward the lovely township. The locomotive is capable to

pick the passengers up right next to the ship to carry on to the White Pass

Scenic Railway. We walked on the 2^nd Avenue and turned left northward

along with the railroad track to the Lower Dewey Lake for a total of 3.2 miles

hiking. After the lake adventure, we came back to the ship for lunch and a

little bit rest, we took off again toward opposite direction of the lake, to

Yakutania Point and Smuggler’s Cove which had concluded our stay at the

township.

I still remembered how to climb up to the lower lake, also a water resource of

the town. It is 0.5 mile uphill trail to the Lower Dewey Lake, another 2.7 miles

around lake. The hiking overall is rated as moderate while on the east side is

a little bit more challenge than the west side. The lake is very clean, clear, and

cold, with a very beautiful scenery with 5 picnic tables for breaks. On the south

end, we saw hikers group continued another 2 miles the Sturgill’s Landing last

time while at the north end of the lake, I overheard this time someone hiking

to the Upper Dewey Lake another 2 miles away. The map also indicates that

you can hike additional 2 miles to the Icy Lake/the Upper Reid Falls. There are

two posts out of the woods on the west side, you can have an excellent view of

the snow cap mountain peaks which are one of the most impressed points of

my trips.

We could see where we were going next from the café window. The helicopters

were busy all day long, seven of them, to carry on the passengers interested. We

passed by a small airport for the township to be connected with outside world.

We passed across a strong and dependable steel bridge over the rapid River

Skagway toward our second hiking of the day, the Yakutania Point 0.8 mile and

the Smuggler’s Cove another 0.2 mile away. Three years ago about the same time,

I saw an American golden eagle which was pointed to me by a young lady who

worked on our Jewel’s sister ship Pearl docked simultaneously with another

Holland America ship at this small town.

A fellow Taiwanese pairs took a private van tour to Yukon, Canada and several

Interesting tour including the old gold rush Klondike etc. The drivers are a retired

couple from Arizona creating this successful venture during summer season.

史凱衛鎮健行/莊峻華

史凱衛鎮健行/莊峻華

兩次阿拉斯加郵輪旅行，均停靠史凱衛鎮，兩次我們都在兩處健行，一

處是下杜威湖，另一處是走私者灣，健行後，已經是精疲力竭，史鎮健

行環境特佳，我們習慣公園社區散步，郵輪點心方便，兩處健行分兩節

，中間回船上甜點心咖啡，真是旅行一樂也。

此次到達，毫無爭議，就是爬山健行，連穿鞋都是登山小靴，我們在小

鎮繞上一圈，這是一類似西部小鎮風格，就從第二街鐵道旁小路上山，

小山500呎高，但是山路崎嶇，卻有小徑，方便於行，按圖索驥，約0.5

哩路，即達下杜威湖，此為小鎮水源地，為高山熔雪，匯留積成，繞湖

一圈是2.7哩，風景非常美麗，西境稍易，東境則有挑戰性山路，但湖

邊有幾處景觀點，可以眺望雪峰，非常迷人。有些識途老馬，充分利用

小鎮健行設備，到北端冰湖2哩路，東北端上杜威湖2哩路，南端史徒

爾吉碼頭2哩路，每次均遇見這些健行者，有老有少，下次我們將如此

嚐試。

船對面就是一直升機場，七架直升機，忙碌一整天，攜帶乘客，到處遊

覽，你不得不相信，美國確實有許多人，有錢又肯花錢。我們從機場邊

路過鐵橋，鐵橋旁邊就是小鎮機場，進出要道，否則僅郵輪一途，鐵橋

跨越史凱衛河，這是一無污染河川，河水急湍，濤濤不息。過橋後分兩

路方向，我想嚐試新方向，是家貓墓園，被否決，於是我們左轉，往走

私者灣進行，先是雅庫潭尼亞點，就是河川入海處，非常美麗，前後左

右都是雪山藍海，如入仙境，到忘我之地步，當年珠寶號來，看到一美

洲金鷹飛翔於空中，指點我觀望之美麗小姐，工作於姐妹號珍珠號，兩

船同時停靠史鎮，然後分道揚鑣，都是西雅圖出發。

到走私者灣僅一哩路，也是海岸隱私處，當年俄羅斯統治，阿拉斯加盛

產毛皮，還有菸酒走私，現在淘金不再，景觀點僅留回憶。

一對佛羅里達州潭頗市來，台灣同鄉語我，搭乘一曉廂車，入境加拿大

約克潭參觀，司機兼導遊，兩老夫婦夏天，從亞莉桑娜州，開兩廂車，到

約克潭，經營導遊接送生意，美國人非常有開創精神，聽說生意興隆。

回程郵輪污水處理場有事，繞過史鎮，改行史基塔舊都，容後敘述。

Visiting Juneau, Alaska/Carlos Pueblo

Visiting Juneau, Alaska/Carlos Pueblo

Juneau is the state capital of Alaska, a very clean and beautiful city. It looks

like surrounded by snow cape mountains with a huge lake, the Inside Passage.

Even though I have been to the city three times so far, I wish I could stay there

for weeks during the summer to see more of the nature of our world. Across

the city is the old gold mine town of Douglas Island where I have missed, I

swear that one of these days I shall visit eventually, it’s a bus ride only across

a bridge.

During the disembark, the city or the cruise provide shuttle buses continuously

to transfer passengers to the main street and back. We walked toward the Russian

souvenirs store to say hi to the owner, Olga from Sweden. Exactly three years ago,

we were on our stop from Jewel at the city and had had a very good conversation

with her, a tall nice pretty elegant lady owner. Amy bought a scarlet color wood

box for jewelry. All her inventory are from Russia, very precious and expansive. We

missed her by a few minutes according to her two young clerks, also pretty blonde.

I left my message and came back after a quick visit of the Mendenhall Glacier. She

was very kind to say that she remembered us and our back to back trip back to town,

we went to say goodbye and she reminded us to come back sooner next time. I was

told by our cruise shopping director about her. She was ill recently and her old store

was divided into two sections, one remains to her and the other half owned by her

daughter with the same specialty. Both of the pretty young clerks are her granddaughters.

We ran into a group of Taiwanese tourists in front of the city library where I went inside

for the internet usage. Their leader, a young lady, recommended us to take a city bus to

visit the Mendenhall Glacier. We walked to the nearby bus station and again met a U.S.

Coast Guard retiree. This senior explained what the coast guard business. I mentioned to

him that I had visited the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut he even

explained more in details. Coast guard business covers all over the world and he selected

Juneau for his retirement. The Glacier is under the jurisdiction of the National Forest

Service which accepted National Park pass. Stupid me that I forgot my wallet also forgot

to prepare my senior pass otherwise I could step on the real glacier that day. That day was

very warm 85 degree Fahenheit that I even saw someone dipping into the inner sea.

On our second visit on this back to back to the city, we had had a long hike along the Good

Creek to the last chance gold mine museum. A group of tourists were on their land excursion

to find gold on the creek. We followed the advice of the information center to take a wood

deck path back to the city limit, it was a project of an electrical company. After entering the

city limit, we passed by a very charming residential subdivision with beautiful garden on every

house, roses, peonies, and forget me not the State flower. Then we did pass by the Governor’s

mansion.

吉屋諾市行/莊峻華

吉屋諾市行/莊峻華

吉屋諾市是阿拉斯加州首府，一座美麗城市，幾乎是四面環山環水，

春天到訪，仍舊看到冰山，積雪覆蓋在群山頂，如此美麗之城市，我

應該多住幾週，經過這次兩週郵輪旅行，我已經訪問三次，幾乎都是

舊地重遊，仍然興奮愉快，只舊淘金道格拉斯鎮，尚未造訪，只待下

次。

下船後，我馬上到鬧街拜訪俄羅斯店，上次愛美在此店，購買一珠寶

盒，因為清楚遊客尚少，所以有機會和店主聊天，她名奧佳，是瑞典

人，一位美麗高大之金髮女士，每年她都需要到莫斯科採貨，店內物

品，精緻昂貴，俄羅斯手工藝品，非常藝術。我和店內小姐說道，專

程拜望，兩位小姐，也是金髮美女，非常高興，樂意轉達，我誤為五

，六年前，乘坐珠寶號之往事，奧佳下午在店內，驚訝我們果然再訪

，彼曰尚憶起我們，當然是善於生意者，她喜望我們常來，不需要等

侯如此久，其實不過是三年前之往事，她有些駝背，我在回程船上，

和郵輪採購主任談起奧佳之俄羅斯店，主任說奧佳生過大病，店面一

半，交給女兒管理，所以是兩家相同性質，互相競爭，兩位店員小姐，

就是孫女。

我習慣到大街口，市立圖書館，使用電腦網路，回覆一些來信，在門口

遇見一群台灣旅客，是搭荷蘭美利堅郵輪來，其中一位領隊小姐推薦，

搭巴士到市郊曼達荷冰洲，於是我們就省去州政府，和舊金礦博物館行。

等待巴士，遇到一位老先生，從海岸防衛隊退休，他稍微介紹海岸隊之

業務，我說我拜訪過康乃迪克州，新倫敦之海岸兵軍官學校，他更加仔

細說明，就是因為業務經驗，他選擇在吉屋諾市退休。

曼達荷冰洲，規模甚大，當天氣候反常，溫度高達華氏85度，居然有人

下水。冰洲是山上積雪長年，產生重量，地心引力故，滾下山谷，順便

夾帶泥土石塊，所以堆積之冰山，不是雪白，而像許多顏色之混合物，其

中藍色冰層，是日光之反射。

回程下雨，氣候寒冷，我們熟悉走向舊金礦區山路，這是一美麗風景區，

有陸地旅行隊，在小溪淘金，有導遊帶領，而且有淘金鋁盤，老老少少，

專心一致。我們經山路步棧道，回到市區，這是遊覽站介紹，經過一美麗

社區，美麗花園庭院，許多州花，莫忘我，然後經過州長美麗官邸，再經

俄羅斯店，和奧佳道別。

Watching whale from distance/Carlos Pueblo

Watching whale from distance/Carlos Pueblo

On the first morning, I had my morning walk on the 12^th deck pedestrian path.

A young lady told me that she saw a lone whale faraway and I went down to

my stateroom to get my binoculars. Kathy is from Portland, Oregon, an expert

of whale watcher. I could see the blow far away yet my Canon still got it. It was

a humpback she indicated. Later, there was another expert joined us for watching.

This gentleman was equipped with telescopes, tripod, and wide angle camera.

They had exchanged their experience and shared with me, a beginner. The ship

was moving forward and the humpback was approaching while I could see the

black tail waving around.

This is a kind of leisure whale watching and is a bonus of cruise traveling yet not

that exciting. The cruise has whale watching excursion for a fee to get closer to look

this huge animal. It is a guarantee business now or you get your $100 back if you don’t

see the whale. Why? Because the business practice is to pre-feed the whales and then

get the vessel closer to look. It is a 2.1 billion U.S. dollars industry nowadays and employs

13,000 people while the traditional whale catch business dwindle to a merely 31 million

U.S. dollars and is the reason why we can still see whales on a cruise trip.

I often found people gathering on the window side of the restaurants to watch the whales

passing by in some cases very closed to the ship even waving at the ship and that is why I

feel like receiving a bonus on the cruise after room and board, transportation from port to

port, and entertainment every night.

遠處觀鯨/莊峻華

遠處觀鯨/莊峻華

啟航翌晨，我在12層甲板散步，遇見一位年輕女士，正在觀望鯨魚，她說

看到遠處鯨魚，於是我連忙回寢室，取得望遠鏡，回眺望臺，遠處觀鯨，凱

希來自於奧勒岡州波特蘭市，曾經在夏威夷，有過觀鯨經驗，她說是駝背鯨

魚，我們分開眺望多時，我的老望遠鏡，已經30多年，威力不若近代新型，

而且笨重面積佔位，在觀賞冰洲時，就遺失不見。凱希興奮走來通知，遠處

東北11點處，有隻噴水，駝背鯨魚，果然是，這時一位全副裝備老者，加入

陣容，也是觀鯨老手，他們兩相交換經驗，非常起勁。

遠處觀鯨，和專程繳費觀鯨船有異，這些船行，需要事先餵飼鯨魚，所以近處

觀察龐大身軀，這一年之營業額超過21億美元，聘請13,000人，反而全球捕

鯨業額，僅31百萬美元，所以鯨魚得以存活滋息。 船續航行，噴水鯨魚靠近

，先見噴水不斷，然後尾鰭出現。隨後幾日，許多人在自助餐廳，都看到西邊

鯨魚出現，每次都引起一陣騷動。

一路北上航程，遇見鯨魚多次，有時候是黃昏，其實這時候白日長夜短，從蘇

沃港南下回程，鯨魚接近郵輪，可以清楚看見，有時候兩三隻，成群結隊，觀

鯨是郵輪旅行，一項意外收穫。

Visiting Ketchikan, Alaska/Carlos Pueblo

Visiting Ketchikan, Alaska/Carlos Pueblo

After one day and two night navigation, the cruise ship arrive Ketchikan

, Alaska, an old gold mine town of 19 century now a sleepy tourist port,

and a salmon fishing center. During the first morning at sea, inside passage

of Alaska inner sea way, I watched whales with a young lady whale expert

from Portland, Oregon. I still remember this first port of our 2013 Alaska

cruise from Seattle, Washington. Ketchikan creek is the path for some trout

and salmons to return their original home for laying eggs. As a matter of

fact, there is a hatchery upstream not far away from the old red light section

of the town current day a business full of souvenirs stores. Along the creek,

residential streets are on the steps of the hills and you can see the streets

signs on every step up hills. All of the residential dwellings are frame structures

and I don’t see any of the brick veneers.

I stopped at a small yet very clean and pretty park next to a hatchery where we

had visited before. An employee at the totem library pointed the facility for me

and I got an opportunity to chat with someone in charge of the hatch operation.

Every other year, the fishes will come back from the ocean through the creek up

stream and followed the fish ladder to enter to the ponds and lay eggs. The hatchery

will release the small fishes back to the creek then to the Pacific Ocean. It is a

private industry which doesn’t obtain any grand from the governments yet he does

mention salmon’s return is a kind of reward. There was an innovation going on site

to replace some old structures.

The totem pole museum is nearby. The totem pole is very unique Alaskan art with

wood engraving on the pole. Ketchikan claims the largest collection of totem poles

in the State, later, I also saw some big ones in a state park on our way back. We walked

back to downtown along with a German couple from Hamburg, Germany. They were

very curious for a rundown section of the old town deteriorated frame building near

a middle campus and took some photos.

Ever since I was a child, I always like to wonder around downtown for doing nothing.

On our way back to Vancouver 10 days later, we walked again at Ketchikan downtown

and ran into a Taiwanese lady of a store keeper. She works for a Chinese stores owner

in Caribbean and Ketchikan during the cruise season. She lives in New Jersey off season

and is a professional artist.