08/19/2026
Ketchikan Part 1
For McMundyandmates, Ketchikan was our first taste of the Last Frontier; salmon, totem poles, colorful Creek Street, mountains and mist were all signs that our Alaskan adventure had officially begun.
Alaska’s famous “First City” sits on Revillagigedo Island along the Inside Passage. With no roads connecting Ketchikan to the outside world, you’re only getting here by boat, plane or birth canal. Its nickname comes from historically being the first major Alaskan community reached by ships traveling North from the Lower 48. Incorporated in 1900, Ketchikan grew from its fishing and cannery roots and later prospered during the Gold Rush era.
Known as the “Salmon Capital of the World,” salmon have been at the heart of Ketchikan for generations, and during spawning season you can watch them battle their way upstream in Ketchikan Creek.
Then there’s Creek Street, one of Alaska’s more colorful locales—in more ways than one! 😉 Brightly painted buildings perch on wooden pilings above the creek, but its past was considerably more garish. Once Ketchikan’s infamous red-light district, today it’s filled with shops and restaurants. Dolly’s House still stands along the boardwalk, where Dolly Arthur, Creek Street’s best-known madam and Ketchikan’s most prolific entrepreneur, once ran her very profitable business.
Ketchikan’s history reaches back much further, however. The region is the traditional homeland of the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian peoples, whose cultures are represented in Ketchikan’s remarkable collection of totem poles. More than beautiful carvings, they tell stories of families, legends, identities and important events.
Ketchikan - First City, First Alaskan port, and one unforgettable First impression, there’s no doubt McMundyandmates have officially arrived in Alaska!