Catch Me In Ketchikan (If You Can)

Bears + Brothels + Lumberjacks, Oh My!

Photo by Yuval Zukerman on Unsplash

Watching Ketchikan, Alaska, come into view over breakfast felt like slipping into a postcard I’d been carrying around in my head for nearly twenty years.

Sun shining through low clouds hugging the forest and mountains. Water looking like liquid steel. Colorful businesses and homes clinging to the shoreline, ready for whatever weather Mother Nature throws at them.

At the table next to me, I struck up a conversation with a trio of ladies who live just a few miles from where I grew up.

Their accents hit me like a favorite song I didn’t know I missed. Familiar, grounding, a little surreal this far from home.

Between their voices and the slow reveal of Alaska outside the window, I felt that rare kind of full. The kind where you don’t need to reach for your phone or go back for another round at the buffet.

It’s been almost two decades since my first time here.

Back then, I was part of a gaggle of chosen family and new friends, on my very first cruise. Everything felt amplified and surreal. This time, I’m rolling solo. And honestly, it suits me. There’s something about moving at your own pace in a place like this that makes every detail land a little deeper.

And Ketchikan delivers on details. This town has layers. Not subtle ones either. Bold, colorful, slightly mystical layers.

There’s the Ketchikan that greets you right off the ship. Gift shops, totem poles, smoked salmon…everything. Then there’s the slightly wilder version just a few steps away. The one where history doesn’t feel polished.

Walk down Creek Street and you’re literally stepping through what used to be the town’s red-light district. Actual brothels built on stilts over the water like that somehow made it legal. (Bonus points for creativity!)

Today it’s a charming town built on salmon and tourists. Back then, it was one of the few signs of civilization in the Wild, Wild West of Alaska.

Ketchikan doesn’t treat wildlife like a distant concept. They’re more like neighbors you respect from a safe distance.

During the salmon spawning season, bears show up like they’ve got a standing dinner reservation. It’s wild in the most literal sense. You don’t always see them, but you definitely feel like you could.

Today, I’ve kept my plans intentionally light. No rushing. No trying to “do” Ketchikan like it’s a checklist. Just walking. Camera in hand. Stopping when something catches my eye. A reflection in the water. A hand-painted sign that’s seen better days. The way the light shifts when the clouds decide to move along for five minutes.

There’s a rhythm here if you let yourself fall into it. It’s not fast. It’s not loud. It’s more of a steady hum. And if you’re not careful, you might actually relax.

I came for the scenery. I came for the nostalgia.
But I also came for the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show.

There’s something deeply satisfying about watching a group of handsome, rugged, strong, and talented men turn logging skills into performance art. Log rolling, axe throwing, chainsaw carving. It’s equal parts sport, spectacle, and comedy.

And while it’s family-friendly, I’m also here to appreciate the…athleticism.

Call it cultural appreciation. Call it whatever you want.
But me, myself, and I plan on having a great time.

Twenty years ago, I remember trying to pack every possible activity into a single day. I remember chasing all the “best” moments. Now, I’m letting the moments come and happen to me. It’s a small but significant change.

It’s less about doing everything and more about being in the moment. And somehow, that makes it all feel bigger and more personal.

Ketchikan is a little bit of everything. Beautiful and gritty. Touristy and authentic. Calm and just slightly chaotic.

And today, I plan to fit right into that motley mix. No rush. No pressure. Just me, my camera, a coastal town with a past, and a front-row seat to one very entertaining lumberjack showdown.

If you need me, I’ll be somewhere between the boardwalk and the bleachers.

Probably smiling. Definitely walking, but not in a hurry to “get” anywhere.

Keep calm and get your lumberjack on!
Clint 🌈✌️

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

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BORN THIS WAY ON THIS DAY

• 04-21 = Alice Wu (1970- ) = American filmmaker 🌈

• 04-21 = Jessica Clark (1985- ) = English actor and model 🌈

• 04-21 = John Cameron Mitchell (1963- ) = American actor and filmmaker 🌈

• 04-21 = Ric Weiland (1953-2006) = American developer and philanthropist 🌈

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MAN CRUSH OF THE DAY

JOHN CAMERON MITCHELL BY WOLFGANG TILLMANS

“Our feet are planted in the real world, but we dance with angels and ghosts.”
John Cameron Mitchell

“I like making art that’s useful to people who have a harder road. Art is a tool to get through it; it’s a tool to prepare for the worst. By envisioning it in an artistic context, you can make sense of it before and after it happens.”
John Cameron Mitchell