| Near the southern most tip of Alaska's panhandle sites a sleepy little town with a very dramatic title. Squeezed between mountain and sea it is hard to imagine how the town got the Tlingit Indian name, Ketchikan - "Thundering Wings of an Eagle." For the rugged soul who climbs the 3,000 foot Deer Mountain that overlooks the town, the mystery is quickly solved. From that vantage the town, once a Tlingit summer fishing camp, sprawls out in the perfect shape of an eagle in flight. Like most communities in southeastern Alaska, Ketchican is surrounded by a vast wilderness and impassable mountains. Without road or rail connections to the rest of North America, everything must come by air or sea. But the town is Alaska's gateway to the south. So although it is small, picturesque, and rustic, it can be quite busy. |
