Calgary, Ketchikan and Seattle 2024

Saturday, August 24th – Calgary, Alberta 

As with most of my Backroads trips, I try to add some days at the end or beginning of the trip to see more of the region – I started with Calgary. 

Calgary, my entry into and exit out of Canada on this trip, started out as a fort in 1875 to protect the fur trade and was named Fort Calgary in 1876 after Calgary on the Isle of Mull, Scotland. It officially became a city in 1884, with a population of 4,000.  It is now the largest city in Alberta with approximately 1.4 million people, located just east of the Rocky Mountains.

Known for its oil industry and nicknamed “Cowtown” because of the “Calgary Stampede”, the largest rodeo in the world, Calgary is actually ranked the most livable city in North America and the 5th most livable city in the world by the Economic Intelligence Unit.  It may be why it is one of the fastest growing cities in North America. It is also the third most diverse city in Canada with 120 languages spoken – only behind Toronto and Montreal. It even has a Muslim mayor – the first Muslim mayor of a major North American City.  

So, during the 18 hours that I spent there, I was actually able to experience the energy and diversity of this wonderful area. Wow! What an under-appreciated city! I was blown away. From the nightlife to the green spaces, this city has so much to offer. 

I went straight to Prince’s Island Park, which is surrounded by the Bow River – yes, the same river that flows through Banff.  Here, the Bow River is much wider and is a major draw with trails on both sides as it meanders through the city. Again, this is where Calgary gets it right and most U.S. cities get it wrong. Unlike Calgary and most European Cities, U.S. Cities do not treat riverfront real estate as a community asset to be enjoyed by all. Usually, such land is privately owned to be enjoyed by the privileged few – such a shame. And in Calgary, on a pleasant Saturday evening, that beautiful riverfront was being enjoyed by throngs of people. 

Afterwards, I visited Major Toms for dinner – a bar/restaurant on the 40th floor of a downtown building with 360 degree views of Calgary. I spent two hours at the bar having dinner, enjoying the sunset, and people watching. Our friends, Steve and AC Pierce, educated me about the benefits of going to a fine restaurant, and eating at the bar. Afterwards, I had a pleasant stroll along a “pedestrian only” section of downtown on my way to my hotel.

Sunday, August 25th – Travel from Calgary to Ketchikan, Alaska

Before leaving Calgary, I went for an early 4-mile run on the greenway along the Bow River, before heading to the airport to catch a flight to Seattle and then to Ketchikan, Alaska.

When I arrived in Ketchikan, it was windy and cold with rain coming down sideways. This is the kind of cold wet rain that permeates your clothing. While waiting for the Ferry to take me across the Inner Passage to Ketchikan, I struck up a conversation with a local, who had just returned from Seattle. I could not help but notice that Nicole, that was her name, was wearing shorts! During our conversation I learned that Nicole was originally from North Dakota. Based on the short time I was with her, I can guess that she knows how to take care of herself.

Our conversation was interrupted when she received a text that there had been a major landslide in Ketchikan. Evidently, the torrential rainfall from the previous 24 hours was the cause. And it would turn out to be the worst landslide in over 35 years with one fatality and would make the national news. Because of all the chaos, Nicole offered to drive me to the my AirB&B. And although the landslide had closed a major road, thankfully, the road to my AirB&B and her house was open. So, although wet and cold, I arrived at my accommodations safely. Thank you Nicole for taking pity on me.

Monday, August 26th – Ketchikan, Alaska 

Although I was not able to enjoy the amazing view from my AirB&B the day before, I awoke to an amazing sight the next morning. As I sat on the deck drinking my first cup of coffee, a cruise ship came into view during the early light of dawn and docked right below me. I was very entertained watching the huge ship dock. 

I spent most of Tuesday exploring the town, zip-lining in the Tongass Rainforest, and hiking the very challenging Deer Mountain Trail. We did nine zip lines with some lines 135 feet above the ground. We also crossed a suspension bridge and propelled down to the ground. However, the highlight of the zip-lining excursion was viewing a creek below us from one of the platforms. Activity below included watching two Black Bears catching and eating salmon, while upstream, the salmon who had not been eaten by the bears, flipped around in the shallow water spawning, and then dying after disgorging their eggs. 

Before my 3-mile, 2,000 foot ascent hike up the challenging Deer Mountain Trail, I picked up some provisions for meals to enjoy on the deck of my AirB&B. Why eat out when I one can enjoy smoked Salmon, Kelp pickles, good bread and cheese, paired with fine wine on a deck with some of the best views in Ketchikan! So, my dinner that evening was spectacular, enjoyed on the deck of my unit.

Ketchikan, which calls itself the Salmon Capital of the world, has done a great job of converting itself from a lumber town to a tourist destination spot. As many as seven cruise ships a day visit this small town during the summer. As a result, the town morphs from something similar to a ghost town in the evenings to a bustling small city during the day.

Tuesday, August 27th – Alaska to Seattle

After yoga, breakfast with a view, and a work zoom call, I left my wonderful AirB&B spot, perched on a bluff overlooking Ketchikan, and took the Ferry across the Inner Passage to the Ketchikan Airport, and took the 1 pm flight from Ketchikan to Seattle arriving at 5 pm.

After checking into my hotel, I walked the boardwalk of downtown Seattle and had a simple meal of Kale Salad and smoked salmon chowder, something I discovered in Ketchikan. 

Wednesday, August 28 – Seattle

After a morning run through Seattle, I participated in a food tour at 10 a.m. at the world famous Pike Place Market. Usually I do food tours on the first evening I am in town, but none were available. So, I did this one. As a 2-hour chef guided tour, we made 9 food stops, including Beecher’s handmade cheese, Indian Chocolate, Truffle Queen, and Pike Place Chowder. All nine stops were wonderful. Afterwards, I went back to those same shops and bought some goodies to take home. 

Later, I caught the 2:40 Bremerton Ferry that took me from downtown Seattle across the east passage body of water to Bremerton, where my Godson Brandon picked me up. We then drive to his house in Port Orchard on the Kitsap Peninsular where I spent some time with his family. Afterwards, he and I went to Whiskey Gulch for some good food and even better conversation, catching up on so much. We had not seen each other since my son Jack’s wedding. 

I then caught the 9 p.m. ferry back to Seattle, enjoying amazing night views of the Seattle Skyline. As my Uber driver mentioned to me the next morning as he was driving me to the airport, the Ferry to Bremerton is the best tourist excursion in Seattle – and it only costs $10 round trip!

And speaking of my Uber driver, remember that in my former post I wrote that this trip was bookended by fascinating conversations with strangers, starting with the couple I met in Calgary over breakfast. Well, I learned that my Uber driver taught crew and rowing for many years. So, I mentioned the book Boys in the Boat, which I loved, and a book my sons and I read for book club. The book, which is non-fiction, describes how the University of Washington crew team not only won the National Championship in 1936, but also the Gold Medal at the Berlin Olympic Games that year, against all odds. Well, my Uber driver coached the granddaughter and great daughter of the main protagonist in the book. And he had met several of the characters in the book. All I can say is that the 30-minute ride to the Seattle Airport was too short. It is just amazing the fascinating people you can meet while on vacation.

As I told Brandon when we hugged and said our goodbyes, I will not wait another 30 years to visit Seattle. If your exposure to Seattle is limited to postcards and reputation, then you know it for the Space Needle, Mount Rainier, coffee and rain. But it is so much more. Elizabeth still has not visited Oregon, one of my favorite states. So, I see an Oregon/Washington trip in our future….