Rain often greets people as they arrive in this famously soggy town, where an average of about 160 inches of rain falls every year. But the sport-fishing and wealth of other attractions more than compensate for any meteorological inconveniences.

Many visitors come to chase salmon and halibut. Canneries annually produced 1.5 million cases of salmon, giving Ketchikan its reputation as the salmon capital of the world. Those numbers have declined, but the industry remains an economic mainstay.

These days, tourism is a major employer, mostly catering to the approximately 850,000 cruise ship visitors who arrive each year. Ships tie up at the dock beside the Waterfront Promenade along Front Street. This is the perfect place to begin a tour of Ketchikan.

Among the first things you will notice is that dozens of galleries and shops line the streets. Most galleries feature a wealth of locally made art. The Southeast Alaska Discovery Centre on the promenade displays a fine collection of Native art.