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by Adam Sawyer
A dip in an Idaho hot spring. Wine tasting in the Willamette Valley. A drive through Waterfall Alley in the Columbia River Gorge. Staying at an Olympic National Park Lodge. Where would you start if you were compiling a list of consummate Northwest experiences? How long would you let that list get? How about this—can you add things to the list in the moment, or even after the fact? I would posit, yes. Absolutely you can. Some of the most memorable Northwest experiences of my life have occurred when I wasn’t expecting them or had no previous knowledge that such an experience was even available. A recent example for me started with the simple desire to put a checkmark next to an experience that’s hovered near the top of my list for a while—salmon fishing in Ketchikan, Alaska, the “salmon capital of the world.”
I had always envisioned staying at a fishing lodge or resort. So last summer when the opportunity to visit the Salmon Falls Resort presented itself, I took the bait. Beyond all of its thematically perfect elements, the Salmon Falls Resort offered an intriguing list of additional “adventures” which caught my eye.
One of the optional adventures given upon arrival was an airport pickup via boat—specifically, the 30-foot Commander. And given the fact that adult beverages and snacks were provided on the Commander, and the other option was a ferry ride and a shuttle, the Commander felt like a no-brainer.
Salmon Falls Resort shows well from a water approach, and, before we docked, I managed to pick the spot where I wanted to have my first official happy hour drink. Once checked in and freshened from a day of travel, I executed that plan, post haste. With sweeping water and sunset views that teamed up with a warm summer evening, drinks and dinner on the deck of the onsite Timbers Restaurant was the perfect tone-setter for the trip.
Despite the fact that I was officially there to fulfill a fishing fantasy, the aforementioned list of adventures would be thoroughly explored as well during the course of the trip, beginning with a float plane excursion through the Misty Fjords National Monument the next morning.
Our pilot/guide met us at the resort dock, and, after a quick briefing, we were airborne. The list of superlatives I could use to describe the imposingly beautiful landscape would be long but futile. Suffice it to say that if you get yourself an eyeful of fjord from above, nobody will ever need to explain to you why they moved to Alaska. And the kicker was when the pilot landed us in the middle of this paradise, casually got out of the plane, and essentially dog-walked his aircraft onto the rocky shore of a house-sized island for us to get out and have a leg stretch. Unreal. Float planes and fjords make the list!
When we got back to the resort, yet another add-on experience awaited us. Only this time the adventure was of the sit-down variety—Chef Jordan Swiler’s Salmon Roe Tasting Culinary Experience—wherein Timbers Executive Chef Swiler personally guides you through a tasting menu that showcases the glory of salmon roe in varying preparations and presentations. Enjoying an elite, Chef-led tasting menu with wine pairing—there’s another one for the list.
The next morning we headed down to the dock for an entire day of fully guided fishing. “It’s about time!” you say? Well, fair enough. But tell me you wouldn’t sample those other adventures yourself if given the option.
Once licensed and geared up, our guide, Captain Bunker, ran down the day for us and we were off to open waters. It was a serene morning made moody by banks of fog and breaks of sun. We were on our way to the first anticipated fishing stop when the captain cut the engine and we coasted. He pointed directly in front of us and with restrained delight said one word: “Orcas.” We all went to the deck of the boat and watched as a curious pod came within 20 feet of us before vanishing into the depths, leaving a few saucer-eyed guests gazing at each other for reassurances of reality.
And then we fished. Boy howdy, did we fish. In addition to landing a bounty of salmon, we pulled our share of halibut as well as lingcod. Back at the dock we posed for photos with our catch before it was all processed, flash-frozen and stored away for us to take home later. Catching salmon and then some in Ketchikan, with a side of Orca whale-watching—checked off and added to the list.
That next afternoon we took a Kayak EcoTour through Clover Pass, just south of the resort. Since I was flying out the next morning, it would be my final experience in Ketchikan. But what a finishing act it was. After paddling around Clover Island and observing bald eagles and tidepools teeming with life, not one but three pods of humpback whales began surfacing and bubble-net feeding all around our group, and continued to do so for about 45 minutes. Then almost as if choreographed, they exhibited a flourish of spouts and flukes before moving along toward the setting sun. I was sure that we were witnessing something special, but it was nice to have the unbridled amazement, joy and somewhat nervous laughter of our guide confirm my suspicions.
But how would I line-item this one for the list? Paddling a kayak in the middle of dueling pods of surfacing, bubble-net feeding humpback whales, while bald eagles soar overhead and the ocean shimmers with sunshine diamonds below. Sounds about right. I recalibrate my list to include parameters like “previously unconsidered entry” and “goosebump factor,” then finally and happily, put a mental checkmark next to that latest entry.
Plan your own Salmon Falls Resort adventures at salmonfallsresort.com. Go to visit-ketchikan.com to plan your travels to Ketchikan, only a 90-minute flight from Seattle.
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Courtesy : https://nwtravelmag.com/adventures-at-salmon-falls-resort-ketchikan-alaska/