Shop Till You Ship on the Inside Passage

In the early days of cruising the Inside Passage (that’s the 1980s, not the Gold Rush of the 1890s), passengers shopping for souvenirs during port stops had a fairly limited choice. Billikens--good-luck charms made from ivory or bone--were popular, as were miniature totem poles and “moose nugget” swizzle sticks.

This summer, hundreds of thousands of tourists will be on this popular cruise route, and from Skagway to Ketchikan, merchants are ready with a boggling variety of items to remember Alaska by. The challenge for the cruising shopper is to be as discerning in Alaska as she or he is at home: to look for souvenirs that are beautifully crafted, authentic, tasteful, fun, delicious and affordable. And I don’t mean T-shirts.

To help you snag mementos that even an Alaskan would be proud to send “Outside,” I’ve developed a list from my experiences in the Inside Passage, augmented with information about what’s current from artists and merchants of long standing. I’ve included relevant information but not store hours; most merchants open when they hear the cruise ships coming in and close when the ships depart, regardless of the hour or day. Tourism has become the economic mainstay of these small port towns.

Ketchikan

Your first port of call in southeast Alaska along the Inside Passage most likely will be Ketchikan, once proud to call itself the “Salmon Capital of the World.” The big canneries closed long ago, but salmon still run through town and up Ketchikan Creek.

Cruise ships dock in downtown. But don’t stop there; keep walking up Dock Street four blocks to Creek Street, the most scenic and fun place to shop.

Creek is not really a street but a boardwalk along a salmon-run creek lined with old houses, Ketchikan’s old red-light district. One of the houses belonged to the notorious madam Big Dolly Arthur and has been converted into a museum tracing this local industry, which flourished openly until the 1950s. Most of the others hold shops and galleries.

A fitting first stop on Creek Street is Soho Coho, art gallery and studio of Ray Troll, a onetime cannery worker. You can buy Troll’s “wearable art” with such titles as “Salmon Enchanted Evening” on, yes, T-shirts (and baseball caps and pins).

Soho Coho is in the old Star Building, 5 Creek St.; telephone (907) 225-5954, Internet https://www.trollart.com. The store also sells bags of Raven’s Brew, a locally made coffee that has something of a following and makes a nice $10 gift to take home or order from https://www.ravensbrew.com.

For a sampling of Alaskana, stop in at Parnassus, an eclectic little bookstore across the hall; tel. (907) 225-7690.

If you have money to burn and want a unique gift for yourself, this is the place to have your own totem pole commissioned. Totem poles are not religious icons; they are carved to celebrate a family’s glory or to honor its members, living or dead. The Totem Heritage Center, on the creek across from the fish hatchery, houses a wonderful collection of old totem poles, and the staff there can put you in touch with local carvers. The center is at 601 Deermount St.; tel. (907) 225-5900.

Or make your way down to Saxman Village (this is on most cruise ships’ shore excursions) three miles south of town, watch some carvers at work and cut your own deal. Prices begin at $1,500 to $2,000 per linear foot.

Before you reboard your ship, check out the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center at the dock and its marvelous bookstore run by the Alaska Natural History Assn.; tel. (907) 228-6220.

Sitka

Alaska was under the Russian flag for 126 years, nearly as long as it has been under the Stars and Stripes. In Sitka, the old capital of Russian America, you will see the influence of Russia everywhere, including the charming, onion-domed Orthodox cathedral, St. Michael’s, in the center of town, and the ubiquitous nesting folk-craft dolls in the souvenir shops.

The Russian American Co. has long been a serious importer of Russian goods, and its store is dazzling, with lacquered boxes, religious icons and bejeweled enameled Easter eggs in the style popularized by Peter Carl Faberge’s work for the czars. The Russian American Co. is at 407 Lincoln St. (upstairs); tel. (907) 747-6228, https://www.russianamericancompany.com.

Across the hall is the Alaska Gallery, with the same owner and phone number, which sells fine art by Native Alaskans.

In the same block is a charming Victorian home that is now an upscale gallery, the Sitka Rose, which represents nearly 100 Alaskan artists in all mediums, from silver jewelry to basketry and weaving. The Sitka Rose is at 419 Lincoln St.; tel. (907) 747-3030. An annex, the Rose Bud, is at 120 Lincoln St.

Before buying Native Alaskan art, visit the museums--all are a short walk from the docks--in each of these communities to get an idea of the finest quality.

The Sheldon Jackson Museum in Sitka is one of the best. Its shop sells small, beautifully painted boxes made from cedar. The designs and techniques are traditional, done painstakingly, and the price reflects this: $500 and up. The museum is at 104 College Drive; tel. (907) 747-8981, https://www.museums.state.ak.us.https://

Juneau

By now you will have noticed the curved knife called an ulu that’s for sale everywhere, billed as the classic Alaskan gift. The ulu is a functional, artfully designed tool that traditionally comes from the Yukon-Kuskokwim area of southwest Alaska, home of the Yupik Eskimo people. Eskimo women are experts at filleting salmon and carving walrus meat with these knives. The ulu is also practical in the modern kitchen--it’s great for chopping.

At the Alaska State Museum store in downtown Juneau, you will find ulus with bone or antler handles, which are more authentic than the mass-produced ones. Look for these signs of authenticity on all craft items: a double polar bear signifies it was made by an Alaska resident; a silver hand signifies it was made by a Native Alaskan--Eskimo, Aleut or Indian.

The store also sells souvenir items in all price ranges, such as tiny jade bears, dolls made of fur, carved walrus ivory, baskets and gold, silver and bead jewelry. The museum is at 395 Whittier St.; tel. (907) 465-4840, https://www.museums.state.ak.us.

Two art galleries downtown that feature fine-quality traditional and contemporary Native art from all over Alaska are Raven’s Journey, 175 S. Franklin St.; tel. (907) 463-4686, https://www.ravensjourney.com; and Portfolio Arts, across from the cruise ship dock, 493 S. Franklin St., Suite 203; tel. (907) 586-8111, https://www.nome.net/~art.

A trip to Juneau would not be complete without a Bill Spear pin. These colorful, often amusing enamel pins and zipper pulls come in myriad designs for $8 to $20, and it’s hard to buy just one. Spear’s shop and studio are at 174 S. Franklin St., Suite 201; tel. (907) 586-2209, https://www.wmspear.com.

Annie Kaill’s Fine Crafts Shop is another good bet for fun and affordable gifts from Alaska. It carries a cool line of caribou antler buttons, along with pottery in regional designs, bowls made of birch bark and handmade jewelry boxes. The store is at 244 Front St.; tel. (907) 586-2880.

If you are flying home from Juneau, consider stocking up on some great smoked salmon and beer. Taku Smokeries sells gift packs of smoked sockeye salmon, cold-smoked halibut and salmon caviar. The store is downtown at 230 S. Franklin St.; tel. (800) 582-5122, https://www.takusmokeries.com.

At Lemon Creek, a few minutes’ drive from downtown and on the way to the airport, the Alaskan Brewing Co. conducts tours and tastings from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Its handcrafted ales win gold medals around the world year after year. The folks here are masters at packaging up two cases of beer--just the right size and weight to take on the plane. The brewery is at 5429 Shuane Drive; tel. (907) 780-5866, https://www.alaskanbeer.com.

Haines

Farther north, at the head of the Inside Passage, lie the little communities of Haines, a U.S. Army post until the 1940s, and Skagway. Only 2,000 people live in Haines, but more than 100 artists make a living there. For imaginative carved masks, stop in at one of Tresham Gregg’s two galleries: Sea Wolf on the Parade Ground, tel. (907) 766-2558; or the Whale Rider at 20 Portage St., tel. (907) 766-2540. The Web site for both is https://www.tresham.comhttps://.

Skagway

Let’s just get this right out in the open: Skagway started as a con artist’s town and it’s still a con artist’s town. It was the gateway to the Klondike gold stampede of 1897-98, and townsfolk like to keep up the spirit of those days: They celebrate the king of cons, a character called Soapy Smith whose grave is on every shore tour; they dress in costume and recite tall tales; and they are happy to take your money. They peddle lots of gold.

The best way to shop Skagway is to start by scouting the wooden boardwalks of Broadway, the center of the historic district. Timing is everything. If more than one cruise ship is in port, you will hardly be able to breathe because of the crowds pressing through the doorways.

For a unique gift, go for the gold. At the Miner’s Cache on 6th Street and Broadway, gold nugget rings are priced by weight, $28 per gram. If you don’t see something you like right away, there’s a pan of gold nuggets and a goldsmith on site to custom-design your heart’s desire.

The White Pass & Yukon Railroad depot has a store that’s a rail buff’s dream, with the emphasis on the historic narrow-gauge line’s service to the Klondike. The spectacular 20-mile ride up through the gorges and canyons to the summit at White Pass is a popular shore excursion for cruisers. The depot is at Broadway and 2nd Street; tel. (800) 343-7373, https://www.whitepassrailroad.com.

Now a word about carting all your loot home. If it contains any ivory, whalebone or fur, ask for a certificate stating that it’s not from an endangered animal. It probably is best to mail it or ship it air cargo, especially if you are going home through Canada, which has rigid rules for endangered species and will confiscate items that are illegal in Canada even if they are legal in the U.S.