If you look closely at your cruise ship contract, you might note a subsection that says, "All…read morepassengers will be expected, upon arrival in Ketchikan, to emulate local salmon and travel upstream to Creek Street." (Spawning is optional since prostitution was outlawed there in the 1950s. Yes, the 1950s. I know.) You will pass all kinds of worthy shops selling local goods on the way, but try to leave a little shine on your Visa card for Sam McGee's. Of all the shops we stepped in and out of between the furthest berth at the dock and Creek Street (and I think mean ALL the shops), this was the most attractive and fun with a selection varied enough that I ran out of energy to point at stuff. One of the advantages of Sam McGee's is the layout. With multiple entrance and exit points, you can move through the store and linger at displays instead of shoving your way in then craning your neck around other visitors. (There were three ships in port that day.) Especially attractive is the back verandah (again, with two exits) where you can leisurely stand and look over the creek. There's even enough room to step aside for a phone call. ("Dad! I'm calling from ALASKA!" Those of you born back when long distance was a thing saved for calling grandma on her birthday can appreciate this.) The wares themselves are not much different than what you will find elsewhere in town, although it's a lovely problem to have to choose between so many different brands of salmonberry jam. Luckily the store had a tasting cart set up, so we were able to make an informed decision and not just give in to my first impulse, which was to grab every adorable little jelly, cookie cutter, or knicknack and scream "PRECIOUSSSSS!" Seriously, this shop is as cute as can be, with the train running along the ceiling and the vintage gold rush-era glass bottles (for sale!) and who knows how many other things I missed while trying to choose the perfect mustard. (We went with ginger birch Moosetard.) Oh, and if you missed the Glacier Silt Soap shack while in Juneau, you can get it and many other local soaps here, although my husband was trying to steer me away from the display so I can't report further on this. (Probably because the Glacier Silt Soap shack in Juneau went into extended operating hours when I visited. I have a wee fondness for the suds.) (I did have one criticism about Sam McGee's, but then I looked at the map and saw that what I thought was the mineral "area" of the shop is actually a different store entirely; it's just connected to Sam McGee's. Anyway, beware of the very pretty gold leaf sold in bottles at the adjacent shop. They look like nice Alaskan souvenirs, but the gold actually comes from Brazil. Pft.) I know Sam McGee's is "just" a souvenir shop, but it's an attractive, fun place that sells just about every goodie you might want except for T-shirts and possibly salmon. (For T-shirts, there is the rest of Creek Street. For salmon, there is the rest of Ketchikan.) They even have a corner just for dog lovers, and be sure to note the many signs reminding you of how easy it is to ship stuff home. (In other words, don't be like us and remember those signs after being pulled over by the TSA at the airport. I'm pretty sure Sam McGee's would've cut us a better deal than twenty bucks' worth of panicked FedEx from the airport all because I forgot it was 2012.)

I went here with my grandma to buy a souvenir. There was a shop dog roaming around inside unleashed…read moreand came up to me and sniffed my leg. I lowered my hand down for it to smell me and it BIT MY HAND and started barking loudly. Don't have an animal in your shop if it's not friendly. Imagine if that were to happen to an unsuspecting child. Completely disappointed in that shop.

Great products. The sockeye salmon, is great in salads, but it's also great to have it with a…read morelittle lemon and olive oil.

This little store is chock full of souvenirs and they promise to ship if you don't have room in…read moreyour luggage! We bought some Alaskan chocolates here and they gave us a few samples to taste. The ladies behind the counter were so lovely to deal with. My friend was obsessed with a specific brand of dark chocolate locally made in Alaska, so we were happy to see they had several flavors stocked. It's adjacent to a hotel lobby but the entrance to the store is visible from the street. Great place to pick up some souvenirs of Ketchikan.

Idk how it was so good but it was. The smell got me before I even saw it. Caramel corn while…read moreexpensive, was worth it. I got caramel corn in Skagway too, but this was the best. It was the perfect blend of buttery, crunchy, and sweet when it needed to be. The gift shop it's in is cute with fun things too. Can't wait for more.

Rhonda was such a delight!…read more You can try all three flavors before buying! Corn is made to order, unique, flavorful and delicious! You MUST try!

We did a tour of the farm and it was amazing! So informative and fun. Makes you really appreciate…read morehow much goes into the process. I now know starfish are evil oyster killers! :-) The oysters at the bar at the end of the tour were absolutely amazing.

Our family was coming in from our NCL cruise and I knew I wanted to support local with our…read moreexperience. My husband and I are avid oyster lovers and when I saw this as an excursion choice I knew we had to go! Pick-up from the dock was easy and since we were the first tour, it was just us and one other person! Everyone from our driver, the capt, and staff at Hump Island were so welcoming, friendly, and informative about the area. With our group being so small, it felt more intimate and enjoyable. Our boat ride was great to and from Hump Island because our captain made sure to show us around and we were able to catch glimpses of bald eagles and whales! Once we arrived to Hump Island Oyster Co we were greeted and given such detail about the process at the farm. Our kids got to enjoy their touch tank and even spotted some jellyfish! Once upstairs, we enjoyed raw and charbroiled oysters along with some amazing salsas and sauces. The whole experience reminded my husband and I of that of wine tasting, but with oysters. Conversation flowed and the laid back atmosphere was comfortable and enjoyable. It was magical being in this part of Alaska and enjoying fresh oysters shucked right in front of us and grown right there. Thank you, Hump Island Oyster Co! We look forward to making our way back in the future and can't recommend this tour enough to others on cruises or visiting Ketchikan!

Special home made fudge sold here. Great selection and friendly service…read more Truffles, salt water taffy, giant gummy bears...they've got it all here. Buy one pound of fudge and get a half pound free.

Girls on the coffe shop were very rude. They seemed unhappy with their jobs. The one at the…read morecashier rolled her eyes when I ordered a double espresso for no apparent reason

I had the best lox bagel ever here!!!! It was so delicious, I wished I bought another for later. It…read morewas a little pricey but it was worth every penny! Located in a little strip mall with other seafood vendors. The server was friendly and the place was clean. There is a counter with some bar stools to sit on directly outside.

If you like salmon, this is a good store to stop by. They have an extensive selection of salmon…read moregoods except for fresh salmon. They also offer other canned goods such as octopus, scallop and crab. The shop owner was nice to give out samples of the salmon jerky and smoked salmon. After looking over everything, we ended up buying a package of smoked salmon to take back home.

Super cute store! My little one loved to shop around. She got some candy and loved the little…read morevending machine in the front. The vibe is right with the rainbow bubble machine and music at the entrance.

I was very excited to try this location. When I was at Juneau the Alaskan Fudge Co. was phenomenal…read moreand I thought this would be a similar encore. First it's a handful of blocks from the port. Easily walkable. Just be mindful every jewelry store will try to coax you inside along the way. I hen we arrived I had high hopes. They had a bubble machine outside, music, chalk drawings. Loved all of this! But when I entered it was a well organized candy shop. Everything was either commercialized or prepackaged. That was kind of a let down. It was crowded, we ended up getting a 1/4 pound of birthday cake fudge for about $7.50. It was sickly sweet. I had asked the clerk for recommendations and she grabbed a tray and handed me a sample and moved along. I know they must have been busy. So we took a guess and while our party wasn't a fan of the one we picked I still think the homemade fudge would be delicious. I know we like to buy treats and distribute as gifts so we paid for a few items and left. We did buy the coffee we found in there. It was local to Alaska so hopefully that will be a hit. Haven't tried it yet but fingers crossed.

We've become locals since we've first tried the chocolate here a couple years ago. Our family used…read moreto be regulars at Ketchicandies, but since changing owners multiple times, they weren't consistent enough for us anymore. We haven't had any issues or disappointments at Forget-Me-Not Chocolates. The inside is very cute and artsy. There's a large selection of homemade chocolate products, ranging from barks to truffles. Our favorites are the chocolate covered gummies and the limited chocolate bars. The price is a little spendier, but definitely worth the quality of products and the friendly service. Whether you're local or just here for a few hours on a cruise, Forget-Me-Not Chocolates is a must try in Ketchikan.

A beautifully decorated space with emphasis on the main attraction, chocolate. Met and spoke with…read morethe owner who graciously walked us through all the chocolate offerings for purchase and even brought out from the back some freshly made chocolate creations. My favorite, Dark Chocolate Caramels with sea salt. If ever in Ketchikan, do yourself a favor and stop in at Forget me Not Chocolates, it made my day, might do the same for you.