Wrangell, Alaska Downtown Tour

This video is about life in Southeast Alaska with a drive by tour of Wrangell, Alaska downtown businesses, the boatyard, and Shakes Island.
Music:
I Am Running Down the Long Hallway of Viewmont Elementary by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Source: chriszabriskie.com/honor/
Artist: chriszabriskie.com/
Brittle Rille - Reunited by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: incompetech.com/
Cast Of Pods by Doug Maxwell
Bug Catching by Emily A. Sprague

[@KatKrueger]

After the devastating landslide a few days ago, I wanted to learn more about Wrangell. You did an amazing job of creating this and clearly know and love this town. Thank you.

[@kathivy]

Thank You 😊 The videos a little old, some businesses downtown have changed hands, but a lot is still the same.

[@kelligray1848]

I’m homesick. I grew up in Wrangell.

[@kathivy]

What a great place to grow up! It probably hasn’t changed too much. The businesses seem to move around a bit.

[@cbliss]

You probably know my son, Nate, Samson barge. Hope to visit 2023. Thanks for the tour. Brings back great memories from visiting my boys

[@kathivy]

Yes! Nate and the guys used to forklift a pallet of veggies and groceries in my truck every week back when I had my tiny produce store. Now he’s in charge of the place! Best fellow ever. Hope that you get to visit again in the coming year 😊

[@HankBradley]

I was born in Wrangell and spent my early years in Wrangell. At one time my family lived in the little house in Cow Alley. We also lived in a house north of the ferry terminal. My son and I visited Wrangell in the summer of 2022. Thank you for the tour.

[@kathivy]

So Cool! There are so many people who have lived here for generations. It definitely makes me feel like a newbie. Quite a few shops have switched locations since I made this video. I need to make a new one!

[@ElevatorJoe1995]

Thanks for the video! Great to see the town again! I lived up there in '90 and '91

[@kathivy]

You're welcome 😃 We arrived here in the summer of 2009, so we're relative newcomers compared to most people here!

[@ElevatorJoe1995]

The community was great for newbies. I still keep in contact with a friend I met when I lived there:)

[@kathivy]

@@ElevatorJoe1995 true, people in Wrangell are really nice 😊

[@evabalga6133]

I visited once, stayed in Stikine Inn, got a special gift of orca pod sighting on Mothers day and met wonderful couple from my old homeland who showed me around. Thank you for sharing your town! I left my ❤️. In SE.

[@kathivy]

@Eva Balga it is such a nice little town where magical moments sometimes happen like that. Thanks for watching 😊💛

[@boi96]

my grandparents brothers moved there in the 1920's from norway.Dont now how much have survived since then,but it is nice to see a guided tour from the community

[@kathivy]

Cool! There is a big Norwegian community particularly in Petersburg from what I understand.

[@rickpedia6724]

FINALLY, a good tour video. All our old home videos got lost and I've tried to describe Wrangell to friends for years. This is exactly how I would have done it. Thank you for the great upload!

[@kathivy]

A few businesses have changed hands since I did the video, but the town doesn’t change much as you know. I’m happy that the video is useful 😀👍

[@walleyewilly8085]

Nicely made video. Nice and cozy lil town.

[@kathivy]

Thank you. It's a great place to live, work, & play!

[@creek3205]

Awesome place work there in 2018. Know someone named Eduardo (Lalo) who lives in Wrangell. Nice, small and quiet. Wonderful hiking and I've seen everything in this video. I reside in Anchorage ✌️

[@kathivy]

I’ve never been farther north up to Anchorage or that area. Some day I’ll get up there so that I can say that I’ve seen Real Alaska!

[@kofthebaskervilles]

Thanks for the tour. Best wishes from Shelton Wa.

[@kathivy]

@kofthebaskervilles I used to live in Seattle, Bainbridge Island, then Port Townsend. Hello from up north and thanks for coming along for the ride 😊

[@afj3rd]

Thank you for the tour Katherine, it is eye opening to see what to except.

[@kathivy]

Glad that you found it useful 😀👍

[@01splitpea]

Great job!

[@kathivy]

Thanks 😃

[@husseinthegift]

omg! ıt was 2009 ı was working for the trident seafood. many thanks. Especially for the great man Dough, working in the city market and also in the church with no cross on top of it :)

[@kathivy]

The summer of 2009 was when we first arrived in Wrangell 😃 What a cool town - it hasn't changed much although they didn't run the Trident plant the last couple of years.

[@frankflavin3332]

Well done video. I have only been to Wrangell once on a sail boat so didn't see much of the city area. Thank You for the video tour.

[@kathivy]

Frank Flavin it’s such a nice little town, thanks for watching 🌲😀🏔

[@dianereed3456]

This was very interesting. Thank you. I am fascinated with Alaska. Just watched an old episode of Port Protection and saw Gary M at the Marine Bar.

[@kathivy]

I’ve only been over in that area a couple of times. After a boat trip out to Sitka and Port Alexander, we docked at Point Baker and were able to get a shower. We didn’t stop in at Port Protection. Both are tiny little communities compared to Wrangell.

[@dianereed3456]

@@kathivy Wrangle looked like a beautiful little town. I live in a town of about 100,000 people and many times wished I lived in a small town. Would love to travel to those places just to see what it is like but is quite expensive.

[@kathivy]

@@dianereed3456 I lived in Seattle for quite a number of years and there are great aspects to both big and small town life, but I’m definitely loving this spot 😊

[@dianereed3456]

@@kathivy ❤️

[@sirgoat-a-lot1691]

Thank you for the video from here in Newcastle, Australia. The music in the video was driving me crazy because I'd heard it before somewhere. It's the music from the computer game KERBAL SPACE PROGRAM!

[@kathivy]

Tanchi McTanch-Face glad that you enjoyed it 😊 I’ve got the music titles listed in the video description if you’re interested 🎼🎹🎧

[@victorchen5663]

Great video, I really well-thought-out tour! You have a very soothing voice too. Hello from your southern neighbor (Ketchikan). I really should visit Wrangell one of these days!

[@kathivy]

Victor Chen Hello to a fellow SE Alaskan! I’ve only been to Ketchikan once when we came up on our boat through customs and then we eventually decided to stay put in Wrangell. If you do visit Wrangell, then hopefully the tour will help you find your way around 😊

[@victorchen5663]

You guys are so close yet so far away, that's island life for ya! It was a huge adjustment for us when we moved from California to Ketchikan but wow you guys are even more hardcore! I didn't know Wrangell had no postal delivery service. I guess no FedEx or UPS either then!

[@kathivy]

Victor Chen yeah, it’s funny how all of our little towns are so close yet so isolated from one another. We have a guy with his own van who picks up UPS stuff at the airport and drops it off for people. I’ve gotten Fedex stuff before but it somehow arrived at the post office. I don’t know how that works - no Fedex office in town. Definitely a change from the lower 48, but when I look out at the shoreline of the outer islands and it’s just wilderness and there are no houses anywhere then I think, “This is totally worth it!”

[@mattnazar7004]

Late summer 2020 or summer 2021 will be the time I go back to the town I spent my first 7 years of life. Your video takes me down roads I remember well, but everything seemed so much bigger 🙂. I’d love to see the house I grew up in on First Street and have a beer with people I knew. Thank you for posting this!

[@kathivy]

M N you’ll be happy to find that this place is still the small slice of heaven that you knew when you were a kid 😊

[@mattnazar7004]

Katherine Ivy I’m sure it is. It’s been 45 years since I left, but with Mt. Dewey as my back yard and the smell of the ocean all around, it’s something that doesn’t leave your memory easily. Even the names of the stores and the owners are all still the same. My adopted home of Maine is a worthy substitute, but Wrangell will always be my hometown. And First Ave, not First St. Typing too fast. Next to the Massins.

[@kathivy]

M N wow, that’s a sweet section of town up there by Mt. Dewey. I’ve only ever seen pictures of Maine, but it’s beautiful there. SE Alaska doesn’t get that tree color change in the fall 🍁🍂

[@mattnazar7004]

Well, I got off the ferry yesterday and who do I see drive by me as I turn onto Case Ave… Katherine Ivy! I know it’s a small town, but that was very ironic. Thanks again for the orientation tour in this video! It’s great to be back in town. I got a fun in-person 2 hour tour from my old neighbor up on 1st Ave as well. Such friendly people in Wrangell!

[@nuggetji]

That was so enjoyable! The picture I have in my head of the places you’ve talked about is clearer now that you’ve given us this tour. Loved the music too. 😁💕

[@kathivy]

Judi Ivy that’s home sweet home even though it’s really too far away 🤪💛

[@richardbriscar9696]

Very nice. Well done video. Thank you for the tour.

[@kathivy]

Richard Briscar thanks! Not too many towns where it’s possible to do a tour in under 30 minutes 🌲😄👍

[@loribauer7047]

Nice tour Kathrine, I love our town and Island life.

[@kathivy]

Lori Bauer thanks 😊 I love our little town out in the middle of nowhere too ❤️

[@SharkFisher13]

Thanks for the familiarizing video! Looking forward to my visit this summer :-)

[@kathivy]

A few businesses have moved around since I made this video, but it’s pretty much the same, and the roads definitely haven’t changed 😄 Hope that you have a great visit!

[@mikerobinson2201]

Good job very nice vid

[@kathivy]

Mike R. Thanks 😊

[@shanechostetler9997]

That’s where my mom grew up in the 1930’s to the 1950’s.

[@kathivy]

So Cool! I bet it was a whole different place back then with an operating sawmill and everything.

[@paxtianodirtfrog8947]

Ya'll seem to have a lot of stuff for such a small island. What's the population? Say your video the other day but couldn't reply (my phone is a government phone so I don't have my personal email on it). Just rolled in from Alabama last night, glad to be back! Thanks for the video because I always wonder what the normal day to day is at a place like that. One day I'll get to visit Alaska maybe.

[@kathivy]

Paxtiano Dirt Frog hey 😃 I just flew back home too, day before yesterday. It’s nice to be in a city like Eugene for a while because of all the stuff that’s available, but I’m super happy to be back home. There are a little over 2,000 people living on Wrangell Island. We are lucky to have an airport and regular barge service to town.

[@deeallen1526]

Huge city but looks like there is not much to do

[@kathivy]

There's about 2,000 of us and a lot to do around here in the great outdoors, but not a lot of dance clubs in our great metropolis for sure 😄🕺

[@Wearephuct-O]

H e y, You just kept driving around and around past the same buildings, the same cars, and the same people. I swear I saw the same red truck and the same two people in the green coats at least seven times. Have you ever tried to leave Wrangell? Are bluejeans cheaper there?

[@kathivy]

Wearephuct O I was trying to make the place look bigger. I don’t think that there’s a store here that sells blue jeans; everything arrives Amazon Prime. You can never leave here. It’s like the Hotel California, but colder.

[@Wearephuct-O]

@@kathivy I was going for "Truman Show" and Wrangler jeans references. I try harder next time

[@kathivy]

Wearephuct O it probably doesn’t help that I haven’t seen the movie 😬 I’ll watch that next.

[@Wearephuct-O]

@@kathivy I figured your town would use the side of a glacier to show movies on 🎥 🍿

[@kathivy]

Wearephuct O we actually have a real movie screen inside a big conference room with bleachers for chairs, but only because the glacier was too far away 🏔

[@Wearephuct-O]

0:04 When do you sacrifice virgins to the volcano Gods?

[@kathivy]

Wearephuct O that’s Farm Island, not a volcano. They used to butcher corona chickens there, but that barbaric tradition which the English settlers introduced ended long long ago 🥚🐣🐥💛

[@Wearephuct-O]

@@kathivy Aren't you worried the volcano gods will blow their top without their sacrifice? 🌋🗿 Fullly Raw Christina is a virgin. Maybe you could invite her to "tour the farm"

[@kathivy]

Wearephuct O actually, I think that’s Kadin Island with Farm Island a bit farther north. We have hot springs, which is something like a volcano, and people are always getting naked and sacrificing their dead skin up there, so I think the gods are appeased 🗿🌋🧞‍♀️

[@Wearephuct-O]

@@kathivy Well, as long as the frolicking naked people sloughing their skin are all virgins.

[@kathivy]

Wearephuct O definitely not virgins if they’re hanging out naked in a hot tub, but our gods here have fewer restrictions on sacrificee eligibility. Owning a river skiff is the only minimum requirement along with having at least a high school diploma or GED and a drivers license, and being able to lift 50 pounds.

[@naziklerffeter3058]

Depressing place. Ghost town

[@kathivy]

Spruce Tree Whisperer HydroGeneration the tourists flock here on cruise ships for some reason.