Final Port of Call - Sitka (July 16th - 19th)

We took the AK Marine Ferry from Skagway down to Sitka on the longest  trip by ferry for this entire vacation.  Leaving Skagway at 6:30p Monday, we didn't arrive into Sitka until approximately 1:30p on Tuesday.  We had a berth for this final leg aboard the M/V Columbia.  It was the nicest of the ships we sailed on. Our outside cabin was a bit larger and had a nice window, allowing me to watch as the world went by.  The bathroom and shower area was also much larger.

Other differences on this ship versus the M/V Malaspina where we had sleeping berths . . . the outstanding dining facilities.  We were surprised to find white linen table cloths and a full service wait staff for breakfast.  The evening before, we had a later lunch not expecting to have dinner aboard the ferry.  We did, however enjoy a hamburger and piece of pie to share, just to knock off some hunger pangs around 7:30pm.

I cannot say enough about how much I enjoyed the ferry . . . and David tolerated it as best he could given his short term attention span and creature comforts of home.  All kidding aside, he thought the ferry was 100 times better than Amtrak, and he "tolerates" that just fine too.

In Sikta, we had a car reserved for our 4 days/3 nights there.  Staying a little out of the main tourist area, I wasn't sure how close things were going to be, particularly restaurants.  I also wanted to be able to venture out of town into the forest in hopes of seeing bears.  Having followed the "Sitka Bears" Facebook group before our trip, and have followed since (a little).  We saw NO BEARS in spite of being in all of the right places, just not the right times.

This trip and the limited number of bear sightings and photos we got, was a good reminder for me to never take for granted the gift when you do see wildlife, especially bears!

That said, it was amazing just how many eagles we saw throughout our three weeks.  They were seemingly everywhere, and majestic in whatever they were doing at the time.  This one was out along the shoreline near the ferry terminal.  We stopped to observe it for awhile, hoping it would be fishing or something.  But it was really more about just watching the world go by from its perch.

Locals told us that the warm weather had the salmon run coming late, but as much as probably a week or two, so that also played into our poor timing.

Having the car for the entire time in Sitka, I did enjoy getting up early and going to either end of the island to see what might be out or about.  Again, nothing of note, but it was amazing to see how many salmon berries were ripe and ready for the bears.  But as David said, the forest was so full of them everywhere, the bears didn't have to come down to civilization to nosh on the popular berries.

About the forest, this photo shows the berries that grow wild as well as how large the trees are too.

Whale Park was an area known for bear activity.  It was a nice and convenient location, heading out the Sawmill Creek Road, towards the Fortress of the Bear and the Raptor Center.  For anyone looking to try to see bears around Sitka, this area is probably the most reliable location that isn't on a spawning stream.

We took a pass on both the Raptor Center and the Fortress of the Bear.  Both are heavily marketed to the cruisers and not very interesting to me.  They both seemed to be little more than captive animals kept for the benefit of tourists. I'm probably wrong, as both tout their rehabilitation and conservation efforts. I'm just a little more jaded, and perhaps spoiled, to not want or need to see bears in captivity.  For that, I could just go to a zoo.

The Russian influence of this area is still very present and available to tourists . . . for the most part.  This is the new St. Michael's Cathedral, built after the original structure was destroyed by fire in the 1960's.  We were expecting to be able to go into the actual cathedral beyond the entry vestibule.   I'll admit I was pretty disappointed.

Earlier in the day, it appeared there were a lot of people entering and spending a bit of time inside, so I assume they were able to see more than what we got to later in the afternoon.

The other bit of Russian history we were able to view up close and personally was the Russian Bishop's House, part of the Sitka National Historical Park.  We enjoyed the self tour of the first floor as well as the guided tour of the upper level.   Guests can only access the restored area, which includes the living quarters area of the resident bishop from an era when the Russian Orthodox Church  play a significant role in the development of Sitka and the natives who have resided here for centuries.

There hadn't been a Russian Bishop to reside here since 1969, with the building at risk of collapse just a few years later. The National Park Service purchased and spent years restoring one of the last examples of Russian architecture in North America.

When we were there, the outside of the building was undergoing work, with ugly scaffolding around so no exterior photos.  The interior, however, really makes up for that as the furnishings and fixtures are beautiful and ornate.

We also enjoyed our time at the other part of the Sitka National Historical Park known at "Totem Park" where much of the local Tlingit native culture is on display, including some guides and artists to share their heritage and culture.  We enjoyed spending time with Marie, who was born & raised in Sitka, with family ties going back for centuries.

Our last museum visit in Sitka was at the Sheldon Jackson Museum which is very close to the Totem Park.  Jackson was a collector of native artifacts from areas throughout Alaska.  His collection represents most of the Alaskan tribes & cultures and is well worth the small admission fee ($5/person) and 60-90 minutes to tour.

The building was built in 1895 and was the first concrete structure built in Alaska.  It was placed on the National Historical Register in 1972.