10-11th Aug.
A travel day today so an extra early morning for us, at 4am we left our camper at the Go North Depot before catching a taxi to the airport for a 7 am Flight to Juneau then onto Sitka arriving around 11 am. We were met at the airport by an Uncruise Representative who delivered us to the Westmark Hotel for the next two nights. Downtown Sitka (2 Streets) is closed off today as when there are more than 4000 people in town they close the streets and have street food and entertainment. There are two cruise ships in today, The Westerdam and Qantum of the Seas, thus more than 4000 people. We stop for some Salmon Chowder before heading back to our room to don our wet weather gear. The rain is getting heavier and we want to walk around the docks and foreshore. It’s the first serious rainy day of our vacation so far. Once in our gear and looking stunning we head back out and grab a couple of crab rolls which are delicious then check out some of the shops along the Main Street. Some pretty fancy Alaskan craft shops and the usual touristy souvenir spots. Eventually we find a cafe and stop for a hot drink and a break from the rain.
Later as the rain eases we head out for another walk and check out the Japonski bridge and more of the commercial dock areas. Sitka is a quaint fishing port with a Russian Influence. It was still part of Russia until 1867. We check out the Russian Orthodox Church on the Main Street which is a timber church and very ornate inside. Of course we have to check out all the fishing boats in the harbour and as the rain has stopped we wander along the waterfront and over the bridge.
Friday morning we meet Helen and Ian at the Blue Bus Stop for the ride out to Fortress of the Bear Park. This bus does a loop around the town before taking the road out of town. Good way to see the surrounds. We spend an hour watching the bears before heading back to our accommodation to get rain jackets again. Then we all walk along to the Totem Park, watching salmon swimming upstream to spawn and eagles feeding. It’s a lovely walk through the forest area with the totem poles dotted along the walk. Then up to the Raptor centre to see the rehabilitation centre for bald eagles, golden eagles, owls etc.
Walking back into town we stop at the National Cemetery before finding a cafe for a cuppa. Philip and Ian continue walking while Helen and I head back to our rooms to read and relax for a while.
(P- Sitka was a favourite village to visit in 2000 and it hasn’t let us down this time. Clean, organised, friendly, with an interesting history and pleasant walks. I am sure it will remain a favourite. I was prepared to tell a story of our bear tracking in the wilds of Baranof Island and share some photos to prove it but Judith stole (spoilt) the story when she mentioned the Fortress of the Bear Park! So enjoy the Bear photos but no story!).
Tomorrow, 12th August, we board our cruise in the afternoon for the next 7 days, exploring the area.
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Tassie Travellers 