Our Alaskan Cruise

Rising from the defunct Cruise West line, Allen Marine launches Alaskan Dream Cruises, promising to deliver True Alaska with True Alaskans on an intimate cruise in Southeast Alaska focused on wildlife, culture and sustainable travel.

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Day Six – Sitka, Alaska – No excursions planned as we decided there was enough in the city for us to experience on our own. Sitka was originally the capital of ‘Russian America’, a conglomerate of Russian colonies existing on current American territory. Many of the historic buildings, shops, restaurants still carry their Russian roots aesthetically. Ryan was even able to buy a Russian Tank Helmet for his brother, so fun and well received.

So the cruise ship itself wasn’t able to dock at the harbor and we had to take a tender boat from the ship to the shore; it was overcast, drizzling and cold. We were finding though, per usual, the dismal weather didn’t really dampen our excitement at all. Alaska has a way of still being beautiful through the fog and rain.

On cruise ships, lifeboat tenders do double duty, serving as tenders in day-to-day activities, but fully equipped to act as lifeboats in an emergency. They are generally carried on davits just above the promenade deck, and may at first glance appear to be regular lifeboats; but they are usually larger and better-equipped. Current lifeboat tender designs favor catamaran models, since they are less likely to roll in the calm to moderate conditions in which tenders are usually used. They typically carry up to 100 to 150 passengers and two to three crew members. –Wikipedia Ship’s Tender article

We started at Baranof Castle Hill, nothing like a brisk morning, uphill trek after a big hot breakfast on the ship. Castle Hill is the site of the transfer of Alaska to the United States in 1867. The original forts have not survived battles or fire throughout their past but the site creates a great viewpoint of the surrounding town being on high ground.

We left Castle Hill for Totem Square, the Sitka Pioneers Home, the Russian Block House and Saint Michael’s Cathedral. We found ourselves on Lincoln Street on the way to the Cathedral and were able to wander in and out of several shops and galleries. Sitka’s retail “district” seemed to be centered along this stretch of road. Even with the chill in the air, it was hard to avoid the ice cream and fudge shops!

Our ultimate goal was to spend as much time as we could at the Sitka National Historical Park . We continued along Lincoln, passing several historic homes and a marina along the way. The museum at the entry to the Park houses several original Tlingit and Russian artifacts, depicting the struggle between the two cultures two hundred years ago. The building is also home to several totem poles, both inside and outside the structure.

We left the center to take ourselves on the self-guided tour through the forest behind the museum, the accessible trails available total two miles of peaceful serenity. Along the trail we found several hand carved totem poles, and ended at the site of the original Tlingit fort. Not being two people who love to stay on marked trails, we wandered off a bit and wound up oceanside, walking towards a small inlet to the Indian River that seemed to be a favorite playplace for a large family of American Bald Eagles.

Leaving the Park, we walked back up Lincoln Street towards town and stopped at the Sheldon Jackson Fish Hatchery. Originally funded by the Sheldon Jackson college up the street (closed by the state in 2007), this small hatchery and aquarium seemed fully supported by volunteers, a bit run-down, but fully loved and enjoyed.

We watched some sea otters play in the ocean behind the aquarium, were astonished by the quantities of salmon in the tanks out back and were very impressed with the open tanks of sea life we were able to touch and hold inside the aquarium. Although small, it was much more interactive and educational than your typical big-city aquarium. I really hope that it acquires the funding it needs to continue.

At this point we were extremely hungry and wanted to find some local cuisine. Fish nuggets and homemade chowder at the Westmark Raven Dining Room, along with a local draught brew. Perfection! I can’t explain the difference between eating fish fresh out of the ocean, compared to the selection we have here in Chicago, but Ryan and I were both convinced we’d never eat farm-raised or frozen again.

We stopped in at a few more shops and made our way back to harbor for the short trip back to the ship. Still convinced we had done the right thing by leaving our plans open in Sitka, you should too.

We just found David “Old Duffer” Rice in time for our next post of our day in Sitka. The Old Duffer has this wonderful blog dedicated to Sitka’s glory in video and photo. Thanks for sharing beautiful Sitka with us, it’s great to see it without the liquid sunshine!

Ralph Grizzle at Avid Cruiser writes…

Reason number 8,028 to book a balcony stateroom: the early-morning view in Sitka, Alaska. It was 7 a.m., and my stateroom was immersed in darkness until I rose from my bed and stood in front of the curtains. I used both hands to draw them back for a view that caused me to audibly express my awe.

Read more at Avid Cruiser