Good morning from Sitka, AK. It is 5:15 a.m. here and I just woke. Jim is still slumbering so I am trying to be quiet and let him sleep. Our travel day was pretty uneventful but long. We left New Bern on Thursday driving up to Raleigh where we would catch our Alaska Airlines flight to Alaska. We drove the 2+ hours to Raleigh without incident. A trip to Costco was on our list of things to do — gotta get toilet paper just in case! Then we headed to REI to purchase a new pair of binoculars. Our old pair are quite heavy so we decided it was time to update. Golly, making a choice was complicated and expensive as well. Oh heck, if we want to see and enjoy this special trip, gotta bite the bullet. Our destination for the night was the Hilton Garden Inn. We were happy to settle in after a quiet bite to eat and a glass of brew. Early to bed as Friday will be a long, busy day.
We got up at 4 a.m., so a very early start. We both struggled with grogginess until coffee was served onboard the plane. Crazy how addicted we are to caffeine. Alaska Airlines is a bit different from Delta in how they operate, but their service was wonderful. The coffee was hot and strong and our food tasty; what more could we ask for? One hiccup, our connection out of Seattle was delayed about an hour; the plane had a flat tire that had to be changed, not something I would expect but at least something easily repaired.
As we flew into Sitka, we could see fog and mist blanketing the hamlet. The damp grey all around gave it the chilled atmosphere of a spooky movie. Sitka is the fifth largest city in Alaska and boasts a whopping 8,458 population according to the 2020 census. It is located on the western side of Baranof Island and the southern half of the Chichagof Island in the Alexander Archipelago of the Pacific Ocean (part of the Alaska Panhandle). Another of its islands hosts Mt. Edgecumbe, an active volcano although it is not erupting presently. There have however, been numerous small earth quakes in the past year. The island enjoys lots and lots of rain something like 238 days out of the year! That explains the gloomy weather we found when we landed. The airport is tiny, smaller than New Bern’s for sure. The walls are decorated with all manner of trophy fish, Caribou and Moose heads. There is a case with a big black beer and another with a Grizzly neither of which I would want to encounter face to face! With a crowd of people waiting to go through security and the crowd arriving, it was lively and loud. There were several groups talking excitedly about the fishing they would be doing and of course drinking too. Since both Halibut and Salmon can be huge, freezers had been cleared in anticipation of lots to be stored. Several groups were on tours and several for cruises. Lots of excitement.
With our luggage in tow, we went outside to wait for the hotel shuttle. It was chilly and my sweater felt good but a jacket (packed) might have been better. Rain fell lightly, just enough to keep everything wet. I was thankful our luggage is hard sided. One group loaded all their stuff in the back of a big 3500 pickup and then they piled in like sardines in a can. I can only imagine whatever was inside those soft sided bags would be damp if not out right wet.
The Sitka Hotel sits across from the Harbor and Crescent Bay. It is a throw back to the 50’s or maybe older. Our driver turned front desk person was very friendly. When he smiles, a gap in his front teeth makes his face have a “homey” look. There is a tiny restaurant — closed for the season and a small nook where breakfast will be served later this morning. Our room sports a queen bed, tv (of course) and a big desk. From the window we can see a food truck in the parking lot offering tacos. The bath is large with a nice tub/shower. Everything is gently used but clean as a whistle. When I sat on the bed, it was soft but when we crawled in to sleep, it is nice and firm and snuggly. I wish I could say we went out and toured or partied but we were bushed. We tried to nap to no avail so finally went and bought three tacos with cokes and sat on the bed and ate. Oh my golly, spicy! I managed to eat one but Jim ate the balance. By nine, the lights were out and so were we!
Today we will go out and walk about and explore this misty hamlet by the sea with its deep history going all the way back to the time when Russia first settled here. Yep, I said Russia. Russian explorers settled Old Sitka in 1799. The governor of Russian America (now that sends shivers down my spine), Alexander Baranov arrived under the auspices of the Russian-American Company, a colonial trading company chartered by Tsar Paul I. In June 1802, Tlingit warriors destroyed the original settlement, killing many of the Russians, with only a few managing to escape. Baranov was forced to pay a large ransom for the safe return of the surviving settlers. He later returned in August 1804 with a large force. His ship bombarded the Tlingit fortification but was not able to cause much damage. They then launched an attack on the fort and again were pushed back. Two days later however, the Tlingit flew the white flag of defeat and abandoned the fort to the Russians. It was not until after Russia lost the Crimean War to Britain, France and the Ottoman Empire in 1856 that Russia, fearing Britain would take Alaska, decided to sell Alaska to the US. Their loss and our gain for sure.
In addition to history, Sitka boasts fishing, hiking, kayaking and breathtaking scenery. So, we better get moving and get out there. Let’s grab our rain gear and let the adventure begin!
