The flight to Sitka, from Anchorage, takes about 3 hours, as you have to stopover in Juneau en route. The reason for my visit was the annual meeting of the State Council on the Arts, and our Sitka member arranged a great visit for us.
The images above show the Russian Church downtown, and Mount Edgecombe, which is all on Baranof Island. Sitka was the first capital of Alaska, and the Russian influence remains. The people there are all so hospitable, and many get their full time livelihood from the deluge of cruise ships that visit daily throughout the summer. Because the dock has shallow water, the passengers have to be lightered in, but it is well worth the inconvenience to get to see all tourist attractions. The first one they run into is the Archangel dancers at Centennial Hall. This is the only large building/theatre in town at this time, and it houses some meeting rooms, souvenir shops, a collection of photos in a small museum, and complimentary coffee. This is where we had our meetings. The airport, and SEARHC hospital are on a separate island connected by a beautiful bridge built in the 70's. The Raptor Center is a short walk from Sheldon Jackson College, and the walk takes you thru the national forest where there are totem poles, floral bushes, and great signage. The Shee Atika Totem Inn where I stayed is right on the banks of the channel, and if you walk a short distance west, you'll see the fish processing plants. This short paragraph hardly covers all that Sitka has to offer, so you may want to read further about this charming town.
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