Monday, September 22, 2008

Sitka, Alaska!






If you want to see the real Alaska, fly to Baranof Island and you'll see . . . Sitka, the first Russian Capital of our Great State. When you land, it's the same feeling as landing on water, because you're surrounded by lots of water, and islands interspersed.



Since I've been there before, I was smart enough to bring along a big rainhat, because their weather is like no other. (Perhaps Ketchikan can compete for the 'rainiest' title.)
Sitka is located on the West Side of this Baranof Island, making it a long detour for the cruise ships, who normally dock there only on the southbound route from Haines and Juneau. There is no deep water dock, so passengers have to be lightered in to a delightful 'tourist area'. Each year the season extends a little longer, so we found tourists there on September 20, which is pretty late in the year. Normally, the first stop is Centennial Hall, where they have the Archangel Dancers, who are a group of local women, some playing the men's role, of Russian dancers. The narrator is costumed in beautiful Russian dress and tiara. This weekend, the Pioneers of Alaska were having their state convention there, so the dancers were bumped. This was the reason I was in Sitka -- as we Pioneers are a group of older people who have been preserving the history of Alaska for 100 yrs. In fact, last year's tour in Nome celebrated "100 years on the Trail" . . . and most of them have stories to tell. It makes my 42 yrs. here seem like I'm a newcomer. One of the highlights of the convention is Banquet Night, where the ladies dress in old time costumes, and the men look like riverboat gamblers. Imagine stuffing all those puffed sleeves into your allotted suitcase space. Well, I wish I had some images of this to show you, but suffice to way, it was a lovely get-together with a mix of business and pleasure.

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