For me, I think Sitka was my favorite stop on our trip. (Between here and our next stop, Ketchikan.) Had it not been raining again, this definitely would get top marks. (And thank you to Mark's Auntie & Clarke for emphasizing the importance of rain gear on this trip. Without them, we would have been unprepared, and as uncomfortable as several of our fellow travelers.)
Sitka has an amazing history. Originally inhabited by Indians, the area has stayed rich in their culture. Then taken over by Russia, the area and its people took on characteristics of that culture. And then when Russia had no more use for the land, it was sold to the United States as a part of the Louisiana Purchase agreement. The first US governor of the Alaskan Territory was so taken with the rich culture of the area, that he was the one who collected many of the totem poles from around the area (far beyond Sitka) and located them in a preservation park in Sitka. Mark and I walked through some of that park, which is actually a temperate rain forest. Who knew???
The 1st photo above is of a series of small islands just beyond the shores of Sitka, where homes begin at $750,000. The picture does not lie~ these are simple, tiny homes.
The 2nd picture is of a totem pole.
And if you look very closely, you can see an eagle in the tree of the 3rd photo.
Had it not been so rainy, I would have liked to take an excursion to an island of puffins. Amazing, amazing wildlife in Alaska!!
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