For me, taking a cruise vacation is about sampling a new location and then making the decision on whether I would want to go back and spend further time in an area. My problem is that I always want to go back to every destination!

That “problem” was never more evident than when I took a recent Alaska Inside Passage cruise and set my eyes upon Sitka. Brimming with a rich native culture and Russian history nestled in a stunning wilderness setting, one look at Sitka and I knew I had to come back.

THE BACK STORY

Sitka is located on Baranof Island in southeastern Alaska on the outer coast of the Inside Passage. The area was first settled by the Kiksadi Clan of the Tlingit (pronounced: Cling-git) Indians, who called their home Sheet’ka Kwaan – “people on the outside of Shee.” Their 10,000-years of dominance ended in 1799 with the arrival of Alexander Baranof and the Russian-American Company who came for the sea otter pelts that were known as “soft gold.”

An uneasy truce was established between the two groups, until the Tlingits drove the Russians out in 1802. Three-years later, Baranof returned, this time with a battleship, and proceeded to bombard the Tlingits until they retreated deep into the forest. The Russians enjoyed a period of prosperity, but once the sea otters were gone, so were they, and the territory was sold to the United States in 1867. Sitka continued to prosper due to fishing and grew dramatically during World War II with the arrival of a naval airbase.

SITKA TODAY

Today, Sitka is a thriving city with a population of 8,600 (18.6-percent of whom are Tlingit), devoted to tourism and commercial fishing. Like most Inside Passage cities, it is only accessible by boat or plane. Still, despite its relative isolation, Sitka is one of the most culturally advanced places I have ever visited, a true slice of God’s country that is welcoming to every ethnicity and income level. During a visit to one local watering hole, I encountered an eclectic mix of millionaire commercial fishermen, museum curators, student summer workers and Tlingit artists with bloodlines that led to royalty, all happily mingling, laughing and joking together.

OH THE SIGHTS YOU WILL SEE!

Sitka Tours offers a comprehensive four-hour overview of the area’s numerous attractions from the comfort of a motor coach. The first stop is Sitka National Historical Park, Alaska’s oldest federally designated park. The 113-acre coastal park is nestled in a temperate rain forest with beaches, hiking trails and scores of totem poles. The visitor center houses the Southeast Alaska Indian Cultural Center, featuring ethnographic exhibits and an area to watch local artists at work.

Other stops include The Alaska Raptor Center – a pioneering non-profit wildlife project dedicated to saving Alaska’s raptors (birds of prey), the Folkloric New Archangel Dance Show and the iconic St. Michael’s Church.

During my trip I also visited the Russian Cemetery, the Russian Bishop’s House, and the Sheet’ka Kwaan Naa Kahídi – Sitka’s Community House that offers traditional Tlingit dancing and songs. Another highlight was a stop at the Isabel Miller Museum that not only houses displays of Sitka’s history, but is also a great place to purchase local artwork. Another must-see is the Sheldon Jackson Museum that is home to one of the oldest native culture collections in the world. The museum, designated on the National Register of Historical Places, was created to preserve Alaska’s rich native culture.

ADVENTURES ABOUND

Doing anything very early on a Saturday morning is not usually my idea of fun, but just five-minutes into my journey on a Sitka Sound Ocean Adventure Kayaking Trip I realized there was no other place I’d rather be at 7:30 A.M. Paddling through pristine waters I encountered sea birds, seals and even a family of whales as the majesty of the 3,200-foot Mount Edgecumbe (Sitka’s Mount Fuji) served as a backdrop. It was truly and adventure I will never forget.

To explore the area by boat, I would recommend the Esther G Sea Tours Ocean Adventure. I can assure you, this will be an unforgettable experience as Captain Davey Lubin narrates and navigates you through the waters outside Sitka’s Harbor for viewings of sea lions, the now replenished sea otters, humpback whales and, if you’re lucky – puffins at St. Lazaria National Wildlife Refuge.

To learn more about Sitka, contact the Sitka Convention and Visitors Bureau at (800) 557-4852 or click on www.Sitka.org