Day 5: Arrive 7:00 am and anchor off Sitka. This stop, we have to be tendered to the port
. The lifeboats are used for the tenders. After Juneau, we decided that we would do our own touring rather than take a group tour. Sitka is not very large and we could easily walk from place to place.
Sitka is known as “Alaska’s Little Russia”. It is located on the outer coast of Alaska’s Inside Passage and was once the cultural and political capital of Russian Alaska. Remnants of the Russian influence may be seen throughout Sitka: the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian Bishop’s House located in the downtown area serve as the most prominent reminders. When Russia sold Alaska to the U.S.A. for $7,200,000 in gold, the transfer was formalized in Sitka on October 18, 1867, and it was in Sitka that the American flag was raised for the first time over Alaskan soil.
A 15 – 20 minute walk from the city docks takes us along the scenic Lincoln Street, past lovely historic homes, churches, museums and to the fort site of Sitka National Historical Park. Set aside as a Federal Reserve in 1890, this is the oldest national park unit in Alaska. Two miles of trails wind through the park’s 113 acres of a tranquil rainforest environment, along the beach of Sitka sound and the banks of the Indian River. Spawning salmon are abundant in the river throughout August and September. Along the park’s trails, we experienced 28 magnificent hand craved totem poles. Some are more than a century old and one is nearly 60 feet high. Detailed totem poles are carved for a number of reasons: to depict legends (story poles); to honor a deceased family member (mortuary poles); or to pay homage to some other momentous event. The park museum contains an exhibit of Tlinget and Russian artifacts.
We thoroughly enjoyed the Sheldon Jackson Museum. It features the collection of Dr Sheldon Jackson, General Agent of Education, between 1880-1900. It is one of the oldest Native culture collections in Alaska. It is the oldest concrete building in Alaska and was erected in 1895.
We took hundreds of pictures and included a few in a slide show. Of all the stops, we think that Sitka probably was the best.
. The lifeboats are used for the tenders. After Juneau, we decided that we would do our own touring rather than take a group tour. Sitka is not very large and we could easily walk from place to place.Sitka is known as “Alaska’s Little Russia”. It is located on the outer coast of Alaska’s Inside Passage and was once the cultural and political capital of Russian Alaska. Remnants of the Russian influence may be seen throughout Sitka: the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian Bishop’s House located in the downtown area serve as the most prominent reminders. When Russia sold Alaska to the U.S.A. for $7,200,000 in gold, the transfer was formalized in Sitka on October 18, 1867, and it was in Sitka that the American flag was raised for the first time over Alaskan soil.
A 15 – 20 minute walk from the city docks takes us along the scenic Lincoln Street, past lovely historic homes, churches, museums and to the fort site of Sitka National Historical Park. Set aside as a Federal Reserve in 1890, this is the oldest national park unit in Alaska. Two miles of trails wind through the park’s 113 acres of a tranquil rainforest environment, along the beach of Sitka sound and the banks of the Indian River. Spawning salmon are abundant in the river throughout August and September. Along the park’s trails, we experienced 28 magnificent hand craved totem poles. Some are more than a century old and one is nearly 60 feet high. Detailed totem poles are carved for a number of reasons: to depict legends (story poles); to honor a deceased family member (mortuary poles); or to pay homage to some other momentous event. The park museum contains an exhibit of Tlinget and Russian artifacts.
We thoroughly enjoyed the Sheldon Jackson Museum. It features the collection of Dr Sheldon Jackson, General Agent of Education, between 1880-1900. It is one of the oldest Native culture collections in Alaska. It is the oldest concrete building in Alaska and was erected in 1895.
We took hundreds of pictures and included a few in a slide show. Of all the stops, we think that Sitka probably was the best.
The Russian Bishops House, located across from Crescent Harbor, was built in 1842 by the Russian American Company as a residence for the Bishop of the Orthodox Church. It is the oldest intact Russian building in Sitka. The building and grounds are managed by the National Park Service. The building has been restored to the 1850’s historic period when it functioned as a school, Bishop’s residence and chapel. It includes many original furnishings and icons.
No visit to Sitka is complete without a stop at St. Michael’s Cathedral. Built in 1844, the church was restored following a devastating 1966 fire. The traditional Russian Orthodox structure is filled with antique relics, gold, jewels, vestments, altar cloths, and a 19th century silver-bound Bible. Its collection of priceless Russian icons ranks among the world’s finest..
No visit to Sitka is complete without a stop at St. Michael’s Cathedral. Built in 1844, the church was restored following a devastating 1966 fire. The traditional Russian Orthodox structure is filled with antique relics, gold, jewels, vestments, altar cloths, and a 19th century silver-bound Bible. Its collection of priceless Russian icons ranks among the world’s finest..
No comments:
Post a Comment