What can we do in Sitka, Alaska?

[Dreamakermom]

We have a whole year before we go on our cruise to Alaska, however I am already planning. Right now, I am trying to figure out what the highlights and best points of interest are in Sitka. There will be my husband and 11 year old granddaughter. We are young grandparents so we are very flexible (not that older grandparents aren't... just trying to give you information). :o

Any help will be surely appreciated! Thank you!

[Storylady]

I found this on the internet. Maybe it will give you some ideas.

 

http://attractions.uptake.com/alaska/sitka/family/890341306.html

 

If you want to take a shore excursion, I would take the kids to the Alaska Raptor Center. We took a tour. But you should be able to walk to it from town and do it on your own, probably saving money.

 

http://www.alaskaraptor.org/2.html

[vbmom87]

I am going to Sitka for the first time this summer. All my research indicated a wildlife tour on the water was a real highlight. Many, many on this board recommened Esther G. Taxi, so I booked it. If interested, book well ahead of time.

 

http://www.puffinsandwhales.com/

 

After I looked more into Sitka I began second guessing myself. It seems like a wonderful port with lots to see. I started to consider canceling the boat tour, but people posted that it was the best wildlife tour they had taken and really discouraged me from cancelling. So, that is what we are doing. I would think an 11 year old would enjoy a wildlife boat tour. A lot of the city sites are historical. They do have the Raptor Center that gets great reviews and a Historical Park.

 

You can get some other ideas here:

 

http://www.sitka.org/

 

Make sure you request their guidebook:

 

http://www.sitka.org/sitka-guide/

 

You might like to go over all your findings with your granddaughter and let her help decide what you do.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have done thr wildlife boat excursions a couple of times -- wonderful -- we took the ship's tour.

The port is not that large -- so you can walk around very easily.

The park where all the Totems are -- under renovation this year -- so no totem poles.

It is a long walk to the Raptor Center if your grand daughter or any of you aren't able to walk long distances.

We love this port.

Remember that it is a tender port.

[Himself]

We have a whole year before we go on our cruise to Alaska, however I am already planning. Right now, I am trying to figure out what the highlights and best points of interest are in Sitka. There will be my husband and 11 year old granddaughter. We are young grandparents so we are very flexible (not that older grandparents aren't... just trying to give you information). :o

Any help will be surely appreciated! Thank you!

 

I love and highly recommend the Raptor Center. Also, don't miss the Russian Orthodox Cathedral.

[Krazy Kruizers]

This is also the port to buy a Russian Maruska doll.

[Assateague Island Princes]

Don't miss the small, volunteer aquarium along your walk to the Totem Park. It was wonderful, hands-on, and a small donation is all that is requested. The young folks working inside are very enthusiastic and eager to show you the marine wildlife right outside their door.

 

I second the motion for Capt. Davey and the Esther G marine wildlife tour. We did it last year and enjoyed every moment! Would have gone with him this year as well, but he was booked for our day in port (small, 6 passenger boat). Davey kindly recommended another vendor with the same sort of tour, so now we're going with Capt. Jim Seeland of Sitka Secrets and are very much looking forward to it.

 

Loved the Raptor Center, which we walked to after our Rhino 4X4 excursion (booked thru the ship) on our first trip there in 2006. Great 4X4 excursion by the way - so much fun! Also have done sea kayaking in Sitka which was a blast - seeing those amazing multi-colored starfish, and tons of jelly fish, great and small, was fantastic.

 

Sitka is by far my favorite Alaska port (although after last year's trip, Homer is running a close second;)). So much less touristy than any other port on the normal 7 day cruise schedule. Enjoy!

[WriterOnDeck]

There is a bus that can take you to the Rapter Center as well as other places in the town. We always take the bus to the Rapter Center and then walk back (downhill!) through the park with the totems.

[pambo]

Another vote for the Raptor Center...very interesting visit.

 

Also - for a very tasty halibut sandwich, be sure to stop at Victoria's!

[Boatdrill]

Walking Sitka is fun and easy. Head for the forest (the trail through the forest takes you to the Raptor Center) and on the way, you'll pass by lovely homes and kids selling lemonade, crafts and homemade jams.

 

And for adults, there's always Ernie's Pub ! :)

[Willsot]

We've taken the Sea Otter and Wildlife Quest on two different visits to Sitka and it was wonderful both times.

[Gaucho39]

I would walk around Sitka in the morning ie raptor center grab a bowl of chowder in town then go with Davey on the Esther G

 

Davey only takes 6-10 people while the ships tour packs 100 people on a noisy crowded boat.

[ksc1984]

We had 7 hours there, but it wasn't enough! Don't miss the Sheldon Jackson Museum..very interesting artifacts of the native Alaskans. You think you've seen everything until you start opening drawers and drawers of toys, tools, jewelry, on and on. Your granddaughter is the perfect age for this small museum. Allow an hour. The St. Michael's Cathedral is next on the list. Very beautiful and interesting icons. Photograghs are allowed. Allow 30 minutes. Lastly the Raptor Center is very cool. They have a "flight training center" to rehab the birds. Eagles, ravens, owls, falcons. Allow at least an hour there, but it is also out of town a little bit.

What we did was take the Colonial Russian and culture tour, which gave a very good tour of the town plus admission to the Sheldon and the cathedral, as well as the New Archangel Dancers performance. My only negative about the tour was that the Sheldon seemed a little rushed.

Then we took the path through the National Park, taking pictures of all the totems. (Hubby was very patient with this by the way.) Don't know if we took the long path, but it was over a mile to the raptors. Well, I took a while taking my pictures! After we went there, we were tired and we caught a shuttle back to town. We had a few moments left to look in some stores and climb Castle Hill where the Russians signed the transfer of Alaska. Very nice view of the harbor and the ships. We caught one of the last tenders back. (We did a waterlife/ whale watch in another port.)

Most everything you want to see is close in. For such a tiny town, they have at least four very nice, yet small, museums. Lots of eagles in the trees. And if the weather is nice, you will get some great pictures, including the beautiful volcano right across the bay.

[fleckle]

.....I second the motion for Capt. Davey and the Esther G marine wildlife tour. We did it last year and enjoyed every moment!

... and I third the motion for Capt. Davey and the Esther G.

 

We have also done the ship's tour and enjoyed it, but going on Capt. Davey's boat was so much better without the large crowd.

 

On the crowded larger boat, everyone rushed to the railing and people were packed shoulder-to-shoulder whenever wildlife was spotted.

 

On Capt. Davey's boat you always have a clear view with no rushing and no crowding. He is a great guide and will spend as much time as you like at each attraction.

 

There is a bus that can take you to the Rapter Center as well as other places in the town. We always take the bus to the Rapter Center and then walk back (downhill!) through the park with the totems.

Agree here also. When walking around Sitka, (unless you are an ardent hiker) it is much easier to start at the raptor center and take the walk downhill than doing it in the opposite direction.

 

The unlimited free internet access throughout Sitka is also a very nice plus, especially when compared to the costly internet prices on the ship.

 

There are two tender docks in Sitka that the cruise ships may use (O'Connell bridge or Crescent Harbor) so it is helpful to know which one your ship is using and locate it on a map to get your bearings when you arrive.

 

Be sure to stay out in a good viewing area for the arrival into Sitka and again for the departure. It is probably the most picturesque harbor of all the Alaska ports (dotted with little islands) and you have a good chance of spotting wildlife on the way in or out.

[jkrislc]

We've taken the Sea Otter and Wildlife Quest on two different visits to Sitka and it was wonderful both times.

 

I'll second the Sea Otter and Wildlife Quest. We spent about 3 hours on the water when we did it in May and saw eagles nesting, otters, whales, and a bear along the coastline. They had a biologist onboard, so there was an excellent commentary along the way. In addition, they provided binoculars so you didn't need to bring your own. Another plus is that since it is booked through the ship, you board directly onto the Allen Marine boat rather than needing to tender ashore first.

[fsdj1097]

One cool thing to do is go over to Japonski Island. There are some remnants of WWII defenses there. The locals beachcomb for Japanese glass fishing floats that wash up from time to time.

 

If you are looking for an opportunity for salmon or halibut fishing, Sitka is an excellent choice. There are many local fishing charters available.

 

Oh, and btw, there is an excellent Mexican restaurant right across the street from St. Michael's Cathedral.

[foodgirl]

We really enjoyed walking in Sitka last year. As others have mentioned the walk to the raptor center is a bit long, but we loved it and the scenery on the trail is spectacular. We got some great pictures along the way. We had a boat tour scheduled through the ship, but it was cancelled at the last minute due to mechanical failure. We were disappointed as we knew it would be great. We plan to get back to Alaska in the next couple of years and will be sure to get out on the water then. Enjoy your trip and the planning. I really learned a lot on these boards and it made our trip even better.

[kyriecat]

Enjoyed Davey & Esther G. If you are prone to sea sickeness, the water can get a bit rough so take something before getting onboard. I don't have any problems with sickness but a woman on our trip had problems even after taking medicine.

 

We did a 3-hr wildlife tour in the morning then had plenty of time to look around the Totem park and town plus stop for lunch.

[gbcruise]

Glad to know that Davey will be such a great experience as we will be on a trip with him the first part of September. For those that have taken his 3 hr tour can you tell me what the tipping process is like? Also what is the approximate time it takes for the tendering each way?

[beach spring]

Besides the tours, etc., try to find time to stop by The Chocolate Moose shop at or near, if I remember correctly, the end of the "main drag" of stores. A delightful flowers, gifts, and chocolates venue, and each time I drink from my souvenir mug, I recall it fondly! They have a website.:)

[trophy_23]

Another vote here for Capt Davey and the Esther G. We had a wonderful time on our tour last May (2010). We teamed up with a few others from the ship and all went out with him. Plenty of space and nothing was rushed. After the boat tour we walked to see the totems, but ran out of time to see the raptor center.

[vbmom87]

Another vote here for Capt Davey and the Esther G. We had a wonderful time on our tour last May (2010). We teamed up with a few others from the ship and all went out with him. Plenty of space and nothing was rushed. After the boat tour we walked to see the totems, but ran out of time to see the raptor center.

 

It is good to read all these positives for this boat tour as I have still been second guessing myself. There is so much in town I want to see and like you, will run out of time. Of all the ports we are going to, this one seems to have the most I would like to see. Yes, I know, I will have to figure out how to get back to AK.

[Dreamakermom]

WOW guys!!! That was SO great, I may just start asking points of interest for ALL my ports!!! :D You guys gave me great ideas and I cannot wait to make some decisions!!! Thanks so much!!! ;)

[vbmom87]

WOW guys!!! That was SO great, I may just start asking points of interest for ALL my ports!!! :D You guys gave me great ideas and I cannot wait to make some decisions!!! Thanks so much!!! ;)

 

Let us know what you decide.

 

If you do an advanced title search for each port, you will find volumes of information!!

[pambo]

I offer another vote for the Sea Otter and Wildlife Tour through the ship (run by Allen Marine). The staff is very knowledgeable and we never felt crowded at the windows (well, there was that one pushy woman....but it seems there is always one, isn't there)?

 

The tour guide was a local girl who is majoring in Marine Biology in college. It is very obvious that she is proud of her town and the wildlife that surrounds it. She shared a lot of interesting stories about growing up in Sitka and how their whole life revolves around the fishing calendar. We thoroughly enjoyed our day.

 

Another plus is that the boat picks you up right from the ship without having to tender ashore first.

 

Afterwards a shuttle transports you to the Raptor Center and when you are finished there, another shuttle takes you back into town. Once you arrive in town, you still have several hours to explore before you need to be back onboard.

 

I highly recommend this tour. Sitka was our favorite port....enjoy!