Sitka - May 21 & 22

After our wonderful dinner at Ludvig's we head back to Chug and shortly thereafter to bed.  The weather was calm, the dock quiet and we all slept well!  Today was reserved for exploring Sika.  John started by finding the local laundromat.  Once he had his laundry started, we set off to walk into town for a day filled with arts and culture. 

We were pleased to see that the shops in Sitka are still owned by locals and not by the Cruise Ship companies.  At the local co-op art gallery we find some treasures to bring home.

Next we walk to the Sheldon Jackson campus.  The previous night at Ludvig's we sat next Carol Odess, a woman from Alabama, who now spends the majority of her time in Sitka.  Throughout the evening, Carol was describing the work being done to renovate the old Presbyterian school into a campus for the Sitka Youth Art Camp.  The original construction dates back to the early 1900s and looks to be of the tudor style.  The school was originally a boarding school for the Native children run by Reverend Dr. Sheldon Jackson.  Later the campus was a two-year college and then a four-year college and finally abandoned and left to ruin.  In 2011, Carol was visiting Sitka and met the wife of the program director.  Carol and her late husband have philanthropic projects in Alabama and at Vanderbuilt University in Tennessee but this project caught her attention, stole her heart and has benefited from her generosity.  As we were walking we recognized the buildings from her description and decided to stop and see if we could find Carol.  Within minutes, we were climbing the back staircase to the second floor where Carol was meeting with another of the volunteers.  She greeted us warmly and gave us the insider's tour of the work that is being done.  The campus is the home of arts camps for children from grade school through college.  The program includes, drawing, painting, pottery, fiber arts, drama, circus performance and more and more and more. This summer hundreds of students will attend.  Many of these

Mary & Lisa - this photo is for you!

students are from Sitka but they are also from the lower 48 and from countries around the world.  Barrie, John and I all thoroughly enjoyed our time with Carol.  Her enthusiasm was absolutely contagious!
 

We next visit the Sheldon Jackson museum which houses incredible treasures from the many different native cultures.  The artifacts were beautifully displayed in an octagonal building.  Barrie says he is amazed at the comprehensive nature of the collection and how it represents the works of the common people including arctic clothing, children's play toys, basketry, fishing supplies and much more.  John is struck by how creative the people were in being able to make their harsh environment comfortable through the use of local natural materials.

A short walk across that street brings us to the Sitka Aquarium and Fish Hatchery.  This facility was part of the college biology department until the university shut down.  It is now a not-for-profit organization.  The aquarium display includes many of the local species and viewers are invited to get their hands wet and to carefully touch many of the specimens.  We are greeted by a college intern from Virginia who offers to answer questions and also to give us a tour of the fish hatchery.  This is considered a small but important hatchery that works with three types of salmon -- coho, chum and sockeye -- and released 3 millions hatchery fish each year.  Perhaps the most interesting thing we learn is that every hatchery in Alaska "bar-codes" their fish.  The ear-bone of the fish has growth-rings like trees and the size of the ring changes based on the temperature of the water.  By changing the temperature of the water by 1 degree up or down on a set schedule each hatchery is able to create a unique "barr-code" on their fry.  This provides important information on the migration of the fish and their return rates.  From there we continue our walkabout stopping at the Totem Pole park, collecting our laundry, doing a bit of shopping and finally returning to the boat to freshen up for dinner at the wine bar that is an extension of Ludvig's restaurant.  We had a wonderful dinner of chowder and wine and thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

Our second day in Sitka is devoted to wildlife (of the natural variety).  Our adventure starts with a bus trip from the marina to downtown Sitka where we chang buses.  We ride the second bus to Whale Park (the end of the line) and from their we walk the final two miles to the Fortress of the Bear Project.  While at Whale Park we see several Humpback Whales and as we walk along the highway we are treated to a whale show.  We take turns exclaiming as we sight a bunch of whales.  Fortress of the Bear is a safe haven for orphaned bears that has been created out of an abandoned pulp mill water treatment facility.  Currently they are home to 6 brown bears and 3 black bears.  Historically, orphaned bear cubs have been shot by Alaska Fish and Game since without their mother they cannot be left to fend for themselves.  The mission of the bear sanctuary is to provide a place for these bears to live out their natural lives in comfort.  It is quite a feat since each bear eats up to 40 pounds of food a day for several months of the year.  Also, since Alaska law does not allow for a rehabilitated bear to be released into the wild, these bears must be taken care of for decades.  Visiting the facility provides the opportunity to view these bears from as little as 25 feet away.  Really quite amazing.

Our next stop is the Rapture Sanctuary.  In many ways, the missions of these two organizations are the same.  The Rapture Sanctuary takes in injured raptors of all varieties and rehabilitate them.  The difference is that fully rehabilitated birds can be released into the wild and about 80% of the birds are released.  Those with injuries that are too severe become permanent residents.  Another very interesting tour and an incredible close up look at raptors that are seldom seen this close.  Returning to downtown Sitka, we checked of the remaining tourist activities that were on our to do list.  We toured the Russian Bishop's House which is now part of the National Park Service and a walk to the top of Castle Hill.  Finally, we tired feet, we returned to the boat where we relaxed with a glass of wine and dinner on board.  We were all tired and opted for an early to bed time knowing we had yet another early departure tomorrow.