Don't see much here about Sitka

[lucywestie]

We are going on our first ever cruise on the Serenade on Sept 15th. I have noticed there are lots of posts on here about Juneau/Skagway etc. but I dont see many about Sitka. Does anybody have any opinions about things to do there etc? I guess we are in port for quite a few hours so a longer excursion, say 5 hours or more, might be more appreciated by us.

Cheers

Pete

[fti]

Welcome to CC.

 

Not as many ships stop in Sitka as in ports like Juneau, thus the reason for not as many posts about it. One way to find good info is to go to the top of the main page and click on Search To an Advanced Search, type in Sitka and click on the right side under Alaska forum. You will see quite a few posts about it. You can narrow your search (on the left) to posts that have Sitka in the title or anywhere in the post.

 

Otherwise I am sure others who have been there will chime in with ideas.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

We are going on our first ever cruise on the Serenade on Sept 15th. I have noticed there are lots of posts on here about Juneau/Skagway etc. but I dont see many about Sitka. Does anybody have any opinions about things to do there etc? I guess we are in port for quite a few hours so a longer excursion, say 5 hours or more, might be more appreciated by us.

Cheers

Pete

 

Hi, Pete!

 

If you're interested in wildlife viewing, you might consider a wildlife tour. We're booked on a four-hour tour to see otters, sea lions, puffins, whales, etc. It's with an independent vendor and the boat can take only six passengers, so we're really looking forward to it. Can't wait!

 

Sitka has a strong Russian influence, so you'll see a lot of that in the town, including St. Michael's Cathedral. There's also the Raptor Center, which I understand is well worth the visit. It's an avian hospital that rehabilitates 100-200 birds each year (according to Fodor's Alaska 2007 guide book).

 

It's a lovely town--we didn't get to really explore much on our last cruise because we had such a short time in port. This time we have more than 10 hours, so planning to explore the town after our wildlife tour in the morning. The guidebook says there's a rainforest with walking paths and more than a dozen totems behind the main building at the Sitka National Historical Park.

 

Have a great cruise!

Jayne

 

:)

[bunduo]

Sitka is a great port. With 10 hours, you have plenty of time to check everything it has to offer. When we were there, we took a morning excursion offered by Allen Marine. They'll take you out on the water to check out the wildlife. We saw a whale fluke, a few eagles, sea otters, sea lions. When we got back, we walked over to the Raptor Center. You will walk through Sitka National Historical Park on your way. My only regret was that we didn't explore the trails at this park.

 

Don't get the wrong impression about the Raptor Center. It isn't all that big but it does have quite a few raptors. Alaska Airlines will fly, free of charge, any injured raptor to the center. Don't be afraid to explore the trails that around the center, too. You will still have time to explore the historic center of town. The shops are unique and the Russian Orthodox church is pretty neat.

[SakeDad]

This is the excursion I have booked for May in Sitka. Several people on here told me about it. As I havn't been yet I can't say how it is, but it is an hour longer than the tours through the cruise line for the same price, and it's the same one Jayne is on. Look for my review and pics in June to see. The website is http://www.puffinsandwhales.com/

[Marie321]

We went to Sitka last year and LOVED it! Very pretty town. It is very walkable. Last year we went to Totem National Park and the Raptor Center. We stopped at the aquarium on the way as we walked to both places. Then we shopped. This year we are going back and seeing Puffins and other wildlife with EstherG.

[starshine]

My ship is in Sitka from 9:00 to 5:00 p.m. If I walk around highlights of town, go to Raptor Center, maybe poke around a few shops, eat lunch, will that take up roughly 6 1/2 hours of time? Or should I plan an excursion there too?

[lucywestie]

Hi, Pete!

 

If you're interested in wildlife viewing, you might consider a wildlife tour. We're booked on a four-hour tour to see otters, sea lions, puffins, whales, etc. It's with an independent vendor and the boat can take only six passengers, so we're really looking forward to it. Can't wait!

 

Sitka has a strong Russian influence, so you'll see a lot of that in the town, including St. Michael's Cathedral. There's also the Raptor Center, which I understand is well worth the visit. It's an avian hospital that rehabilitates 100-200 birds each year (according to Fodor's Alaska 2007 guide book).

 

It's a lovely town--we didn't get to really explore much on our last cruise because we had such a short time in port. This time we have more than 10 hours, so planning to explore the town after our wildlife tour in the morning. The guidebook says there's a rainforest with walking paths and more than a dozen totems behind the main building at the Sitka National Historical Park.

 

Have a great cruise!

Jayne

 

:)

 

Ok thanks muchly to everybody, we will definitely check out the Puffins and Whales though we aim to do Whale Watching out of Juneau. Anyway, at least I now have some ideas to work with

Cheers to all

Pete

[Marie321]

Starshine,

That would definitely take up the time. I would go see the Totem park also. It has wide walking paths. There are several totems with explanations in a guide book that you can get for free in the visitors center. The trees are huge and it is so peaceful. I enjoyed the walk through town past where many boats are docked, etc. We saw tons of bald eagles.

[Budget Queen]

Ok thanks muchly to everybody, we will definitely check out the Puffins and Whales though we aim to do Whale Watching out of Juneau. Anyway, at least I now have some ideas to work with

Cheers to all

Pete

 

 

Sorry, but in your timeframe, the puffins will be gone. The boat tours will still offer plenty of other wildlife- humpbacks, sea otters. It's a top tour to consider.

[Budget Queen]

Starshine,

That would definitely take up the time. I would go see the Totem park also. It has wide walking paths. There are several totems with explanations in a guide book that you can get for free in the visitors center. The trees are huge and it is so peaceful. I enjoyed the walk through town past where many boats are docked, etc. We saw tons of bald eagles.

 

This is Sitka National Park. http://www.nps.gov/sitk/ The trail is a level mile, consider obtaining the totem guidebook, maybe downloadable online?? Or purchase the cheap guidebook. Will enhance your walk if interested in the totems.

 

Sitka is a very walkable city. And plenty to occupy your time. :)

[Roxilla]

When we were in Sitka quite a few years ago, we did some "sea kayaking" which was really more like "really clear, calm lake kayaking". It was extremely peaceful and we saw nesting eagles. It was also not very physically demanding. I don't know if that is still an option but for us, it was one of the highlights of our trip. We still had time to walk around the town and it was very lovely.