Sitka

For our stop in Sitka, we decided to do what is one of the most reasonably priced tour in the entire Alaska catalog, the City Tour. Personally speaking, the city tour is worth the price of admission; in fact you get to see a lot and one would feel that another hour would be very well used. The City Tour (conducted on a School Bus) includes the Raptor Center, a stop at the National Park, a performance of the New Archangel Russian Dancers and at the Orthodox Church. I felt that I could spend another hour at the raptor center alone….it certainly was thrilling to see a Bald Eagle up close, and take in awe the raw power that it embodies (along with that gaze that literally tells you “don’t mess with me).

At the National Park there was a museum that I would have liked to explore had we more time, but what I really wanted to see was the river full of spawning salmon. It was humbling to see the river choked with spawning salmon and to see them literally commit suicide after their “mission” was over. We watched them almost mesmerized and a bit heavy hearted, for down the river a flock of cawing seagulls were having a field day feasting on the poor salmon. (although watch where you stand, because the downwind of rotting fish can be overpowering).

The performance by the New Archangel Dancers actually happens close to the ship, and lasts for about 45 minutes. The troupe is all women, and they all have regular day jobs. It is very fast paced and well executed. None of them are of Russian descent, but you wouldn’t know based on the verve they put in the acts!

The tour concludes and the small but very rich Orthodox Church of St. Michael…art lovers, this is a must do…some of the religious art and icons are spectacular and rivaled some works we’ve seen at the Vatican.

If you haven’t been able to make it to St. Petersburg yet, there is a church sponsored store across the street from the Church and it is full of Russian artifacts…check it out!

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