Sitka AK

Hubby and I joined our daughter on an Alaskan cruise last week. She booked the cruise to celebrate her 50th Birthday and since no one should celebrate their 50th alone...we came along. Hubby and I had been on an Alaska land and sea cruise in 2001 with my parents and one of my brothers and his wife. That 15 day adventure was very memorable and allowed us to see a lot. So this trip of 5 ports, 6 days was just right. The weather for May can be quite iffy, but other than clouds and overcast, we lucked out; temps in the 40ºs - 50ºs and no rain or snow like they had the week before.

Mount Edgecumbe

This dormant volcano was listed as active last month when steam/vapor was noticed coming from the cone. Too many appropriately placed clouds to know if there was steam/vapors on May 8, 2023. 

Our first port of call was Sitka. I was very excited about this port as we had not been there in 2001. 

Sitka, one of the earliest European settlements in the Alaskan territory, is located on Baranof Island. It's a fairly isolated community, accessible only by plane or ship. The City and Borough of Sitka encompasses 4710 square miles, making it the largest city in the US.

The Russians in their expansion of the West coast of North America settled in Sitka in the early 1800s and made Sitka the Capital of Russian America. St. Michaels Russian Orthodox Cathedral, in the middle of town, is evidence of Sitka's history during the early Russian period.

The green domes or cupolas, historic icons, tower bells, and golden Orthodox crosses of Holy Russia are still visible and functioning in Sitka at Saint Michael's Cathedral. 

Unfortunately, the church was not open to visitors.

the rear of the church

The original Saint Michael's Cathedral was completed in 1848 in Sitka; Bishop Veniaminov designed the Cathedral and oversaw its construction. Financial support came from the Russian-America Company's headquarters in Siberia. Many of the construction materials and most of the icons and liturgical items came by a land and sea route from Russia. In the frigid early morning hours of January 2, 1966, Saint Michael's Cathedral burned to the ground during a devastating night fire that destroyed 17 downtown buildings, including the historic Lutheran Church across the street.

Courageous parishioners and townspeople managed to save almost everything from inside the burning Cathedral by forming a human chain and passing along ancient liturgical treasures from one person to another. The massive metal bells and the tower clock melted, but the pieces of melted bells were later recast into the present bells, and the clock was replaced. A few days after the fire, services were held outside on top of the Cathedral's ashes, and reconstruction efforts were initiated.

By 1976, Saint Michael's Cathedral was reconstructed by using architectural drawings fortuitously made in 1961 by the Historic American Buildings Survey. All of the rescued icons and other historic liturgical items were set back in place, where they remain today.

Today, this active parish is composed principally of Native Alaskans, most of whom are descendants of the same Tlingit families who were living in the area at the time of Russian colonization.

some of the flowers around town

tulips and daffodils 

The Prospector

Baranov Pole

designed and carved by Tlingit craftsmen in the 1940s

Sitka was settled by indigenous Alaska natives more than 10,000 years ago, making it the oldest city in Alaska. 

view of Sitka from The Hill

There was another reason for inviting ourselves on OFD birthday cruise...geocaching. Alaska was the last of the 50 states in which we needed to find a geocache.

other geocachers on the cruise looking for a geocache

we also completed an Adventure Lab giving us credit for 5 more geocaches

mission accomplished!

Washington D.C. is on our wish list...

seafood chowder

When we visited the northeast states some years ago, I was not impressed with the seafood we ordered. (I am not a seafood fan.) But eating the seafood chowders on this trip was a very pleasant surprise. We stopped at a small crowded cafe in Sitka that listed seafood chowder as a lunch option. We ordered 3 bowls, 2 soft drinks, 1 BLT sandwich and with the tip, our bill was $95.00. It was very good, but it was the last time we ate off ship!