Sitka

Two nights at Takatz Bay was a nice relief from our rapid pace of anchoring in a new place every night. We sailed up Chatham Strait in a nice following breeze and carried it west into the scarily named Peril Strait.

Harbor seals marked our progress as we headed toward anchor in Deep Bay.

Rapids just beyond requires timing and the next best time is in the morning, so we tucked in.

Across Sitka Sound Mount Edgecumbe sits looking very volcano-like (it is).

This totem is in a waterfront park with the Alaska Pioneers Home in the background. The Russian Orthodox Parish of Sitka church is in the center of town. Sitka was the headquarters of Russian America until 1867. It became the Alaska territory's first capital when the United States purchased it in that year. Still, the Russian influence remains.

The marina was a bit of a hike from downtown, so we unfolded our bikes and set out to explore. It was a bit drizzly, so we were sure to wear our new Grundens foul weather pants.

We found a peaceful lake with water lillies, Goatsbeard, Cow Parsnip and Forget-Me-Nots.

The Sitka National Historical Park is on a wooded site and home to many original and commissioned replicas of historic totems from around Southeast Alaska. One can walk through the woods and happen upon totems sited at intervals along the trail. The Park is on the site of a battle fought between the native Tlingits and the Russians in 1804.

The museum at the park visitor center housed interesting artifacts of Tlingit life, including the potlatch feast bowl (notice the two cormorants sharing a fish) and the beaded shawl.

All the marinas we have visited are working marinas with fisherman plying the waters with a variety of boats. Gill nets, purse seiners and long-liners are all here.

The population of ravens rivals that of the residents. The intelligent corvids get into mischief!

A delicious restaurant named Beak is housed at the local station KCAW. We ate dinner with our traveling friends and came back the next day for brunch.

Another beautiful Alaskan sunset (at 10:30 pm).