[img nocaption float=”right” width=”319″ height=”480″ render=”<%photoRenderType%>”]8869[/img] Sitka
WE PULLED INTO HARBOR early this morning and spent the whole day in port, taking a break from seminars and panel discussions with a full slate of Alaskan adventures.
Originally home to the Tlingit Indians, Sitka was settled by Russians in the late 18th century and was the site where the Alaskan territories were formally handed over to America on October 18, 1867. (There’s a marker in the middle of downtown, on Castle Hill, where the first American flag was raised that day.) From then until 1912, Sitka was Alaska’s capital.
Some of the cruisers went hiking through the Tongass rainforest this morning while others went mountain biking; still others spent the day salmon fishing–the lucky ones are having their catches mailed home to them. I went with a group of cruisers on a boat excursion through the sound where we saw brown bears, harbor seals, sea otters, and an entire pod of whales, some of which came as close as 20 yards. Afterward we visited the Sitka National Historic Park, and walked a trail featuring an impressive collection of enormous, intricately carved totem poles. (That’s one of them to the left.) And to top it all off, as the ship pulled out of port on Wednesday evening, whales were spouting and fluke-diving all around us as we left Sitka.
Of course, that was all frosting on the cake after last night. We had another sensational dinner on the Oosterdam; the food was great and the folks on the cruise are really good–and interesting–company. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better group of people to pal around with for a week. After dinner, a bunch of us, some STANDARD staff and some cruisers, made our way down to the casino. Intimidated by how rough the craps table has been all week, we sat together for blackjack.
It didn’t start out promisingly: early on the dealer drew to 21 on five straight hands. But things settled down and well after midnight–it was actually dark outside!–the entire table walked away–up large. You don’t see that too often. Alaska never looked so beautiful.
Next year we’ll be cruising the Caribbean, setting sail on March 24, 2008. If you think you might want to join us, send an email to [email protected] and we’ll get you all the details.
–Jonathan V. Last
