2006-08-11 Sitka, AK 60

Our 9am port of call is Sitka, AK. The town has several tour buses lined up waiting for us (for a fee, of course). Sitka is 7 miles from the ferry dock, so, for our convenience, we have a choice of buses. It's still overcast and rainy. For $8 we can catch a bus to downtown and the Visitor's Center of Alaska's oldest national park, Sitka National Park. Or we could chose a tour of Sitka for $10. We took the tour of Sitka. I remember why I don't really like tours. Everything is rushed and all the photos have somebody else in them. Our guide was a native of Sitka for 15 years, moved away and has now returned. He knew quite a bit of Sitka's history, the natives that first inhabited this area and the Russians that later claimed it as their home. In the park, we saw several totems, including one that was currently being carved. It will take two brothers several months to hand carve this totem. Our tour guide also sang Alaska's state song and told us about the history of the state flag. The flag was designed by a 13 year old Aleut native orphan, the blue background representing the sky, the sea and the state flower, the Blue Bonnet, the stars in the form of the Big Dipper, or Ursa Major, the Great bear to show strength and the North Star to show the most northern territory in the Union. Alaska became the 49th state in 1959. Our guide got us back to the ship in time to leave port.