Day One.
Ann, our host gave us great suggestions today about how to go to see everything we wanted to see. We walked first to the National Historic Park where we watched a video about how the three major people groups have shape the area: The native Tlinket people, the Russian settlers, and the Americans have all made there lasting imprint on the area. The feds are actually funding quite the operations there. They have studios that support native artists. Especially prominent are the dozens of totem poles in the park. We took a hike through there grounds to see them all.
We crossed the Indian river and saw the thousands of Salmon swimming up the river. This sight was the highlight for me today. What a treat to arrive just as the "humpys" are running. The waters were thick with them. Mostly the salmon were swimming just enough to keep themselves stationary. Further up the river we saw a kind of bottle neck where the river was shallower and moved more swiftly with fish piled on top of each other below.
From the park we walked up to the Raptor Center. I'd only heard the word "Raptor" from Jurassic Park, but apparently a raptor is any bird of prey. The center accepts injured bird from throughout southeast Alaska and nurses them back to health. Those that regain their ability to fly are released back into the wild, and those whose injuries are too severe to fly again get placed in zoos throughout the country. Bloomington, Peoria, and Chicago all has bald Eagles that were rehabilitated at this center. They have a new "flight training center" where tourist can see the eagles through one way tinted glass. They don't want birds that are to be released into the wild to grow accustomed to human interaction.
From there we stopped at a museum and a fish hatchery both on the campus of the university and ate seafood in the Bayview restaurant downtown. Our B&B has a hot tub on the porch that we will enjoy tonight before gearing up for our second day in Sitka.
Until then. . . .
Ann, our host gave us great suggestions today about how to go to see everything we wanted to see. We walked first to the National Historic Park where we watched a video about how the three major people groups have shape the area: The native Tlinket people, the Russian settlers, and the Americans have all made there lasting imprint on the area. The feds are actually funding quite the operations there. They have studios that support native artists. Especially prominent are the dozens of totem poles in the park. We took a hike through there grounds to see them all.
We crossed the Indian river and saw the thousands of Salmon swimming up the river. This sight was the highlight for me today. What a treat to arrive just as the "humpys" are running. The waters were thick with them. Mostly the salmon were swimming just enough to keep themselves stationary. Further up the river we saw a kind of bottle neck where the river was shallower and moved more swiftly with fish piled on top of each other below.
From the park we walked up to the Raptor Center. I'd only heard the word "Raptor" from Jurassic Park, but apparently a raptor is any bird of prey. The center accepts injured bird from throughout southeast Alaska and nurses them back to health. Those that regain their ability to fly are released back into the wild, and those whose injuries are too severe to fly again get placed in zoos throughout the country. Bloomington, Peoria, and Chicago all has bald Eagles that were rehabilitated at this center. They have a new "flight training center" where tourist can see the eagles through one way tinted glass. They don't want birds that are to be released into the wild to grow accustomed to human interaction.
From there we stopped at a museum and a fish hatchery both on the campus of the university and ate seafood in the Bayview restaurant downtown. Our B&B has a hot tub on the porch that we will enjoy tonight before gearing up for our second day in Sitka.
Until then. . . .
posted by Doug at
8:04 PM
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