Site-seeing Sunny Sitka

Day 4 (June 7) Awake at 5:00, due to sunlight streaming in the window, up at 6:00, with breakfast at 7:00, we were off on foot at 8:00. Don located a geocache at 8:10 at the Sitka Fire Department. Then he searched for a “first to find” geocache near the O’Connell Bridge, which was the first cable-stayed bridge built in the Western Hemisphere. He finally gave up about 40 minutes later. Between yesterday and today we visited most of the 22 National Historical Sites located in Sitka...on foot. We probably walked more than 8 miles today between more caches and additional sites which included Castle Hill, Sitka Pioneer Home, the Russian Blockhouse, and the Sheldon Jackson Museum. After a quick lunch (spicy clam chowder-yummmmmm) near the Sitka Science Center and Aquarium, we took off for Sitka’s Nat’l Historical Park - Totem Square and then wandered thru a beautiful rain forrest on our way to the Alaska Raptor Center. The mile trek back to the Super 8 along Sawmill Creek Boulevard provided yet another geocache, and a quick look at the National Cemetery. Our “outing” was almost complete when we decided to head to the grocery/liquor store for refreshments before calling it a day. Applying alcohol to the mouth soothes sore feet!!!

1st geocache of the day located inside this "mug".

Mt Edgecumb a dormant volcano located at the southern end
of Kruzof Island, Alaska, of which it is the highest point.
Elevation 3202' Last eruption 2202 BC

View from Castle Hill an early stronghold of the Kiksadi clan. Later
a succession of Russian buildings were erected on Castle Hill.

First to find...no find (no one else found it yesterday either).
Don planted the travel bug he found in WA in Sitka today.
It was picked up by someone (from Germany) from a cruise ship
and logged in before we got back to the hotel.

Who can resist blossoms, berries and flowers?

O'Connell Bridge

Sitka Pioneer Home was built in 1934 on the old Russian Parade Ground.
It is now an Alaska state home for the elderly.

A replica of the blockhouse that separated the Russian and
Tlingit sections of Sitka Tlingits moved back into the area
20 years after the 1804 battle.

A typical Sitka neighborhood

Don finds another ...

A great museum with one of the oldest and most complete Native
culture collections in AK (collected between 1880-1900).
Erected in 1895 it is theoldest continually open museum in AK