A Sitka Sunday Stroll

Most days driving cab here in Sitka I drive across this suspension bridge many times--- which links Baranof Island (1607 square miles--slightly smaller than the state of Delaware)) with the much smaller Japonski Island where the airport is located. The name Baranof was given to the island in 1805 by Imperial Russian Navy captain U. F. Lisianski to honor Alexander Andreyevich Baranov, chief manager of the Russian-American fur trading Company. Baranof Island hosts the highest mountain in the Alexander Archipelago, and is the eighth largest island in Alaska, the tenth largest island in the United States, and the 137th largest island in the world.

The first European settlement on island was established in 1799 by Alexandr Baranov, Chief Manager and first Governor of the Russian-American Company. Baranov Island was the center of Russian activity in North America during the period from 1804–1867 and was the headquarters of the Russian fur-trading interest.

On sunny days I would look out at the views from the bridge as I drove across and would think "I need to walk out on the bridge and take some pics for the blog" --well today I finally did that.

About here on the bridge my passengers (if they are new to Sitka) usually exclaim, "It is so beautiful here!"

Many of the small islands in the bay have homes on them...

From the other side you have great views of the town and the boat harbors...

Docks in the harbor are looking pretty empty because salmon trolling season opened July 1st--so everyone is out fishing....

Coast Guard buoy tender docked

Sealing Harbor on Japaonski Island

Sitka's location was originally settled by the Tlingit people over 10,000 years ago. As I walked home, I passed the Tlingit Tribel House--the Sheet’ka Kwaan Naa Kahidi Community House. "The Sitka Tribe of Alaska is Sitka’s Federally Recognized Tribal government with an enrollment of over 4000 tribal citizens, many of whom still live in Sitka, which has a population of 8,773."

And then I walked past the Pioneer's Home....Listed in the National Register of Historical Places, The Sitka Pioneer Home was opened in a derelict U.S. Marine Corps barracks in 1913 on a $10,000 budget. The home struggled financially until the 1930s, when the federal and territorial governments appropriated around $400,000 to replace the dilapidated and fire-prone buildings, creating a new home capable of caring for 170 men. In 1949, upon mandate from the territorial legislature, an expansion was constructed, with women permitted to be taken under care. Currently the home is the 3rd largest residential old folks home in Alaska and can house 65 residents. The sculpture you see here in the photo is entitled The Prospector, sculpted by the late Alonzo Victor Lewis. The sculpture was supposed to be modeled after real-life pioneer William "Skagway Bill" Fonda.

Some days I give residents of the home rides in my cab, and I always try to get them talking since they are usually wonderful repositories of Alaskan history, and interesting older folks.

More Things I Love About Sitka....(take #2)

Salmonberries! (which are ripe now....) and grow wild everywhere around town

the surrounding green and lush rain forest......

the fact that there is STILL a pay phone like this at the small local airport that ACTUALLY WORKS

This view from one of the local grocery stores parking lot---of Mount Edgecumbe, the dormant volcanic mountain, which can be ascended by a 6.7 Miles hike (one way), but is considered a difficult day hike. Mount Edgecumbe was named by British explorer Captain Jame Cook in 1778.
"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves." - John Muir

the Alaska state flower--the Forget-Me-Not, which grows everywhere...

Totems -- and the Sitka National Historic Park  (more about this park later--this wonderful park deserves a whole blog post)

I also love that none of the grocery stores are owned by chaines and there are no "big box" stores here.
I love that the local drugstore has a nice soda fountain where one can buy "sodas," milk shakes and other goodies.
And the knitter in me loves that there is a well stocked local yarn store (which I can easily walk to!!) with a friendly and knowledgeable  proprietor.
This is not all to love about Sitka, so stay tuned! I'm just getting started....

A Tour of Harbor Mountain, Sitka...

Yesterday I accompanied Hank (as further training for my taxi driver job) on an hour tour up Sitka's Harbor Mountain road where amazing spectacular views of the surrounding area delighted the 2 women we were showing the sights to. The paved and gravel road winds 5 miles up Harbor Mountain gaining 2,000 feet in elevation.  This is a steep climb with sharp switchbacks. I think I will just let the photos I snapped with my IPhone camera show you a few of the views...

we could see a cruise ship docked down below...

Hank and our two passengers enjoying the view....

Islands and more islands...

this shows a bit of Alaskan "muskeg" and the scraggily trees higher up on the mountain...

I think this is pretty magnificent scenery which showcases what the Southeast Alaskan rain forest looks like. This leaves me wanting to send all my friends around the globe a postcard of these photos where I scrawl on the back "wish you were here..." I guess this blog post is a modern form of that (snort!).

Just a few of the Things I Love About Sitka

     I love that the new local library has these views from it big      windows 

I love that the radio station---KCAW--- is community run--with many of the station's programs produced by local volunteers. I love that this NPR small radio station is so inclusive of everyone in the community--for instance--so far I have heard announcements on the radio in both Tagalog and Tlingit, as well as English.

I love that the harbors are humming with everyone getting ready to go commercial fishing, or coming and going...and I love looking at all the boats.

The longer I stay, the more I will find (or remember) I love about this friendly coastal Alaskan town, so this list is just a beginning....

This morning I woke up early and walked just a block or so down to my fave coffess shop here in Sitka. As I walked, I could hear the distant cry of the gulls and a raven calling in the woods nearby, and the sun was shining, but the streets were still quiet. The Back Door Coffee shop has a lovely display of local small quilts and I snapped a picture of a few of them....

 

Fiddleheads!

A bit later in the day, I drove along as "taxi-driver-in-training" with the Taxi owner, Hank.  Hank owns the only yellow Prius taxi in Sitka and had many interesting and illuminating taxi driving stories to share. We picked up a few customers and took them to their destinations,  but also took an excursion to the "end of the road"--or at least the end of one of the roads leading out of town.

This is along the picturesque drive where Hank takes his tourist's that ask to see the scenery....

After about 7 miles you each the end of the road. Sitka is on an island--Baranof Island---so to travel to Sitka you must come by boat, ferry, or airplane.

Hank with the cab....

Hank gassing up--since the taxi is a Prius, this doesn't happen real often...

I am hoping to start driving customers early next week---I ran into a bit of sticky red tape around obtaining an Alaskan Driver's license in a timely manner, and I am working at unsticking myself. Of course I need an Alaskan license to obtain the local city taxi driver permit. Meanwhile I am learning all I can from Hank before I am on my own because as soon as I start driving he plans to go out commercial fishing--- salmon trolling--- so I really will be on my own. Plus, I am enjoying reaquainting myself with Sitka and all my friends here.

THIS JUST IN : Sloth like progress : Alaska Business license purchased (over 65 so got a nice discount), City Business license pending but started--(of course I have to pay city sales tax), state trooper background check done(no problems found--go figure), and physical completed at doctor's office--- just waiting for the DMV sticky red tape to come off, sigh. Quite a lot of hoops to jump through before I can lease Hanks's Taxi and get driving, but I am plugging away at it--in between hanging with friends and eating good Alaskan food (black cod--yum!).

Never too old to try something New!

Hi Folks ! I am soon trying new job---as a taxi cab driver in lovely Sitka, Alaska. This blog is where you can follow me in this new adventure. As you can read in my profile-- I am not new to Alaska--I was born there and grew up in Juneau. I commercial fished out of Sitka for many years so I am familiar with the town and have many good friends there. I am very excited to be able to spend this summer in my home state of Alaska. No matter where I live, Southeast Alaska will always be my home, so in a sense I am finally returning home (if only for the summer).