We pulled into Sitka at about 9 and were told that we would spend the rest of our lives there if we weren’t on the boat by 3:30. Sitka, which has fewer than 9000 year round residents is the largest city in the United States by area. It is also one of the oldest American cities, with evidence of Tlingit habitation 10,000 years ago. Sitka was the largest city when Russia claimed Alaska, and served as the first American capital of the Alaska Territory until the capital was moved to Juneau.

Sitka is located on Baranof island, there are only 14 miles of road, the weather is milder than anywhere else in the state. Baranof has about 10,000 humans and 3000 bears.

A catastophic fire ravaged much of downtown Sitka about 50 years ago. The Russian Orthodox Cathedral, originally built in the 1840s by Finnish workmen, has been fully restored.

Services are held 5 days a week. They last more than two hours. Unless you are elderly or disabled, you stand up the entire time.

Little is left of Russian Sitka. Two other buildings. One, the Russian Bishop’s House (which you can tour, but we didn’t) and the other, a downtown building where you can see some original 18th century logs, but the rest was rebuilt in the 19th century.

In addition, we visited the Fortress of the Bear, several miles from downtown, a bear rescue operation, basically helping cubs who have lost their mothers and would be helpless alone in the wild. The bears, which are trained to respond to the keepers, are well fed and cared for, it appears. They clearly do not mind humans.

The bears are in an enclosed area surrounded by forest and the forest is home to several bald eagles.

We also went to the historical museum, dedicated to Tlingit life. I could see some of the berry varieties I had been hearing about. And totems.

Then back to the ship where, it being Holland America, it was Orange Night.