ALASKA - SITKA

ALASKA – Fast Ferry and Sitka, August 31-September 1

 
Early Friday morning we boarded what is known as the "Fast Ferry" to Sitka.  After our hectic schedule of the week, we now had four and a half hours to just relax and watch the beauty of southeast Alaska slide by.  We also had the rare privilege of being invited to the bridge by the Captain for a tour.  Having a chance to see the equipment and talk to them about their jobs was fascinating, not to mention the view from one deck higher.

Upon our arrival in Sitka, we headed for lunch, followed by a walking tour of downtown.  One of the highlights is the Russian Orthodox Church that sits in the center of town.  The architecture is an interesting combination of the traditional onion-shaped dome plus the usual church spire.  We continued exploring downtown until time to return for dinner at the Channel Club, a lovely restaurant that overlooks one of the waterways of Sitka.

Our last day in Alaska began with a tour of the Sitka Raptor Center.  This is a truly amazing facility dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of birds of prey. We had a tour of the Center and were then treated to an "up close and personal" session with Haley, a rescued bald eagle who is now a permanent resident of the Center. Her handler Steve spent about 15 minutes with us talking about what they do to rehabilitate these beautiful birds with the goal of returning them to the wild whenever it is possible.

Our tour also made a stop at the Sitka National Historic Park where we were able to view the Haida and Tlingit Totem Pole display.  We learned that totem poles have great symbolism and and read from top to bottom.  They are only painted once and there are special ceremonies when a pole is both erected and when it is taken down.  Mark, Tom and Venita posed in front of the Centennial Totem Pole, trying to make a totem pole of their own.  We don't think it will be made part of the permanent exhibit.

After lunch at the golf course, we made our second stop of the day – The Fortress of the Bears.  This facility was an old pulp mill which has been turned into a rescue center for orphaned brown bear cubs.  The Executive Director, Les Kinnear met with us and talked to us about how they work with the cubs to ensure that they recover from the loss of their mother to facilitate a safe transition to zoos throughout the world.  They still have five adult bears as permanent residents of the Fortress.  It was obvious that the bears are all very fond of Les and recognized his voice immediately.  We were very intrested to discover that The Fortress of the Bear is the largest private recycler in Sitka, utilizing outdated produce, dairy and bakery products from all the local markets. This allows the animals to be well fed with the waste then utilized in the compost, saving the city and private businesses more than $10,000 yearly in waste disposal. This facility is truly a labor of love by the community.

Our last evening in Alaska was spent at the Sitka Elks Lodge #1662 sharing the hospitality of ER Denise Hodnett and the Sitka Elks.  We were told that dinner was halibut and prime rib.  That sounded reasonable until they put Tom’s plate in front of him.  The prime rib “roast” pretty much covered all of his plate!  Everything else was just wedged in around the edge.  Venita quickly said, “I’ll have halibut, please.”  Later, we had a chance to meet the “Big Boys” cooking crew and everything became crystal clear.  At the conclusion of dinner, First Lady Kerry presented Venita with a stunning gold nugget necklace depicting a cabin in the woods with the Northern Lights in the background. 

Our sincere thanks to State President Mark Daum and First Lady Kerry Tomlinson, SDGER and Grand Trustee Mike Luhr and Barbara and State Sponsor PGER Roger True and Marilyn for every moment of this marvelous journey through Southeast Alaska.  It is truly an experience that will live with us forever.  Our heartfelt appreciation goes out to the all of the Alaska Elks who made this trip so special.  Great job, folks!