Sitka

We left Petersburg on the ferry at 1:15 AM ! Gads. We had booked a cabin so after we got the camper aboard we were able to crash. We actually didn't stir until around 10 in the morning. It was a blustery, rainy day but the ferry ride was  very smooth even in that weather. We were on the M/V Taku this time and the cabin we had was twice the size of the one we had coming from Bellingham to Ketchikan.  There weren't a lot of peolple so it was a  quiet trip. We had to stop in Juneau on the way and saw the Mendenhall Glacier from the ferry. When we go back to Juneau we plan on actually driving to it and seeing it up close. It was amazing to come around an isalnd and see this huge sheet of ice..

Most of the passengers got off at Juneau. we had a 3 hour lay over and then we left at 4:00 Pm for the next leg into Stika. The last 3 hours the ferry traversed the Peril Straits. It was even narrower than the Wrangall straits and as it was after sunsetand during a 20 kt wind and pouring down rain storm, the crew had to use a spotlight often to pick up markers and buoys. We finally arrived in Sitka at 1:15 AM today. 24 hours for this leg. The ferry times are all based on tides and currents so that is why this particular ferry ran so late. We were tired when we got in and had trouble finding a place to park. Finally went to the end of the road and found a dead end turnaround outside a state park. The parks all close their gates at 10PM so we were stuck.

Sitka was under Russian rule for may years. We purchased it from them in the 1800's. It still has a Russian feeling to it. It has been under Tlingit Indian, Russian and now American flags.

It is rainy again today. When we finally got stirring we had to grocery shop. We again had to turn the propane off for the ferry so we had eaten everything up. We then went out to a Bear Observatory that was elevated and covered . We actually saw 2 coastal Brown Bears. They were playing in a pond and were so much fun to watch. they would get a little curious about us and would look but as we were elevated they weren't a threat. Very cute to watch.