Strolling through Sitka

Our first stop in Alaska was the charming town of Sitka—and let’s just say, after a couple of days on the ship, everyone was more than ready to touch land again!

We had an excursion booked that hit three local highlights, and even though the day started with that classic Alaskan drizzle, the skies cleared up just in time for our first stop: Fortress of the Bear 🐻 

We knew we couldn’t bring the kids all the way to Alaska and not see a bear. So we played it safe and booked a guaranteed sighting. Fortress of the Bear is a rescued industrial space turned educational bear sanctuary, and it’s pretty neat.

From an elevated platform above two repurposed silos, we got a great view of both brown and black bears lounging, playing, and snacking. The staff shared helpful info and short videos about how the sanctuary supports orphaned cubs. We spent about an hour there, and the kids gave it a big thumbs up.

Next up: the Alaska Raptor Center, a rehab facility for injured birds of prey. The kids loved seeing bald eagles up close and checking out hawks, owls, and other majestic flyers. 🦅

A few highlights:

• A life-size bald eagle nest the kids could climb into

  

• A wingspan-measuring activity to see how we compared to an eagle

  

  

  

  

• A short forest trail, which we peeked at before hopping back on the bus

  

  

  

Our last stop was Sitka National Historical Park, and honestly, it was a peaceful, perfect way to end the day. We did the short loop trail through towering trees, past rivers and totem poles, and along the Alaskan coastline.

Inside the visitor center: we snagged our National Park passport stamps (and free coloring books for the kids!) We explored an exhibit on traditional Tlingít life, and we learned about the clash between Indigenous people and Russian traders that led to the park’s designation

As we headed back into town, our guide shared more of Sitka’s rich and complicated history—along with a few quirky stories only a local would know.

We had just enough time to snap a photo of the historic Russian Orthodox Church, pick out a Christmas ornament (because of course), and stroll through part of downtown before heading back to the ship. We didn’t see it all, but we saw enough to say Sitka checked all the boxes and gave us our first true taste of Alaskan culture and wildlife.