2024-05-14 Sitka

 Detailed description of Sitka

Sitka

Plan to be on deck when your ship sails into Sitka Sound, particularly if it's a sunny day: The views of the town from the ship are beautiful.

Sitka is an Alaskan city (8,500 h.) and borough near Juneau, the state capital. It was part of Russia until 1867 and St. Michael’s Orthodox Cathedral is topped with an onion dome. The 1842 Russian Bishop’s House is nearby. Sitka National Historical Park is the site of Russia’s defeat of the indigenous Tlingit people and has a trail dotted with totem poles.

St. Peter's by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, is Gothic Revival structure, built of stone and wood, with a modest bell tower topped by a pyramidal roof.

The Alaska Raptor Center is a raptor rehabilitation center in Sitka. The mission of the Alaska Raptor Center is to promote and enhance wild populations of raptors and other avian species through rehabilitation, education and research.

Detailed description of Sitka

Other ports in the Japan trip

2024-05-11 Whittier cruise port and Anchorage, Alaska

Detailed description of Whittier and Anchorage 

Whittier

Whittier (273 h.) is a city at the head of the Passage Canal in the U.S. state of Alaska, about 58 miles southeast of Anchorage. Whittier was built during World War II as a military base, and many of the original buildings remain today. The town is also home to the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, the longest combined vehicle-railroad tunnel in North America.

Boat tours

A Glacier Cruise takes you from the quaint seaside town of Whittier to glacier-filled Blackstone Bay.

Anchorage

Anchorage is the largest city in the U.S. state of Alaska (300 000 h.), located on the Cook Inlet in Southcentral 60 miles (90 min) from Whittier. It is a major transportation hub and economic center for the state, and is known for its proximity to wilderness areas and its abundant wildlife.

It's known for its cultural sites, including the Alaska Native Heritage Center, which displays traditional crafts, stages dances, and presents replicas of dwellings from the area’s indigenous groups. The city is also a gateway to nearby wilderness areas and mountains including the Chugach, Kenai and Talkeetna.

Detailed description of Whittier and Anchorage 

Other ports in the Japan trip