Adventures in Sitka, Alaska

“Out there’s a land that time don’t command…”

I made the mistake of putting Lord Huron into my ears as the plane took off for me to head back home to Virginia.   Because as I was watching those snowcapped mountains get smaller, those lyrics simultaneously came up and I became the lady with tears streaming down her face, pressing my nose against the window to soak in the disappearing scene whilst hiding my ugly cry face from the people next to me.

It wasn’t that I wasn’t excited to see my family again or get back to spring weather.  But there’s a magic about Alaska that just can’t be put into words.  A peace that you feel there – especially when you’re on vacation mode with zero responsibility and nothing but time to soak it all in – that you want to bottle up for days when you need a reminder of what true calm feels like.

And I’m going to also say this: no image below does justice for just how beautiful-majestic-serene-euphoric-peaceful-stunning-all the best words possible that Alaska is.  I actually took way less pictures than I thought I would because early on I became very aware that what was showing through my view finder wasn’t going to come close the experience.

But, I did take a few rolls of film along with my trusty Canon EOS-1N, and below are some of the favorites from the week spent in Sitka and Juneau.  Also below is information for places we went and saw that may be of interest for those of you who ever plan to go!  I was so grateful to my sister and brother-in-law for providing my parents and I with so many awesome experiences (varying from hiking/boating/touring to shopping and eating), and they were gracious enough to provide me with many of the names of the places you’ll need to get you started for a week of fun.

Which for me began here, their backyard view…

 

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Herring Cove:
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Visiting the abandoned WWII Bunkers, a spot that’s only accessible by small boat or kayak.  A place where you can also see beautiful sea glass on the shore…but can’t take it home. Unless asbestos is your thing.
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Mount Edgecumbe
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A campsite accessible by boat only, with the gift of no cell service…
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Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, Alaska
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And the only picture of the five of us – those beautiful folks surrounding me are other reason I was crying when I left;)
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And now for spots not pictured but should be visited if you go to Sitka:

The Mean Queen – delicious pizza, yummy drinks (the house margarita was a personal favorite), and fun atmosphere

The WestMark – a restaurant within a hotel that is bartended by a gentleman that inspired the character Ramon in The Proposal (a film that was filmed partly in Sitka;)

Old Harbour Books – smells good, beautifully organized, and offers free candy samples (a.k.a book store perfection)

The Sitka Sound Science Center:  an amazing center run by kind and knowledgable people who are excited to teach you all about local sea life

The Pioneer Bar:  or as the locals call it, The P Bar.  As with any local spot, I feel like it’s not my place to describe it since I’m not a true local – but it’s awesome, and you should go.

The Cellar:  Sweet gift shop with lots of local handmade goods.  Think Anthropologie with a local edge.

If you have the chance to visit Juneau, here are a few spots to visit as well:

Alaskan Brewing Company – awesome beer, nice people, generous samples

Hanger on the Wharf – restaurant with a view and good food (with app and drink specials late night)

Breeze In – I’ve never been inspired to share a convenience store until I went here.  It has a full on bakery that’s essentially donut heaven along with a bagel/fresh cream cheese combination that had my sugar addicted self going a bit crazy.  I settled on the strawberry cream cheese and plain bagel with a side of donut holes, but if I lived near it I’d be in trouble.