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Friday, November 16, 2007 - Volume 35 Issue 46

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posted Friday, November 16, 2007 - Volume 35 Issue 46

Serene Sitka's secret treasures

Serene Sitka's secret treasures
by Rev. Barbara Allen, CMP - SGN Contributing Writer As with Juneau and other wonderful places in Alaska, you can only get to Sitka by water or air, (unless you want to climb forbidding mountains and traverse mysterious forests). The problem with Sitka is their Visitors Bureau and general attitude towards tourists who don't come in tsunami-like waves from scheduled cruise ships; in at morning, gone by evening. Before "boat people" get to port, they've usually been briefed on what to see and do there, with a concierge to book reservations for various tours and adventures ahead of time for them. Therefore, don't lose this article if you might go there, it's what I'd want to know if I hadn't been there previously, first off a cruise and then by RV. First, it's naturally gorgeous. When the seas are quiet, there's no lovelier place on earth. It's less tourism industry oriented than larger cities. Sitka's a fishing paradise, salt or fresh water, and the catch is usually good. It's a great place for kayak, rented ATV and other adventures amidst otters, birds, elk, deer, bears, and other wildlife. The Chamber of Commerce magnet cards say it's a good place for meetings. Again, unless you're with a profitable-to-Sitka group, the city doesn't care much about you. Be prepared for that attitude, perhaps avoid most Convention and Visitors Bureau sponsors, and have a great time anyway. Order informational materials from www.sitka.org. Sitka has inexpensive secret treasures worth visiting& The ferry ride from Juneau took us many hours, arriving around 1 a.m. Almost awake, I drove Mariah, the 26' motorhome off the ferry, and a block later pulled into the inelegant waterfront Sportsman's RV park where there was no one to greet us for our stay. It's bounded by the only road going out to the end of town, the sea, and an active salmon spawning stream. We headed for town early the next morning to begin enjoying the area and getting something for the lower gastric intestinal problem we'd both developed after eating salad dressed from the not-cooled crock in the ships dining room. While my companion took care of our laundry needs at the Laundromat, staffed by a small Asian-looking woman who spoke no English, with machines that ate many coins but refused to launder; I ran errands in the Saturn in between frequent rest room stops. The McDonalds, with nothing more to recommend about it's cuisine than the rest of the chain, has one exciting feature: It's got a magnificent waterfront location and view! The location alone is worth a visit for something hot or cold and wet, so you can sit a spell enjoying the scenery. Laundry done in spite of this highly dysfunctional Laundromat, and my companion in a poor frame of mind from dealing with it, we headed further into town, picked up written tourist information (there is no tourism office recognizable or convenient to visitors)&and tried one of their recommended restaurants, the Bayview, offering mediocre food. I wouldn't bother ever again with this culinary pretender. Borscht is advertised and on their menu. Knowing that this is a Russian influenced town, I tried a profoundly disappointing watery bowl of it. I guessed that folks must come for the view, which isn't as good as at McDonalds, which has cheaper food. The Bayview building (upstairs and downstairs) is something of a tourist trap downstairs, but is closest to where cruise ship passengers land. Some nice but pricey art work upstairs, and an unfriendly, somewhat hostile gallery owner who ordered me out of the place when he saw I was preparing to take a photograph so that you could see some of the good pieces. He was the only gallery or store owner that didn't want photographs taken at his establishment, even though it might lead to sales. I found that interesting. Once you get out of where tourists arrive, on your own, Sitka can be a ?wonderful experience. For example, Harry's Pharmacy has nice souvenirs, and the best draft beer on tap in town&Kempers Root Beer that is! Harry's Soda Shop, about 5 classic chrome legged tall swivel stools at a small fountain counter, and offers addicting ice cream creations. They're all wonderful, with a colorful menu description to prime your appetite. It's the first and only place I've ever seen barrels of Kemper's real brewed root beer, on tap behind the bar. If you order a Tsunami root beer float, the glass becomes bottomless, as they'll refill it free as long as you care to sit there and drink. Their sundaes, shakes, malts, cones, and other sweets are all refreshing and delicious. If you're chilly, have some hot chocolate for $2. While you're waiting, or enjoying a fountain confection, read their proclamation about the history of ice cream, the first frozen dessert, credited to Emperor Nero of Rome, which was a mixture of snow from the mountains, nectar, fruit pulp and honey. Seattle, Portland, and St. Louis are the three cities in America that purchase the most ice cream per capita annually! Children ages 2-12 and adults age 45+ eat more ice cream per person than any other demographic group. A visit to the fountain should energize your downtown tour, particularly the Russian Orthodox Church. The Alaska Raptor Center, outside town, welcomes tourist busloads from the cruise ships, which helps support their work. Here you see injured raptors of all kinds being rehabilitated in a natural environment, and meet Volta, the Center's poster bird, who flew into an electric line and was lucky to survive, therefore the name. He's got his own line of excellent chocolate bars for sale at the center gift shop, which is a good place for souvenirs. Family Circle featured them as a good place to purchase meaningful gifts and enjoy the spirit of the season knowing that your gift has made a difference. I bought a black sweatshirt with a large frontal portrait of Volta, staring eagle eyed out at the world, captioned: I am smiling! (With those piercing eyes, always furrowed brow and sharp beak, who'd know?) All proceeds from purchases you make help heal Alaska's wild birds. Shop online at www.alaskaraptor.org. The center has what is billed as Alaska's only raptor hospital, an impressive unit. Do not miss the Sheldon Jackson Museum and gift shop, the Sheldon Jackson Aquarium hatchery and aquarium with free tours and touch tanks, or the Sheet'ka Kwaan Naa Kahidi Dancers and Community Center, where I purchased a book of Tlingit Recipes for things like herring roe and seal meat I'll likely never use but found interesting, and a small pricey jar of Devils Club ointment remedy for aches and pains. At the end of the road, which goes to the Sheldon Jackson area, is a wonderful National Park center, featuring amazing native art work, a world class documentary, and workshops for mostly native arts and crafts that locals can take, including native wood carving and basket weaving (starting with peeling strands off spruce roots to weave with). It looks easy, peeling bark from a thin root, until you try it. The building is on the water, again, a marvelous, serene view. Sitka is a place you'll want your camera, I suggest digital, with spare batteries and memory cards. The local "super" market is nothing special, and when I was there they had only a small meat department. I believe that most residents fish for a living, or recreationally for food, and/or hunt, and have freezers, therefore no need to buy protein from elsewhere that has to be flown or shipped in. There's an inexpensive and delicious branch of Juneau's "Kenny's Wok and Teriyaki" on Katlian Street, a short ways from Sitka's culinary jewel: Ludvig's Bistro. If Alaskans I met on the ferry hadn't mentioned it, I'd have missed finding Ludvigs, and learning that the talented owner-chefs, Colette Nelson and Lisa Bower, are domestic as well as business partners. The Bistro is small dark and intimate inside, with copper sheet metal covered tables, and outstanding food and drink. They're a bit pricey, but, you do get what you pay for! Best buy is the all inclusive Tapas, served 2-5 p.m., for $16.95, served with their own freshly baked Bistro bread, dipping oil, a glass of your choice of better than good house wine, beer, or non-alcoholic beverage. Our favorite was the superb Calamari Saltati. Reservations are imperative for dinner! Visit www.ludvigsbistro.com for more information. Ludvig is not a Mediterranean name or dish, but a husky that came into Colette's life in 1995. He was nearly dead when found and miraculously survived. Thus, his namesake became Ludwig Van Beethoven in honor of the 9th Symphony, "Ode to Joy" meaning "Thanks for life." Sadly, Ludvig passed Sept. 5, 2006, and is buried in the Sitka Memorial Park pet cemetery, but, his indomitable spirit lives on at the Bistro. The ladies explained with candor, that they didn't feel particularly welcome in Sitka until Ludvig's death, and planned to leave. But the outpouring of support, friendship, and sympathy they received helped them understand that it takes a while for folks to get to know you. In most of Alaska, people only care that you're a good friend and neighbor, and leave one another alone except in time of need. They're still there, and, should I return to Sitka, I plan on dining with them frequently, and eating more often at Kenny's too, to balance the dining-out budget. We ran out of time too soon and boarded the Alaskan State Ferry for the days-long voyage to Bellingham, itself an adventure. (See previously published SGN article: Night Watch on the Columbia.) The next and final article in this year-long ALCAN Adventure series will be about experiences on the Alaskan State Ferry system: everything you might want to know before booking a voyage.