We were supposed to go on a whale watching adventure, but found out at 7:15 am on the dock that the boat had been broken for several days and the tour was canceled. So we got on the shuttle bus that dropped up off at the Harrigan Centennial Hall which is a wonderful new facility downtown with large clean restrooms, an information booth and a Sitka History museum. We were there early and noticed some tour departure signs out front, so we waited a while and booked a 2 hour Sitka Wildlife Tour with Rhonda.
This was a van tour with 9 people that covered the local historical sites, the Totem Poles and the park next to it with the wonderful hiking trail and salmon stream and the admission to the Fortress of the Bear. Robin was our tour guide who has lived in Sitka for many years, and knows the town and the history very well. We went to where the WWII amphibious base was located which now is the local school and college where she is a dorm mother during the school year.
Then we went to the Totem Pole Park and were amazed by them. Robin took us (and her bear spray) on a short hike through the park pointing out native plants and places where bears had recently been sited. Then we came upon a large stream with an excellent bridge over it that was filled with salmon. It was a real treat to see so many salmon packed into one place.
Then it was off to the Fortress of the Bear. Along the way, Robin gave us a complete history of Sitka, showed us Castle Hill where the Alaska sale documents were signed, filled us in on the industries that had come and gone and how they get their water from a dammed lake and showed us their hydro electricity plant. Robin is a volunteer at the Fortress of the Bears where she knows the history and personalities of each bear. She even got one to clap it's paws for us. You can also designate the Fortress of the Bear as a charity on Amazon Smile. We had plenty of time to take many excellent pictures. On the way back, Robin offered to drop passengers off at the Raptor Center which several people did.
This was an excellent tour that packed a lot into two hours. Robin is an excellent tour guide who knows the history of the area very well, provides an insiders guide to Sitka, and enhanced our Fortress of The Bear trip by knowing each bear and their personalities. From what started out as a bust with the canceled tour turned into a home run with the Sitka Wildlife Tour, and that is The Bottom Line.