Sitka: Population 9000, 14 miles of road, 7000 vehicles, 3500 boats, was a Tlingit stronghold until the Russians arrived in 1799. It became the 19th century fur trading capital of the world. William Seward convinced congress to purchase Alaska from the Russians for $7.2 million, and so Alaska became a territory of the United States in 1857.
Sitka was the capital of Alaska's capital until 1900 when Juneau became the capital. Sitka claims to be the largest city in the US as the city limits of 4710 square miles encompass the whole of Baranof Island!
For more details visit: www.sitka.org/culture.html
The ferry sailed from Juneau at 2.30am on the Tuesday morning, we boarded at 12.30am and bedded down. The journey takes about 8 hours and so we disembarked at the leisurely time of 11.00am. The ferry from Juneau sails south down the Chatham Strait until the Peril Strait is encountered.
The ferry follows this north-west then south-west into Salisbury Sound and then down the very narrow Neva and Olda Straits before arriving at the ferry terminal, some 6-7 miles north of Sitka town itself.
