Sitka, AK

Tuesday, May 26, 2025

Overnight, our cruise aboard the Celebrity Summit ship navigated through the Inside Passage, a protected waterway along the Alaskan coastline, from the town of Ketchikan to Sitka. This waterway is sheltered from the open ocean, so sea travel was smooth and comfortable.

For our day in Sitka, Andi reserved us a rental car so we’d be able to explore the town at our own pace. He used a company called Turo for the first time, where individuals rent their own personal vehicles to customers. This worked so well for our visit! The owner left the car in the parking lot of the cruise ship terminal with the keys inside; we simply walked off the ship and jumped into our rental car for the day.

Andi and I were itching to put on some miles, so we decided to get off the ship around 7:30am, pick up the rental car, and go for a hike together. Meanwhile, Janie and Jim stayed on the ship with Tory and Aden. This allowed the kids to sleep in a little bit later, and have breakfast on the ship with Grandma and Grandpa before starting their day.

Andi selected a quick 3-mile trek on the Mosquito Cove Trail in the Starrigaven Recreation Area of Sitka. It was a gorgeous morning for a hike and we had the whole trail to ourselves. The path wandered along through an old-growth forest with peeping views of Sitka Sound. We saw lots of skunk cabbage growing — one of the first plants to emerge in the spring and an essential food source for bears emerging from hibernation. No actual bear sightings this morning, which I was glad about.

Before we returned to the ship to pickup the rest of our group, Andi and I went to the grocery store to buy some snacks and drinks for the day. It’s always interesting to visit the market while traveling somewhere new to see what types of products are being sold and how much things cost. At Sea Mark Quality Foods in Alaska, shelves were well stocked with meat & produce and everything else one would need. Items were expensive though — $27 for a bag of avocados and $13 for one box of cherry tomatoes. Andi and I were surprised to see a whole section of bulk items from Kirkland (COSTCO) for sale.

Also offered— ATV parking which made us feel right at home.

At 9:30am, we picked up Jim, Janie, Tory, and Aden from the cruise terminal. Despite the later start time, Tory was still upset about having to wake up so early.

Once we were all together, our first stop was to Sitka National Historical Park. This park aims to preserve and remember the site of the 1804 battle between Russian traders and the native Tlingit people. The Russians established a settlement here which became the capital of Russian America in 1808. There’s a great deal of Tlingit and Russian history in Sitka including the original Russian Orthodox Church.

Our family took time to walk along the coastal trail inside the historical park which weaves through the Sitka Spruce and Western Hemlock forest connecting to the visitor’s center. Along the way, we admired the many birds and totem poles along the path and views of Sikta Sound. This walking path was much busier and less scenic than the trail Andi and I walked earlier in the morning. But, the weather was pleasant and the company was good.

Jim said he had a headache, so he found a spot to sit and rest outside the visitor’s center. All the crowds and background noises have been difficult for him to handle with his hearing aids. Meanwhile, Andi, Janie, Tory, Aden, and I went inside the building to look around. We watched a short video about Sitka’s history, and together Aden and I completed the activity book to earn Junior Ranger badges.

Next, we drove to downtown Sitka to find a place for lunch, but there were crowds of people everywhere. It was hard to drive down the city streets it was so busy. Only half of us were hungry anyway, so we decided to go for another walk together and come back for lunch in a few hours.

Andi drove us to Herring Cove Trail, one of Sitka’s most popular hiking trails. Along the way, we stopped at a viewpoint by Sawmill Cove to take a few family photos. What a gorgeous day it was! It wasn’t particularly sunny, but the surrounding mountains and scenery were breathtaking.

Herring Cove Trail was a little steep and slick in spots, thanks to light rain and muddy paths, but it was a really pretty hike. Jim must’ve been feeling better because he exerted a surge of energy and enthusiasm. Janie, on the other hand, seemed worried about slipping in the mud so she didn’t walk far.

This was a fun trail with rock tunnels and several waterfall viewpoints. Southeastern Alaska’s temperate rainforest is so beautiful & lush with greens, browns, blues, and whites from the surrounding water and foliage.

Around 2:00pm, the six of us hopped into our rental car and drove back to downtown Sitka. The cruise ship crowds had cleared the streets considerably. Andi picked a restaurant called Sitka’s Burger and Crab Shack for lunch which offered both American burgers and seafood.

We ordered a mix of burgers and fish sandwiches with fries and onion rings. Food was good; nothing particularly outstanding.

Afterwards, we filled up the rental car with fuel and then returned to the cruise ship terminal. All passengers were due back on the ship by 3:00pm. Conveniently, we were able to leave the rental car in the parking lot right beside the cruise ship. It couldn’t have been easier! Great job, Andi, for organizing that.

Back on the ship, the six of us settled back into cruise life. Tory and Aden walked around the ship, hiding the last of our remaining rubber duckies. Andi and I walked around on the outside decks and captured photos of the Alaskan scenery as we pulled away from port.

None of us were hungry for dinner at our 5:30pm main dining reservation time, so the adults walked around the ship for a while while Tory and Aden went to the kids programming on the ship. Later, we ate dinner in the Oceanview Cafe buffet.

Tory and Aden have been enjoying the Camp at Sea and X Club for Teens on the ship. They’ve attended the programming until 10:00pm each evening thus far, and have met several friends there. Since Andi and I have been waking up early to workout and/or hike, we can hardly stay awake until they get back to the rooms!

Tomorrow, we’ll arrive in Juneau, AK. Looking forward to it.