Native American, Russian and American cultures mingle in Sitka.
Photo courtesy Sitka CVB
Sitka
No roads connect Sitka to the rest of Alaska. But the fact that you must fly or be ferried there doesn’t stop many attendees from enjoying the beauty and history of Alaska’s fifth-largest city.
“Sitka is Alaska’s most historic town,” said Philip Rupell, director of convention sales for the Sitka Convention and Visitors Bureau. “The early Russian settlements had interactions, conflicts and wars with the native people. The 1867 transfer ceremony, turning the territory over to the United States, occurred here. There are tens of thousands of years of history with the indigenous culture and hundreds of years of history since the Anglos came ashore.”
Because of its history, Sitka was perfect for a recent gathering of two statewide associations: the Alaska Historical Society and Museums Alaska.
“Normally, when a meeting city is remote, they see a drop-off in the number of attendees, but not in this case. The Sitka meeting was an overwhelming success, with the highest attendance ever,” said Rupell.
Wildlife is another of Sitka’s treasures. Visitors might spot brown bears, Sitka blacktail deer, sea otters, whales, sea lions and puffins. Humpback whales feed nearby in late fall and early spring. St. Lazaria National Wildlife Refuge, home to tufted puffins, sea gulls and bald eagles, is 30 minutes away by boat.
“There are several facilities for after-parties or evening receptions,” said Rupell. “They can include wildlife-watching cruises taken on boats capable of accommodating 120 people. They can provide a bar and a band onboard. There’s a slew of charter operators in town if you want to hold a fishing tournament, and there are golf courses for a tournament.”
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