After visiting the visitors center and learning the campground on the southern edge of town was having bear problems, we chose to camp on the north end of town, but needed to have lunch before setting off. As we left the visitors center, a local woman who drove a taxi told us about Baranof Brewing Company and gave us their business card. A few minutes later, as we wandered the streets of downtown looking for a restaurant we thought we wanted to try, a girl asked if we needed help finding something. We told her what we were looking for and found out it was only open when cruise ships were in town. After we told her we were looking for a good local lunch spot, she pointed us in the direction of the Larkspur Restaurant. It was great, and in that short time, we got a taste of the friendliness of the locals.
We returned to the bikes and noticed a sign hanging over the parking lot saying there would be an all-you-can-eat crab feed the next afternoon at 3. WHAT!?! Count us in!
We headed north to our campsite, and for the story of that night and the next morning, see the post titled "Bear--Part Two".
After we made the decision to find a hotel, we headed to a coffee house with wi-fi to do some research where we found Ann's Gavan Hill Bed and Breakfast. After contacting Ann and telling her we would be there later, we headed to the raptor center. Unlike the American Bald Eagle Preserve that was a bit of a disappointment, this place was amazing. We saw a number of birds who had been injured and were unable to be reintroduced into the wild, but we also saw the rehabilitation habitats that housed, at the time, 10 recuperating bald eagles, and two beautiful snowy owls. After the tour, we talked with the tour guide for a few minutes, and because we stayed, we got to experience a young bald eagle up close, as she was brought out to do a demonstration for a small group of people. It was so neat and she was so beautiful!
We left the raptor center and went back downtown for the crab feed. This was an event! I was a little afraid it would be all tourists, but as it turned out, it was a community event. It was held at Crescent Harbor in the work shelter where local fisherman hang nets and do off-boat work. There were no tables, and locals in the know bring their own tables, chairs, tablecloths, candle holders, floral centerpieces, and bottles of wine with wine glasses. It was great! It was, of course, raining, so we just left our motorcycle gear on, stood in line and received HUGE Dungeness crab legs, salad, bread, dessert, and drinks, and then found a seat on the edge of the water to enjoy our crab. The taxi driver walked by at one point and asked if we had found a good place to stay. We told her the story, and I again marveled at the local attitude towards visitors, which though similar to Haines, differed greatly from Seward!
We also ran into a couple of women from B.C. who we had met on the ferry, and sat chatting with them for a while. As we were leaving and getting back to the bikes, we ran into a local who had attended law school at DU and stopped when she saw our Colorado license plates. As it turned out, people in town recognized us wherever we went the whole time we were there after seeing the bikes. People wanted to talk to us about riding and tell us about the guy in town with the KLR all set for touring (which we saw walking through town the first day).
We checked into the B&B and headed off to the brewery to sample their beers. When we returned, we were ready to spend the rest of the evening in the hot tub and relaxing. At breakfast the next morning we got to meet the other two couples staying there, and really got to know the proprietor, Ann, and her sister Joan. They were such lovely people! Ann is a transplant from Texas who moved to AK when she was 24, and stayed. She had recently been diagnosed with breat cancer, sought treatment in Texas, and returned home to continue running her business while undergoing chemo. Her sister, who lives in Dallas, had come to Sitka to help her out, and getting to know these two women was inspiring.
Ann sent us in the direction of The Fortress of the Bear, a volunteer based not for profit which has created two 3/4 acre habitats for orphaned brown bear cubs. One habitat has the two original siblings, and the other has three siblings who wandered into the still-being-constructed second habitat on their own after being orphaned. We were there for just under two hours watching these bears from an elevated platform. They were fascinating! It totally helped me understand their interest in my motorcycle and my helmet as I watched them play, play, play, with each other and items in their habitats. One of them had a particular fascination with a metal dustpan. As it turns out, they make good toys, water scoops, and hats. If you're a bear, that is!
That afternoon saw us back at the brewery for lunch and hiking through the rainforest. This was unlike any other hike we had done as we constantly came upon huge beautifully carved totem poles. They are just along the trail, and we learned a little about the history of them. We also learned a little about the surfing off Baranof island, some of the best on the west coast. In case you're wondering, a wetsuit IS necessary unless you like swimming in mid 40s water. Brrrrrrrr!
The next day we were to leave on the 4:00 ferry. We spent a little time downtown going through the galleries, and I found a book at their bookstore that I had been looking for in every town since Talkeetna. Way to come through for me Sitka! We also hit up the Back Door Cafe on the recommendation from my friend Robyn.
We were sad to head to the ferry, yet ready to hit the next adventure. We stopped at the grocery to load up since we would be on the ferry for three nights. We had earlier picked up a couple pieces of smoked salmon and kept them frozen so we could snack on it the next couple of days. I knew as we wound down our trip and headed inland again, the opportunities to have such amazing, fresh seafood would dwindle with distance--we got it while we could.
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