I had the opportunity to be part of group that went to Sitka Alaska for a 4 day fishing trip, it was amazing and would recommend it to anyone who would enjoy this time of vacation!
I arrived with the party on the 4th of August in Sitka and interestingly I am fairly sure that all passengers on my flight from Seattle were there to fish. After arrival we got settled into our accommodations, and the picture below was our view. We went through an outfitter called Angling Unlimited. www.anglingunlimited.com I highly recommend them as the operation was flawless. More on them later.
The first morning came early. Up at 3:45 on the boat by 5:00 and fishing by 5:30. Then nonstop fishing till about 1400, it was awesome! However, the first day did come with some “adjustment” to being on a fishing boat in 6′ waves, as I did spend some time “chumming the water” so to speak. Even though I had a scopolamine patch, the first day was a bit of an adjustment, but it was not horrible. Worth it. For the next four days we spent 7 hours a day fishing for Silver Salmon, Halibut, Rockfish and King Salmon, of which I came home with about 100lbs total. Mostly Silver salmon, then Halibut and Rockfish. I caught the only King Salmon of the trip, about a forty pounder.
About https://anglingunlimited.com/. This was top notch organization, the staff was phenomenal and all the coordination went flawlessly. Everyone was exceptionally helpful and the overall experience was fantastic. If you are interested in this type of trip I highly recommend them! We had the best crew, Tyler, and Daniel!
Overall, this was an extremely focused trip, our days were early and long, and bed came early as well, which left no time for any real exploration of the city of Sitka. The notable exception was Saturday, our last day we went to a local restaurant to eat called The Beak. https://beakrestaurant.com/ It was a fantastic end to a fun week. The food was exceptionally good, reasonably priced (For Alaska) and service was good. Go there. The dining room was full of fisherman from the week and there were stories aplenty, (if they were to be believed)
My family and I have been exploring a trip together for a while. Since I was already going to be in Alaska, we decided to make that our destination, also we have extended family in Juneau, so it made sense. So, after my week of Fishing, my Wife, Kids, and their spouses all met me in Juneau for a week of vacation.
Day 1 was Mendenhall Glacier, if you’re in Juneau, this is a short trip that is well worth. It is truly incredible to see and the timelapse of the retreat over the last 20 years is stunning. While there take the short hike to nugget falls, it was well worth it!
Day 2 We took a seaplane plane through https://wingsairways.com/ Hiked Mount Roberts, had a fantastic fish lunch at https://www.hangaronthewharf.com
For me the seaplane tour was the highlight of the trip, it was approximately and hour long and took you over five glaciers including the 1500 square-mile Juneau glacier field. This glacier field is the fifth largest in North America and feeds thirty-eight major glaciers including the Mendenhall and Taku Glaciers.
After we plane tour we Hiked Mt Roberts, close local hike of approximately six miles round trip with an approximate elevation gain of 2200 feet. You can take the trail further, but this was the limit for my group. We went a little past the Tram station (currently inoperable due to an accident) to a lookout called Father Brown’s Cross. If you enjoy this type of activity, do it! The scenery on the way up and down is beautiful!
Day 3 we did a Mine Tour at the AJ mine just a little bit outside of Juneau. I found this to be a very intriguing couple hours but some in our group were bored with it. If history, mining, and technology is of interest I would recommend. The tour consisted of a short walk into an old mine shaft with a guided tour by a very experienced former miner. A demonstration of the drilling equipment and a good history of the mine and how it was a catalyst for the town of Juneau. The next was a brief history of the mine operations, buildings and equipment used with some demonstrations, and finally a little fun planning for gold. Since Juneau is a large cruise ship stop this tour felt a bit “touristy” with the gift shop and over the top employees but the historical info I found interesting. Beach Dinner
Day 4 We visited St Nazerene Church, on a road called “Out the Road” a couple in our group went crabbing with some local family members and we had Crab dinner that night, A chill day.
Day 5 our last day we went on a Whale Watching Tour and Hiked the Perseverance trail and did some shopping in downtown Juneau. The Whale watching tour was equally as stunning as the seaplane ride and I would recommend. It was a 20-bus ride from Juneau to the harbor then another 25min boat ride to the view area. If you are in Juneau, do it! well worth it. We went through https://www.juneauwhalewatch.com/. They are a locally owned and run tour company (vs owned by the cruise ship) and they were outstanding! We experienced a “bubble feeding” episode, it was incredible.
Couple final notes:
Overall, our time In Juneau and mine in Sitka was fantastic. We will for sure go back. We were extremely fortunate about the outstanding weather we had and had the convenience of family to help us navigate like a local. But if you go, just know that things will be more expensive than what you may be use too. We did some minor grocery shopping for the Airbnb, and prices were reasonable at locale shops. But eating out will be more. Still, it was completely worth it.
Lodging we stayed at and Airbnb, this one specifically https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1506770533255191890?guests=1&c=.pi129.pkpast_trip_share_virality&s=67&unique_share_id=7fd4cd2a-ebe9-4b3e-b3ce-e2c7a6a176d1
and I highly recommend it.
Food, here a few restaurants that I found very good!
https://www.inboccaallupoak.com
https://www.thespottedprawn.com
https://www.hangaronthewharf.com Maybe a little overpriced, but it was good.
https://www.theislandpub.com this one is on Douglas Island, where we stayed. Fantastic Pizza
