This was our first time to Sitka and the only thing we knew about Sitka was from the popular 2009 movie, The Proposal, starring Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Betty White and Craig T. Nelson, based in Sitka, Alaska. However, we soon learned the movie wasn’t even filmed in Sitka, but instead in Nantucket, MA so we knew literally nothing.

Sitka, population 8K, had quite a bit to teach us and we were eager to learn. Back to the movie, we learned that despite the movie not being filmed here, it did put Sitka on the map and the local government leaned into the tourism that resulted. Hence, they have a brand-new terminal complex, built in 2023, after months of planning, that can easily accommodate multiple ships’ passengers and crew. The town, which is actually 6 miles away from the cruise terminal, provides a free shuttle to get you into town, complete with a delightful bus driver that tells you all kinds of interesting facts about the area.

Founded in 1799 by Russian explorers, Sitka has a unique history as the site of the transfer ceremony for the Alaska Purchase. Negotiated by Secretary of State William H. Seward, the deal was signed on March 30, 1867, and finalized on October 18, 1867, amounting to roughly two cents per acre for 586,412 square miles of territory. At the time, the deal was referred to as Seward’s Folly because no one thought Alaska was worth the price of $7.2 million. However, in today’s dollars, that is approximately $132 to $160 million. What a deal!

Another fun fact, Sitka is also the only Alaskan city that sits right on the ocean. All others sit inside of a strait and are protected from the north Pacific Ocean. Even more impressive is this: with a consolidated land area of 2,870.3 square miles (7,434 square kilometers) and total area (including water) of 4,811.4 sq mi (12,461 km²), Sitka is the largest city by total area in the United States. In fact, its massive size makes it three times the size of Rhode Island and larger than the state of Delaware. Crazy!

In 1937, the United States Navy established the first seaplane base in Alaska on Japonski Island, across the Sitka Channel from the town. In 1941, construction began on Fort Ray, an army garrison to protect the naval air station. In total, there were upwards of 10K servicemen and women stationed in Sitka during the war and both the navy and army remained in Sitka until the end of WWII.

Today, Sitka is a massive fish exporter, with tourism running a distant second. In fact, Sitka is the 6th largest exporter of fish in the United States, despite the fact that they have just two traffic lights and one grocery store. Our shuttle driver told us how expensive it is to live in Sitka, with a gallon of milk at $10 and a dozen of eggs at $12. He showed us some real estate for sale, a very modest camp by most people’s standards, at $600,000.

We enjoyed walking around the town and everyone we encountered were very friendly. We met an enthusiastic entrepreneur artist that has two shops showing her artwork and that of others. We met a man whom started the Alaska Pure Sea Salt company and had a booming store, full of folks, buying all manner of flavored salts and high-end, locally-made, kitchen accouterments. If you’re into history, you can even visit Castle Hill – Baranof Castle State Historic Site, where the Russian flag was lowered and the American flag was raised, officially transferring Alaska.

We had a nice lunch in town at the Bayside View restaurant. We returned to the ship using the free shuttle and explored the new cruise terminal which includes several shops, restaurants and local food trucks, which makes it nice for crew members that don’t have time to ride into town. Our first visit to Sitka was awesome and we’re glad Princess called here.

Tomorrow: Ketchikan, Alaska