Mom’s Trips to Sitka and Barrow, AK

 After posting the rest of the family’s point of view on our recent trip to Sitka and Barrow. I knew I needed to jump in and add my point of view. It amazes me how we can all have the same experience, but yet walk away with completely different point of view on the trip. It has given me a whole new meaning when I read the Gospels and why they each have such a different points of view of the same experience!
 Sitka! What do I want to remember about Sitka! For me the highlight was the kayaking trip. Watching the sea lions thrash their fish up close was quite an experience! Jadon and I were on the same kayak. As I wanted to get closer to the sea lions, he wanted to move further away. We were both startled when one popped up about 15 feet away from us! I even gave a little scream of surprise! After the shock we both thought that was pretty amazing! Watching Jadon persevere paddling through the complete 4 and half miles, made me one proud momma! I loved watching and listening him explore the ocean. His awe of the starfish and the excitement of the Alaska jet taking off in front of us. Pure joy of exploring with my family a new city for me and the kids!  

Enjoying the beach where we explored
Beautiful Sitka Day
Family Kayaking trip!
Goodbye Starfish
Watching for Sea Lions

 Now Barrow, that was a completely different trip. As we were waiting on the ground in Prudhoe Bay for the weather to clear so we can land in Barrow. The thought of getting ‘stuck’ in Barrow crossed my mind. What would we do in Barrow overnight?! I was praying “God if you take us in you have to keep the weather good enough for the next flight to take us home.” God is good! He provided seats for this amazing day trip to Barrow and the weather stayed clear enough to the next flight to get take us out!  

Leaving Barrow
Arriving in Barrow

 What intrigued me the most in Barrow was the influence God had made on the Inupiat people. It was evident! His Word will reach all nations. We toured Inupiat Heritage Center. Reading their history about whaling was amazing. They used to have strict rules about what they could and could not do to find ‘favor’ in catching a whale. Now they pray! Relying on the Lord to provide the whales not ‘favor.’ They still have the way to run a whaling camp, in order to catch a whale. For example, they must wear white to be camouflaged and no cooking at the site. Whales have an incredible sense of smell. I would love to be apart of that whole process. The feast they have every spring to celebrate and thank God for the whale sounds amazing. Truly thankful to learn more about whaling.  

Inupiat Heritage Center
Trying out the parkas

 We even got to catch a glimpse of the dancing they do at these feasts. Rahab came home trying to imitate what she saw. Very precious.  

Dancing

 Touching the fridge Arctic Ocean and standing under the Whale Arch was an amazing once in a lifetime thing to experience! It’s hard to image that people live there year round. The sun never sets in the summer months…no really it doesn’t! The contrast is in the winter there is no sun light for months! I’m still trying to wrap my head around those facts. I’m thankful I got to check Barrow of my list to see and experience. Even if it was for only 8 hours!

Whale Arch Selfie
Whale Arch
Touching the Arctic Ocean
Playing on the Beach

Chris Ireland

Jadon’s Sitka and Barrow Trips

Sitka Visit August 6-7, 2017

We went to Sitka. The runway was its own island. There was a big suspension bridge to the town. We spent the night in Sitka. The next day we went to totem pole park. After that we went ocean ? kayaking. We stopped at an island where there was an old army fort. We saw 5 sea lions. After that we went to the Bishop’s House ?. Then we found Castle Hill there were 2 cannons on top of the hill. Last stop was the airport. I really liked Sitka!

CANNON BALL
Suspension Bridge
Kayaking with Mom
WWII Bunker House
Watching Alaska Take off!
Totem Park
Sitka Bay in the background

Polar Bears August 8, 2017

We went to Barrow. When we got there we went to a little boardwalk that led us to the beach ?. Then we went to a park and we found whale ? bones. Then we had pizza ?. I really liked Barrow. There are lots of polar bears in Barrow. We did not see any polar bears. The end.  

Arctic Pizza
Old Fishing Boat
Whale Arch
A Park in Barrow
Path that lead to the Beach

Jadon Ireland

Esther’s Sitka and Barrow Trips

Sitka was really cool. We got to Sitka late that night.  We spent that night at a hotel. The next day we walked around totem trail in Sitka that was really cool because we saw a bunch of totem poles. Then we went ocean kayaking. That was really fun I went with Daddy in the same kayak, Mommy and Jadon in the same kayak, Rahab and the tour guide. We saw sea lions and a sea otter, we got to hold star fish.  One was a rare star fish called the leather star it was smooth and slimy the other star fish was hard and bumpy. We all so kayaked to a old world war two fort we kayaked about four and a half miles round trip. After we were done kayaking we went and saw the old Russian church in the middle of the road that was really pretty. Then we went to the old bishop’s house because Sitka is on a island the bishop had some sailers from Finland build his house for him so the house was built uniquely. Then we went to castle hill there was two canons with the American flag and a really pretty view of Sitka. I really like Sitka.

August 6-7, 2017

Castle Hill
Russian Bishop’s Chapel
WW11 Bunker
Kayaking with Daddy
Ready for the adventure with their kayak skirt
History of Totem Polls

The Top of the World

I went to the top of the world! I touched the Arctic Ocean it was really cold and the sand was really soft. We got a really nice day in Barrow, AK although it was only 45 degrees Fahrenheit (really cold.) But we had lots of fun. We saw the whale bones they were really big. Before I thought whales were much smaller but they were twice as big as I thought they would be. It was really hard to believe how big they are. I saw a big sign with lots of arrows pointing to lots of different country’s showing how far away they are. There was not one paved road in Barrow, AK. We went to the Heritage center and learned all about the natives history which I thought was really cool. We did not see any polar bears. So I have been to the top of the world touched the Arctic Ocean been in the arctic circle and been to the most northern most point in the United States.

August 8, 2017

Learning about the natives clothing
Arctic Ocean
Under the Whale Arch
How far…?

Esther Ireland

Rahab’s Sitka and Barrow Trips

“I just love my trips. We went to Sitka. We started in Anchorage. And then we went to Barrow and then we went to the places we wanted to go to. We went to a pizza place in Barrow. I loved Barrow… So much that I wanted to stay there forever! We went to a park in Barrow and I just thought it was great. We went to the beach but we didn’t go swimming because it was super cold! We saw whale bones. It was cool. One time when I was by the whale bones and Daddy told me to take a picture I wanted to be in the middle but Jadon didn’t let me. I loved being on the Top of the World. The airport was so small. My Daddy was awesome. He was the leader for our trips.”

Barrow, AK 8-8-2017

Whale Bones
Under the Whale Arch
Just like the purple dinosaur at Elephant Park in Fargo, ND

 
“We went ocean kayaking in Sitka. It was so great. We saw one otter and five sea lions. I ride with Dayton in his kayak. I didn’t have to paddle at all. My sister and brother did. That was sad for them. We walked in a house through a gate and we had to stay on the rug and we could only touch the railing. We had a tour guide that made us Junior Rangers with a book. I really liked it. We saw like 15 totem poles. We almost saw 40. There was a church in the middle of the road. I don’t know why. We climbed up a hill and then went back to the airport.”

Sitka, AK 8-7-2017

Church in the middle of the road
Starfish!
Looking for Starfish
Totem Poll Park
Love,

 Rahab