Originally Posted by drseagrass

Of course it depends upon your interests, but there is plenty to do. I would consider stopping at the Sitka Sound Science Center, and walking through the Sitka National Historical Park, which has totem poles that were re-located from other locations in Alaska and from a world's fair that was held in St. Louis early in the last century. The park visitor center also information about the local Tlingit people and the Russian settlement of Sitka Sound. The Russian Bishop's House, which is part of the park, has walk-through tours available and it is a national historic landmark. Humpback whales are attracted to Sitka Sound year round, and there are ways to get out on the water, but it is also possible to see whales breaching and feeding from shore. The Sheldon Jackson Museum has Native Alaskan artifacts from all over the state and there are a network of trails available into the Tongass National Forest from the road network and some trailheads are located within town itself. With a rental car in the summer, it would also be possible to drive up the Harbor Mountain road above treeline into alpine meadows overlooking the ocean. Ludvig's Bistro, Ludvig's Bistro | Home, is a great eating place to consider. I don't live in Sitka, but had the chance to spend a month there a few years ago, and it is a great place for individual and independent visitors.