By the intersection of Lincoln and Lake Streets, head towards the water and find the Crescent Harbor informational plaque to start a waterfront walk through Sitka’s nature, fishing culture and history. Be sure to look closely in the shallow harbor for sea stars, herring eggs, bald eagles, and other fauna. Past the playground, there’s a short detour leading to a...

There is a running debate among the local outdoorsy folk about which mountain is a better hike, Mount Verstovia or Gavan Hill. The Gavan Hill die-hards don’t mind the wooden-stair hike to the peak. Any unpleasant huffing and puffing endured in the climb is easily made up for with the breathtaking views of Sitka Sound and Baranof Island. Above the...

Herring Cove/Beaver Lake loop is a great hike for newcomers to Sitka because it has a little bit of everything. Heading through the rainforest, you pass a dramatic waterfall, loop around a lake, and trudge through muskegs, all while surrounded by mountains. It’s also a relatively easy trek, with just a little bit of a climb at the beginning and...

Park at Herring Cove/Beaver Lake parking lot and continue past the traffic gate, down the gravel road for about an hour until you reach Medvejie Hatchery. This part of the trail is relatively uninteresting and can also be easily biked to cut down on travel time. From the hatchery, turn left by a creek and continue into the forest—the trail...

At the end of Halibut Point Road is an easy and beautiful, hour-long loop that takes you through fairytale, moss-covered rainforest on rocky beach fronts. At low tide, you can walk out to some tiny, rocky islands—though watch your step for shallow tide pools full of sea stars and anemones. At high tide, the sea comes right up to meet...

There is a running debate among the local outdoorsy folk about which mountain is a better hike, Gavan Hill or Mount Verstovia. The taller of the two, Mount Verstovia’s first peak at Picnic Rock offers spectacular views of the city and Silver Bay. If you still have energy, you can continue from there down (and then back up) an unofficial...

The Raptor Center specializes in raptor research and rehabilitation, but heals other local birds, such as swans and ravens, when needed. Visitors can observe and learn more about the amazing birds of prey that live in Sitka, such as owls and eagles, and also meet some birds here to stay from other parts of the US. The friendly and knowledgeable...

Silver Bay is a deep water fjord bordered by a particularly coastal and scenic part of Sawmill Creek Road, a seafood plant, and the mountains of Baranof and smaller islands. The drive to Silver Bay is short but stunning, with mountains peeking around bends and cascades of melting mountain water running down the rocky ledges by the road. The lookout...

The Sitka Sound Science Center is a part-tourist destination, part-research hub. The diverse natural life perpetuated by the rainforest and ocean ecosystems of the Inside Passage are studied and cared for by biologists and eager volunteers. A small entrance fee gains you a tour of the research facilities and Science Center grounds, exhibits on Southeast Alaskan wildlife, and touch tanks...

At the end of Halibut Point Road is a short boardwalk trail through grassy Starrigavan Estuary. The amateur bird watcher will appreciate the wildlife thanks to the information provided along the walk. Extend this short but stunning outing to the Starrigavan muskeg trail. Cross the street at the end of the Starrigavan Estuary trail and follow the signs up a...

Whale Park is a small whale-watching station off of Sawmill Creek Road. It’s far enough from town to be a quiet place to look for whales from land, but is closer than Silver Bay. Kids (and adults too) can enjoy climbing on the whale statues at the entrance. Visitors can choose to sit in the gazebo outfitted with binoculars, or...

This lake is a ‘wetland of international importance’ (and on the Montenegrin side, a national park). It’s home to the endemic Dalmatian Pelican, the world’s largest colony of Pygmy Cormorants and 268 other bird species. There’s a beach on the lake at Shiroka and swimming is popular. As the lake marks the border between Albania and Montenegro you might want...

This is a must-do if you’re traveling with kids and a pleasant break for people of any age. Watch for signs pointing the way along the Wine Road near the villages of Ribeauvillé and Riquewihr. About 200 butterfly species live in this flowery indoor park. Many are quite exotic and come from regions along the equator. The park maintains ideal...

Watch eagles soar directly overhead at this park set in the ruins of Kintzheim Castle. Commentary during the shows is in French, but visitors don’t need to understand the words in order to enjoy the thrill of seeing these giant raptors flying through the air. The birds were not born in the wild, and the park has a successful breeding...

About 300 Barbary Macaques are the star entertainers at this free-range 60-acre/24-hectare park near the village of Kintzheim. You get up close with the outgoing animals as you stroll along the forested paths of this refuge and research center. The monkeys live as they would in the wild, but they have no predators, so they willing approach visitors and aren’t...

Established in 1838, Amsterdam’s city zoo — Artis Royal Zoo — is the oldest zoo in the Netherlands. And despite being located in an area that is confined by the city itself, the zoo still has around 900 species of animals. You’ll find zebras, giraffes, elephants, and chimpanzees as well as a butterfly house, planetarium, and insectarium. This is a...

Located in the heart of the Amsterdamse Bos, Ridammerhoeve Goat Farm is the perfect place to take the kids for some fresh air and to use up some surplus energy. The organic farm has a fair share of (baby) animals — goats, chickens, cows, pigs, horses/ponies — and a number of activities to go with them, such as feeding the...

The Steamboat Springs summer professional rodeo series on Friday and Saturday nights in the summer is a real rodeo. There are kids events, the rodeo competition and special entertainment which makes for a very entertaining evening. Gates open at 5:30 and it’s open seating so get there early to get covered seating just in case it rains. They serve a...

Big Pine Key is a haven for rare botanical species. The island is mostly protected by the National Key Deer Refuge, not originally because of the plants, but for the sake of the diminutive deer that have been turned back from extinction. But the refuge protects more than 80% of the remaining pine rocklands of the Florida Keys, and a...