I was nursing a beer at Victoria’s Pour House in downtown Sitka. Behind me loomed a large sign, gong attached, inscribed with these words:
“If you touch it, and it makes a sound, Be prepared to buy a round.”
Pub visitors beware: patrons of the establishment take this warning seriously. No tom foolery here. If you take the gong and hit the sign, “just for fun,” guess what? You have just committed yourself to picking up the tab for every barfly present. And if you think you can get away without doing it, imagine having a rowdy bunch of patrons get up and start closing in on you, forming a tight circle with no exits.
That’s how the bartender described what happened to one not-so-fortunate visitor who learned from his mistake the hard way.
“What happened next?” I asked. “He put his money on the counter,” the bartender nodded, underscoring the fact that it was the only thing he could do.
The Port of Sitka, situated on the Western side of Baranof Island in the Alexander Archipelago, was the launching pad for our nine-day small-ship cruise of Alaska’s Inside Passage aboard the Island Spirit.
Before meeting up with the rest of the group for a shuttle tour of the city, we wandered a bit more downtown. Straight ahead at the end of the street: St. Michael’s Church.
Do you have any good pub stories while traveling? Favorite Sitka sightings? Leave me a comment here.
I have been to Sitka! I don’t have any pub stories from there, but I have some from the UK. I thought Sitka was beautiful. I remember that bar, tho. It’s been about six years since we were there, thanks for reminding of that trip, was a good one.
So let’s hear some of those pub stories from the UK, Brenda! Thanks for stopping by – stay tuned for more posts on Sitka ~
Oh, I’ve got Sitka pub stories, but the first is almost 27 years old. My family had just arrived in Sitka after sailing across the Gulf, and visited the legendary P Bar. My 7 year old self was fascinated by the giant shiny bell hanging over the bar, and I remember being firmly directed NOT to touch it. Had to make do with a Shirley Temple and a bag of Doritos. Since then, I’ve been there a time or two when the bell’s been rung, when we’re between fishing openings and everyone’s wedged in there like herring. Hearing the bell go is less exciting since I quit drinking, but still a good time!
This is great, Nancy – it delighted me to see 2 Sitka references, yours and mine, in a row on She Writes, and I’m eager to follow your travel writings. Hello, new friend!
Ha! I’ll bet you’ve got pub stories coming out of Sitka, Tele! Happy to meet you here, too. I’m really looking forward to reading your blog posts ~