and Nathan, captain the boats while their daughter Kaylee runs the lodge. Rich completes repairs and renovations while Caryn manages the books, schedules and customer service.
Originally from South Dakota, he and Caryn first moved
to Sitka when Rich accepted a position with the Public Health Service after his medical school residency. After eight years in Sitka, they decided to move their three sons and daughter back to their home in the Dakotas, buy
a farm and “teach those kids how to work!”
And work the Krafts did. Between running the farm, continuing to work for the Public Health Service, and the busyness of four children in school and sports, Rich said they had never worked harder in their life. It was at that point that Sitka called them back.
They returned to the island they loved and eventually sold the farm. Their college-aged sons spent summers as deckhands on charter boats, and the family became more immersed in the area. The two sons had become captains and were beginning to look for boats of their own when Rich and Caryn happened to notice a large for sale sign
on the Cascade Inn one day a few years ago. One thing
led to another, and all of a sudden the family owned their own B, B and B—bed, breakfast and boat.
“We love them and like having them around,” says Rich
of his children. “But they decided to come back and were moving into the boating business. It was more something everybody wanted to do, and it just came together.”
One more family member, daughter-in-law Kristi, might just be the all-star of the Cascade Creek team. She appears with a smile and a ringing bell at 6 p.m. every evening to spoil guests with a gourmet dinner often featuring fish freshly caught in Sitka waters. From Cajun halibut with praline topping to homemade graham crackers for ice cream s’mores, evening meals are
a delicious highlight for guests and staff alike. They
bond over memories from the day and savor the local, fresh meal and the oceanfront view in this welcoming lodge thoughtfully appointed by the Kraft family.
For Rich, it’s a magical time of day where guests really feel why Sitka is special. It’s hard to pinpoint what exactly draws people in and why Rich and his family love sharing Sitka with their guests. He says, it’s “not just one thing,
but it is the people. We have the best people in Sitka.”
To learn more about Cascade Creek Inn & Charters
or book one of the many Sitka charter fishing options
visit the listings below and in our directory.
Photo: Derek Mazur
"
There may be a better place out there, but we have not found it yet!”
FISHING WITH FAMILY
Cascade Creek Inn & Charters
CASCADE CREEK INN & CHARTERS
9
World-class Fishing
Alaska Premier Charters wildstrawberrylodge.com / Big Blue Charters bigbluecharters.com / Cascade Creek Inn & Charters cascadecreekinnandcharters.com / Talon Lodge & Spa talonlodge.com / Vonnie's B&B and Guide Services vonniescharters.com