Sitka Lighthouse Company Store

"Back in the early ‘80s, a local veterinarian spent 18 months handcrafting this petite, red-and-white stunner, and it was later registered with the Coast Guard to become a navigational beacon. To get to the one-acre private island on which it’s located, you’ll have to take a five-minute water taxi ride from Sitka, an Alaska Panhandle town with centuries of Russian history. Up top, above the second-floor main bedroom and a third-floor bunk room, you’ll find an all-glass room that looks out over the Easter Channel. The hosts also provide kayaks, paddleboards, and a small aluminum boat so you can explore the surrounding bays and commune with residents like humpback whales, sea otters, and sea lions." - Nicholas DeRenzo