by Sitka from Juneau asks Santa about sending a letter through USPS, learns Juneau is the only US state capital not accessible by road, and hears about the city’s unique isolated geography
Dear Santa, my name is Sitka and I am nine years old. I live in Juneau, Alaska, where my dad says you cannot actually drive to our own state capital from anywhere else, no roads connect us at all.
Dear Sitka, your dad is entirely right, and I have always found that particular fact rather remarkable myself.
Santa, I have three questions.
My first question is, can I send a letter to Santa through USPS? This would be my very first time writing, and I wanted to check the process properly.
You certainly can, Sitka, and I am delighted you decided to write. Simply address your letter clearly to Santa Claus, North Pole, and the postal service handles the rest wonderfully, even from somewhere as uniquely remote as Juneau.
My second question is about our capital. My teacher says Juneau is the only U.S. state capital that cannot be reached by road. Is that true?
It is true, Sitka. Juneau is uniquely accessible only by air or sea, surrounded by mountains and water, with no roads connecting it to the rest of Alaska or the country. Flying into your isolated, beautiful capital each Christmas Eve requires real care from the reindeer.
My third question is, does the mail actually get through okay, even with no roads connecting us to anywhere else?
It does, Sitka. Mail reaches Juneau by air and sea just like everything else, and postal workers there handle it with real dedication despite the unusual logistics. I think that kind of quiet reliability, even in a hard-to-reach place, deserves genuine appreciation.
Merry Christmas, Santa.
Your friend,
Sitka Hoonah
Juneau, Alaska
P.S. Will this really be my very first letter that counts?
It absolutely will, Sitka. Every first letter counts fully.
