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It's Stuck in My Teeth
Waterfall in Lynn canal
Pack of cruise ships
Mendenhall glacier
Can you walk to town from the cruise ship? Is it best to do an excursion from the ship or can you find and book one on your own? Any suggestions on what to see there for the day.
thanxs
Have not been to Haines, but have been to Skagway. It was very easy to walk around. We did not do any tours in Skagway, but I can tell you from other ports we stopped at it is good idea to book a shipboard tour if it is something you really want to do. The ship can buy up most or all of some tours so when you get into port there might not be any tour operators available.
Haines has a port about 1/4 mile from what could be called a town. They do have shuttles. It really is a sportsmans destination for fishing or river raft tours. I suggest taking the excursions offered by the ship, as it isn't easy to do on your own in a short time. I enjoyed a river raft ride through the area that has many bald eagles in the branches that hang over the river, for a close up look at the eagles. In the town section, I enjoyed a salmon bake with alder wood chips doing the smoking. The best grilled salmon, anywhere. There is a ferry boat that travels between Haines and Skagway. It takes about 45 minutes. See their website: http://www.hainesskagwayfastferry.com/
If you are in Skagway, then you can see the town, which is about 5 blocks long. There is a heliport and train station to enjoy tours.
This is the view you will have of Haines when coming down from the ship (if you arrive on a cruise ship, which is about the only easy way to get there!) and walking towards the town through the bridge.... It's pretty neat! Feels like entering a different, small world.....
Tlingit indians have made their home in the Chilkat Valley for centuries. Storytelling is integral to the culture with ownership of the tales closely held. Lively theatrical presentations are staged weekly thoroughout summer at Ft. Seward. The storytelling group of the Chilkat Dancer's theatre troups use elaborate costumes and mask to bring Tlingit legends to life. The Chilkat Center for the Arts on the grounds of Ft. Seward is the home of famous Chilkat Dancers and Lust for Dust (a local melodrama) both are staged in the summer. The Chilkat Dancers are among the most famous native dance troups in the world. Also at the center at the Alaska Indian Arts located on the edge of the parade grounds at Ft. Seward, you may see them carving totems or examples of fine indian art. The Sheldon museum also gives a very good overview of native traditions.
Explore the trails around Haines - you can birdwatch, see wildflowers, spledid mountain views, and sea life as well.
"Haines is for Hikers" is a pamphlet available for hikers.
Also, "Birds of the Chilkat Valley; a Checklist"
Contact the Haines Visitor Center:
Visit Dalton City, the movie set for Disney's White Fang located at the Southeastern Alaska State Fairgrounds.
The Fair takes place yearly for 5 days in August, but you can stop to see the set anytime. Fair includes a parade, exhibits, logging show, live music, food and entertainment.
We understand the set was moved there from the nearby film-shooting location.
The first people to call the Chilkat Valley (Haines, Alaska) home were the Tlingit Indians.
Because the area which is now the bald eagle preserve has rivers that never froze over in the winter, they had yearly access to fish. Game and berries were also plentiful. Because their food and resources were abundant, they could spend more time on other skills and less on survival.
They were the ones who made the totem poles as their form of recording history.
You can get a tour of the Tlingit Indian Village, Klukwan, if you wish. We saw it from the river - it didn't look like too much, but one never knows unless they explore!
Contact the Haines Visitor Center:
(M-F = 8-7
SS = 9-6)
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