INSIDE PASSAGE DAY 15, 16 & 17

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African Proverb

Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up.
It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed.
Every morning in Africa a lion wakes up.
It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death.
It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle.
When the sun comes up, you better start running.

July 1, 2, & 3 2005, Friday. This was an early get-up, 4am. The ferry leaves at 7am but we need to check in and be in line 2 hrs prior. So we made breakfast in the ferry line, nice to have our home with us, and kept falling asleep waiting for the boat to depart. We were on the high speed Fairhaven again and arrived in Haines 9:15 am.
We found the Haines Hitch-Up RV Park, registered, plugged in, and began a walking tour of the town. Haines is a place carved by glaciers. The Chilkat Valley is the histories capital of Tlingit Indian culture and art, site of a frontier Gold Rush and home of Alaska’s first permanent Army base. It is a quiet, small town cradled in a most stunning landscape. It is here the Inside Passage meets the northern mainland and two great landscapes converge. The Southeast rainforest gives way to Interior tundra, creating in one place an uncommon mix of saltwater fjords and dry, alpine meadows, sunshine and sea life.
The Tlingit Indians established the first permanent settlements in the valley thousands of years ago. Blessed by abundant food sources and a relatively mild climate, they thrived.
The first permanent settlement of whites came in 1879 in the form of a Presbyterian mission. Not long after came the salmon canneries, followed by gold mines and then the U.S. Army’s Ft. Seward.
A rich community of artists calls the valley home. Perhaps taking inspiration from the spectacular vistas and wildlife all around. As we stopped in little arts and crafts shops we met several artists. Greg Horner appeared to be doing two things at once. He had a silver bracelet that he was working on, and also studying an overlay for a silkscreen print he was making. His work was good! He is located in the Alaska Indian Arts center.
The old army area still contains some of the original buildings, the officer’s quarters, the captain’s quarters, post office, etc. Located in the center of the old parade ground is a replica of a Chilkat Tribal House, decorated with carvings made at Alaska Indian Arts. At this tribal house we were entertained by the Chilkat Indian Theater Group. They perform daily and each performance teaches a lesson, the costumes were typical ornate Indian attire, complete with masks and the background includes totems.

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[Not so big Al]

More wisdom from W PA
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