Blogs from Haines, Alaska, United States, North America - page 2

Haines, Alaska, 8 juillet C'est au petit matin et dans un brume épaisse que je traversai hier le fjord depuis Skagway en direction de Haines. Comme le décor de l'Inside Passage, cette voie maritime de plus de 1500 kilomètres reliant la Colombie-Britannique et l'Alaska entre plusieurs milliers d'îles, se faisait discret derrière les rideaux vaporeux, je profitai d'un piano esseulé sur le ferry pour me dégourdir les doigts un brin, au grand plaisir de quelques passagers. Une fois arrivé, une fois la brume dissipée, le charme opéra immédiatement... Quel décor magnifique! Ici, c'est la nature qui domine et la petite bourgade s'y incruste avec modestie. Après une rapide exploration des lieux, après une première trempette dans le Pacifique (pas si froid, mais vive le wet suit!), je préparai déjà ma journée d'aujourd'hui. L'ascension du mont Ripinski ... read more

Most cruise ships dock in Skagway rather than Haines. Both are located near Glacier National Park on the Chilkoot Inlet, off the Lynn Canal. Skagway is known for its shopping and has turned into a tourist town. I can’t tell you what it looks like because we docked at Haines, which is located a little down the fjord from Skagway. There was bus transportation for anyone who just had to shop in Skagway. Cruise ships are welcome in Skagway and the tourist who pour into the shops. The people of Haines are 50/50 in how they feel about cruise ships. One year they allow only a few cruise ships and only one at a time in the port. The next year they complain because they didn’t make any money, so they welcome the cruise ships. Then ... read more

Haines... read more

We headed out of Juneau on the slow boat ferry to Haines. Can I just say this was....by far the best 4 hours in Alaska! Party of 5 on the top deck enjoying not only beautiful sunny weather, but warm weather, delicious margaritas and so much seafood...it was friggin' sweet! Haines was totally awesome and I can see why people never leave. It was packed full with writers, painters, sculpters, musicians, I'm sure there are some drifters n droolers and then me. I met this dude who has a cute little co-op gallery in the woods, and he lives across the bay and drives his canoe to work. Before I left for AK, everyone who had been used adjectives like majestic, tranquil, breathtaking, mesmerizing, yada yada. Yes, it was those things only because that's the closest ... read more

Tuesday July 17, 2007 It was drizzling this morning, but nothing like the downpour yesterday. We decided to spend another night at this location, it really is pretty and peaceful. We changed sites and moved next to the lake. You can actually see the pink salmon jumping every so often. In the morning, we looked for birds around the campground and river, but didn’t see anything. Took a drive to town. The tide was out and Frank decided to go out on the flats and check out some birds with the spotting scope. Later in the day we discovered the eye lens of the scope had dropped out somewhere. . . By the time we realized it, the tide was up, so I guess it’s swimming with the fishes now. Can’t use the scope without ... read more