Canoe safari, flightseeing, rafting, fly fishing, cycling, hiking, and town exploration fill the hours and check off bucket list items of our thrill-seeking guests on this day in Haines, Adventure Capital of Alaska!
One of my favorite hikes is to the lookout at Battery Point. The trail takes us through a sunny garden of meadow wildflowers. The forest is lush with moss and spruce needles, each nook a cozy home for perhaps a red squirrel or even a fairy. Golden-crowned kinglets and varied thrushes call from the canopy of Sitka spruce and western hemlock trees 100 feet skyward. From this lofty vantage they may see the peaks of Chilkoot and Chilkat ranges and the sleeping glaciers nestled in those alpine valleys.
Suddenly, while penning a draft of this entry, a river otter leaps upon the dock where I stand watch. Does it see me? He wanders a few feet closer, unafraid. I think about reaching for my camera, but, alas, it’s out of reach. The moment ebbs, and as my eyes study this aquatic creature, he slips back into the water.
After a day full of activity, a feast of Alaskan Dungeness crab aboard National Geographic Sea Bird awaits our appetites. With fine dining and fine company, our journey moves on.
