We arrived early and dropped anchor in the bay offshore of Haines, the adventure capital of Alaska. By 7:30 a.m., we were off to the races with guests heading out on one of several adventures available for exploring this classic Alaskan town. Some headed to Klukwan to meet our Tlingit hosts and to raft slowly down the Chilkat River. Others headed off to flightsee over the wilderness of Glacier Bay National Park, and still others went hiking in the rainforest or up into the alpine tundra.
The weather was about as good as you get in Southeast Alaska—partly cloudy skies and temperatures near 70. Some guests explored the town on rented bikes or enjoyed a guided bike tour along the river to Chilkoot Lake. Still others shared a peaceful canoe ride on the lake watching for wildlife and enjoying the amazing alpine scenery.
The town of Haines has its charms as well and we took advantage of all that was available. Three local landmarks stood out and received perhaps more of our attention than others. The brewery, distillery, and Hammer Museum were explored by well over half of our adult guests. Others with children simply enjoyed the town, opting to walk or ride the bicycles provided for the day. Our last tour over, we all made our way back to the ship for evening recap and the traditional all-you-can-eat crab dinner.
We began our transit within the Lynn Canal, heading south past Juneau toward Stephens Passage and our last full day of adventure in Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness. Our hope was to sail up the Endicott Arm to explore a narrow fjord to see up close the calving face of a tidewater glacier.
