Haines, Alaska

The ferry ride to Haines was a nice and relaxing one. We were happy to see that the ferry was of the same type as the Matanuska, which we enjoyed being on for three of our ferry trips. Her name was the Malaspina. We found seats (not hard to do since the thing was just about empty) and settled in reading and journaling. As the trip proceeds, the clouds begin to break up. At one point a whole rainbow appears across the face of the mountain we were going by. It was beautiful!!! Everyone was out on the deck taking pictures. We did not see any whales...I was hoping we would. We did see several lighthouses that were cool.

We stay in the Chilkoot Lake State Campground for the night. Situated by a very pretty lake in the forest...nice. Don makes fajitas, I clean up and we call it a day! Thank you Jesus for your faithfulness to us!!

Our Day in Haines

July 12-Happy Birthday Holly!!!!!! We love and miss you!

We get up and get going. We did not unhook the trailer last night since we were going to go back into town and get into an RV-park with hook-ups this morning. We end up at the Hitch-Up RV Park...a Good Sam park. Very clean, wonderful showers, nice, helpful people running the place...and an extremely reasonable rate!!!

After getting everything settled with the trailer we take off to see what there is to see. Haines is the heart of the Chilkat Valley, the historic capital of Tlingit Indian culture and art, the site of a frontier Gold Rush and home of Alaska's first permanent Army base. It was founded by Presbyterian missionaries in 1881.It sits on a site known to the indigenous peoples as Dei-Shu, or "end of the trail". Here the Southeast rainforest gives way to Interior tundra. It is a small community with lots of history. We visit the Sheldon Museum and walk around the town. Don had eyed a "surf" shop that we had to check out. He is on the hunt for a surf shirt from Alaska. His friend Brad has a very old t-shirt from the Sitka Surf Shop...we looked all over Sitka for this shop only to find out it had gone out of business long ago...surprise, surprise! So into this shop we go, and Don comes out with both short and long sleeved T-shirts...I think they say "Surf Alaska"...close enough! We then make our way to a local coffee shop/wi-fi place. Meet Hannah, our barista. She just got back from spending a month in Kenya doing mission work. It was a great experience for her. She is a junior in high school and is having trouble processing it all since getting home. The entire community came together and for a year raised money for this team to go. She had an incredible experience, but needed help with debriefing. So, I tried to connect her with our friend Becky who runs a Christian Youth Ministry and knows all about that stuff. I wasn't able to get Becky, but I left Hannah with e-mail addresses and phone numbers. I hope she contacts Becky. Another Random thing the Lord put together.

We found a health food store and had wraps for lunch. The clouds were beginning to break up, so we decide to take advantage and do a hike...up Mt. Riley we go! We had a nice view of the area from the top. We could pick out two glaciers in the distance...they are so cool!

On our way down a young lady was running up...I think we have seen runners on almost all of the trails we have hiked...rain or shine, those Alaskans are out there! They are a tough bunch!!! Those are gnarly trails! We are impressed!

This was another late afternoon hike, so we go back to the trailer, fix dinner and hit the hay!

Skagway

We were taking the "fast ferry" to Skagway this morning. Had to find another coffee place because The Rusty Compass is closed on Tuesdays. Grab a cap and off we go.

After pioneers George Washington Carmack, Skookum Jim Mason, and Dawson Charlie discovered gold in the Klondike in the late 1890's, steamboat captain William Moore founded Skagway as a gateway to the goldfields. Over 3000 prospector passed through in the first year, seeking supplies and entertainment, and helping the town to boom! The 1900 completion of the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad made the trip easier, but the Gold Rush was already subsiding. Skagway was revived in the 1940's as an Alaska Hwy. construction staging camp, and today the town's economy is driven mainly by tourism. Today there are at least four cruise ships in, if not five! There are TONS of people here! But there is lots to see, so we push through with everyone else.

We inadvertently hook up with a tour being given by a Forest Service Ranger. The Forest Service has purchased specific historic buildings in Skagway and have been restoring them. Then they rent them out to businesses. Pretty sweet deal. Our guide gave a very interesting tour and we learned a lot about the local history...the Gold Rush, mining, railroad, Alcan Hwy. construction and support, WWII, lumber, whaling, and now tourism. Then we went back to take a longer look at some of those places. We found plenty to do throughout the day. We stumbled upon what turned out to be a great restaurant...Starfire. It is primarily Thai food, but has an extended menu if you are not in the mood for Thai. Wonderful!! Healthy and fresh! Totally enjoyed it!!!

We have an hour to kill before we have to get back on the ferry to go back to Haines...coffee sounds good. But, as with all these cruise towns, when the cruise ship people go back to the ships, the town closes up. Finally found a place that must serve the locals and get out of the cold and enjoy a cup of joe. The ferry ride home is bumpy because of the choppy water. End of a great day!

Wed. July 14

Next morning we eat breakfast and go to the Rusty Compass one last time. Hannah is not there...I really was hoping to see her...I had talked to Becky who is very happy to talk to Hannah, and I wanted to let Hannah know. Instead, I wrote a note and left it with the young man who was the barista that morning. Don had a cap and we both worked on our computin'. That done, we get back to the trailer, take showers in the very clean facility provided, and get packed up and ready to go.

We are officially leaving the inside passage and venturing off onto the big, big state of Alaska.