Alaska – A Town Called Haines

Have you ever visited an area an instantly fell in love?

A few years ago I visited Alaska and fell in love with a small town called Haines.

There are no words to describe the beauty of this place.

Each day that I was there, I felt like I was in a dream.

Haines is a tranquil town in Alaska that is located at the northern end of America’s longest and deepest fjord. It is one of the few areas that is not overwhelmed with cruise ship traffic.

This adventure filled town is accessible by air, land and water. However, I chose to travel to Haines the most scenic way, by ferry.

Starting in Juneau I traveled approximately 75 miles along the 2000 foot deep canal. I was consistently treated to dramatic vistas of the mountains rising sharply from the fjord.

The best aspect of traveling to Haines via ferry was the opportunity to view  sea life such as orcas and seals! The ferry occasionally stopped to allow us to take advantage of the excellent photographic opportunities!

I arrived in Haines just after the sun had set and it was to be the most spectacular time to arrive; the silhouette of the mountains with the port of Haines lit up was a sight that will certainly stay with me for a very long time.

The main draw of this town is the majestic scenery. Everywhere you look you can see glacier covered mountains. The still deep blue water of the fjord that surrounds the town makes for an even more stunning setting.

However, it was the abundance of wildlife that really made my stay memorable. Haines is the home of the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve and also has one of the best viewing areas for feeding Bears!

It was when I visited the Chilkoot River that I witnessed several bears feeding on the spawning salmon, and a bear trying to feed on a fisherman! You can just about see the hungry bear in this photo.

I was provided with a powerful spotting scope to view the bears, but I soon realised that I didn’t need them due to the VERY close proximity of the bear/s!

It was quite tempting to stay out of the vehicle as long as possible to get “the shot” but I quickly retreated to the vehicle as soon as I saw him/her heading right for me!

I did manage to get a couple of okay shots, although the “shaky” hands resulted in the photos becoming a little blurry!

It was an amazing experience to see these fine animals in their natural environment.

When travelers visit Alaska they visit only the most obvious places; doing so, they miss out on one of the most stunning towns, Haines.

My only regret was that I didn’t spend longer in this stunning peaceful town, as Haines really has it all: scenery, nature and outdoor adventure.