Independent Traveler's Guide to Haines

Haines may be the most underrated city in Alaska. Nothing quite prepared me for the sights and sounds of Haines: The view of the Cathedral Peaks behind the Ft. Seward's parade grounds, the stunning blue-green color of Lutak Inlet, the Alaskan Brown Bears feeding on salmon in the Chilkoot River, the occasional bald eagle flying about town, a rush of north wind off the mountains at night, the haunting call of an unknown bird, the bearded old-timer who spouted riddles and showed us the singing toy songbird in his pocket in Howser's IGA, and last but not least, the awe-inspiring Northern Lights as we waited to load on a departing ferry.

Quick Tips:

Drive out Mud Bay Road to Chilkat State Park. You will see Rainbow and Davidson Glaciers across the Chilkat Inlet, and Letnikoff Cove Cannery, en route. In the late evening, drive out past the ferry terminal to the Chilkoot River and Chilkoot Lake. In September, you will see bears at dawn and dusk, salmon running upstream, and bald eagles are seen here most any time of the year. The most famous Chilkat Bald Eagle Reserve to the north provides pullouts to view the eagles and other wildlife, and the best eagle show in the world in the early winter. One of the most scenic trips from Haines is a day trip up to the Chilkat Pass on the Haines Highway. The snow and glaciers set against the sparse shrub-like vegetation could make think you have driven all the way to the interior of Alaska.

Best Way To Get Around:

Renting a car for a trip to Haines is using your money smartly. You do the math!

Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve Raft Trip: pp
Rental car in Haines: /day
Rental car from Juneau: /day

Unlike in many Alaska towns, the roads leading out of Haines actually do go places. If you are not renting a car, the taxis and shuttles will meet you at the ferry terminal, and many local hotels will arrange tours.

This hotel is located in the middle of historic Ft. Seward. This is one of the most scenic areas in Haines. The buildings once served as the commanding officer's quarters and the bachelor's quarters for this beautiful WW I era army post. The historic Hotel Halsingland's rooms run the gamut in size and amenities. The rooms on the front have a nice view across the parade grounds of Ft. Seward, all the way down to ocean and the snow covered mountains beyond. Most of the larger first floor rooms were original to house and don't offer this view, but they do feature the nice old mirrored and tiled fireplaces or claw foot bathtubs. The same views can be had everyone who steps outside or sits in the comfortable living room like lobby. Some upstairs rooms share a common bath and are much less expensive than the stated price range. It is a classic rambling old hotel that vaguely brought back memories of the movie The Shining, but the hosts are much nicer.

The hotel is run by dedicated and genuinely nice owners and staff who are living the American Dream. Extras like a free continental breakfast, "Bath and Bodyworks" products in the bathroom, and a first class lounge and restaurant make Halsingland my first choice in Haines.

The Commander's Room is the romantic dining room for the Hasingland Hotel. Besides the nice views across the parade grounds of Ft. Seward, there is obviously a trained chef. The seafood dishes are not your standard fish and chips. Halibut and salmon are always featured as well very tasty and high quality steaks. The gourmet quality salads are equally as good. Specials change daily. You can order from the bar menu for less expensive and more standard fare, but you will missing a culinary delight.

My Favorite Dish:
Perfectly grilled fresh halibut served with the best homemade chutney I have ever tasted. The other entrees also looked delicious, and it was a packed house for a small hotel restaurant

Description:
This gourmet restaurant is located in a new building. The main dining room upstairs offers views of the Lynn Canal and the boat harbor, which are located about a quarter mile away. The menu is very creative and the food is excellent. The salmon and halibut were caught by one of the staff member's the day before. The menu seems runs the gamut with a heavy concentration on fresh seafood. They also include a few chicken dishes and pastas. The homemade desert items and locally roasted coffee were outstanding.

Favorite Dish:
We had a halibut taco salad for lunch. Imagine this: very fresh grilled halibut over a bed of fresh wild greens, served in a fried corn shell bowl, and topped with a creamy chili spiced avocado dressing. The best taco salad I have ever had! It is the best place in Haines to get good coffee with desert. They roast their own beans. The bakery items are made from scratch. Awesome food!

Located in the evergreens near the inlet, the campground appeared to be very nice. The boat launch provides access to the inlet and the run of king salmon in early June. The visitor centers offers incredible views of Chilkat Inlet and Rainbow and Davidson glaciers. The log cabin visitor’s center also has wildlife spotting scopes so you can spot the inlet wildlife, such as seals, porpoises, and whales. Visitors have even been able to spy on bears and mountain goats on the other side of the inlet.

There are three trails in the park. Check out the "Haines is for Hikers" brochure for details. The Seduction Point Trail is in the main part of the park and is a six-mile coastal trail along the Chilkat Inlet.

We visited on September 15, 2003, the last day the park was open. They close for the season at their scheduled time regardless of weather conditions. Unlike many national park campgrounds, there is no off-season "no faculties but free" camping. The gates are locked.

This mountain lake is surrounded by rocky peaks and is worth the drive for the sheer beauty of it's natural setting. With four salmon runs, the park offers great wildlife viewing of both the bears and bald eagles for most of the summer. Needless to say, this is also a great place to fish for salmon. We saw six Alaska brown bears feeding on salmon at dusk on our last evening in Haines. They were preceded by the bald eagles, until the bears scared them away. Eagles are more common on the Chilkoot River during the summer than at the Bald Eagle Preserve on Haines Highway.

The 32-site campground is set in the evergreens on the south end of the lake. Be very "bear aware" if you choose to camp here.

This has to be the most talked-about attraction in Haines. Cruise passengers by the hundreds are transported from Skagway to do the float trip down this river. Thousands of eagles converge between miles 18 and 24 on the Haines Highway, when other rivers start to freeze. This spectacle takes place in the late fall and early winter. Five species of salmon spawn in these and other nearby streams and tributaries.

We spotted four or five eagles in the area. We were too early in the year to get the full effect. The area itself is quite beautiful. The alluvial river plains provide a very scenic backdrop for the snow-covered mountains beyond.

Though lesser known than many other scenic drives, the Haines Highway has to be one of the most spectacular drives in North America. With high peaks, glaciers, rivers and lakes all along the way, this roadway offers scenery that is similar to that found 800 miles north in the interior of Alaska. Be warned! There are no services past the 33 Mile Road house. If you need gas you must stop here. This very Alaskan place is a good stop for hamburgers, coffee, and homemade pie. Look for the log cabin at the north end of the Chilkat River Valley. It is the only place to stop after leaving Haines.

The Haines Highway is approximately 160 miles long, connecting the Alaska Highway at Haines Junction with the seaport of Haines. It has a long history evolving from a native trade route, to gold rush route, and finally the completed highway in 1942. The highway provided strategic emergency access to the Alaska Highway should the White Pass Railroad become blocked.

It takes 3.5 hours to drive its length, but a drive up to Chilkat Pass (a little over halfway) will give you a great taste of the scenery that this road has to offer. It is an easy day trip on a very good road. The area at the pass is a vast treeless plain. The snowcapped mountians and glaciers rise on both sides. The highest point on the road is well marked and well into British Columbia. (mile 59.1, km 102) This is a good turnaround point. If you got an early start, one of the best views of the magnificient St. Elias Mountains to west is a little further at mile (78.8, 134 km) This overlook of Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Park gives the sweeping vistas of huge mountains that are sometimes blocked further south at the pass by low rising hummocks on the plateau. With more time, plan to add a couple of overnight stays staying the night in Haines Junction to visit Kluane National Park, or continuing on to Whitehorse on the Alaskan Highway and then south on the Klondike Highway to Skagway for a return ferry trip (300 miles).

Ft. Seward has to be one of the most scenic military bases ever constructed in the United States. The amazing thing about it is that it largely intact and in good repair. Haines was a missionary settlement in 1901 when the US government established this World War I-era military base. It was built in order to resolve an ongoing border dispute between the US and Canada. Most of the fort's buildings arrived by ship in pieces and were assembled on foundations laboriously built using picks and shovels. The fort never saw military action, though service here was considered foreign and distant duty.

The buildings were bought as government surplus in 1947 by a group of WWII veterans. This group of veterans also left their legacy on the fort through preservation, organizing native culture events such as the Native Arts Center, potlatch salmon bakes, and the Chilkat Dancers, and opening the Hotel Halsingland. They were also instrumental in lobbying the state for the development of the Alaska Marine Highway.

The walking tour is a photographer's delight. There is something about these formal white buildings set against the backdrop of glacier-covered mountains and the Lynn Canal that is particularly appealing. Get the walking-tour guide from the the visitor center or your hotel. It is called "A Walking History Tour of Ft. William H. Seward."

The Alaska Marine Highway is the only highway that connects all of Southeastern Alaska. You can design an entire trip to all of the high points of southeast Alaska on the ferry system and include overnight stays in the ports of your choice. These classic ferry liners provide enjoyable basic travel with an opportunity to meet a wide range of interesting people.

With restaurants, cocktail lounges, observation rooms, interpretive programs, movies, and staterooms, the ferry provides all the basics for an enjoyable tour of the region. There are none of "hidden" cost of a traditional cruise. Budget travelers avoid the extra expense of staterooms by sleeping in the heated solariums, tent camping on deck, or sleeping in the lounges.

FERRY FACTS
The Alaska Marine Highway is not a cruise line. The food is decent, plentiful, and reasonably priced, but it is served cafeteria style on all ships except the M/V Columbia. Always inquire about the daily specials. Staff members are helpful but not gratuitous. These union employees are not working for tips. Be mindful of departure and arrival times. Because of tides and other factors, you can find yourself arriving at 3am. If you are slightly flexible, there are enough sailings to design a very pleasant itinerary without crazy hours. Book your ferry schedule before your flight, and decide how long you want to stay in each place. Round trips and through trips cost less than a series of one way fares.

RESERVATIONS
If you need to reserve a cabin or you are traveling with a car it is important reserve ahead. Either will add significantly to the fare, with staterooms generally being the less expensive of the two. This can easily be done at the AMH web site. The site is a bit quirky but fairly easy to negotiate. Make sure you reserve everything you need on each segment you book.

CABINS
For longer trips, there are also cabins, which rent by the room and not by the person. They provide a comfortable and private place to rest with your own bathroom. Room with three berths or larger are likely to be arranged with beds side by side instead of bunk style.

NORTH LYNN CANAL SCHEDULE
The daily north Lynn Canal summer schedule starts at the beginning of June and ends mid September. The schedule becomes more irregular after mid September, but continues to be the most inexpensive way to do a multi-day trip to the north Lynn Canal region.

NORTHBOUND
Leave Juneau/Auke Bay 7am
Arrive Haines 11:30am
Leave Haines 12:45pm
Arrive Skagway 1:45pm

SOUTHBOUND
Leave Skagway 4:15pm
Arrive Haines 5:15pm
Leave Haines 6:30pm
Arrive Juneau/Auke Bay 11pm

PASSENGER PRICES
Juneau to Haines - $27
Juneau to Skagway - $37
Haines to Skagway - $21

VEHICLE TARRIFS (up to 15 feet)
Juneau to Haines - $53
Juneau to Skagway - $71
Haines to Skagway - $28

Tlingit Indians have made their home in the Chilkat Valley for centuries. Storytelling is integral to the culture, with ownership of the tales closely held. Lively theatrical presentations are staged weekly thoroughout summer at Ft. Seward. The storytelling group of the Chilkat Dancers theatre troupes use elaborate costumes and masks to bring Tlingit legends to life. The Chilkat Center for the Arts on the grounds of Ft. Seward is the home of the famous Chilkat Dancers and Lust for Dust (a local melodrama); both are staged in the summer. The Chilkat Dancers are among the most famous native dance troups in the world. Also at the center at the Alaska Indian Arts located on the edge of the parade grounds at Ft. Seward, you may see them carving totems or examples of fine Indian art. The Sheldon museum also gives a very good overview of native traditions.

In addition to the gorgeous scenery, I found Haines' locals to be interesting, bright, quirky, and genuinely welcoming to visitors. A recent New York Times article by Cheryl Aimee Barron was devoted to Haines, was appropriately titled "Live, It's Northern Exposure". The fans of this former television show will understand and agree. What other town of 1800 people would sell out two concerts performed by the official Moscow Chamber Orchestra? (This happened while we were in Haines.) While pumping our gas at her station just north of town, a kind lady who was very much like Ruth Ann (the storekeeper character from the television series) insisted that we go inside and get free coffee and popcorn. She did the pumping. I'm sure the locals would reply to this with a "Marilyn"-like comment simply saying, "You went to the full service station", and indeed I did. We listened to a Skagway based DJ, much like "Chris", announce that a lady had lost her purse in front of the Golden North Hotel and would greatly appreciate its return. With a little effort on your part, the residents of Haines are some of the warmest people I have met in my travels. It is a brand of genuine warmth that has become increasingly rare in my travels. They could teach many better known tourist towns a thing or to about a positive attitude and a good service.