Today we made our first appearance in the state of Alaska! We left Haines Junction, Yukon this morning at 8:40 a.m. to a temperature of 44 degrees. During our 153 mile journey today on the Alaska Highway (Hwy 1 West) which then became the Haines Highway (Hwy 3 South), the temperature dropped while we were in the mountains to 39 degrees and then warmed up as we got closer to the coast of Haines reaching 52 degrees. We once again saw the beautiful Kluane Mountain Range, and the frozen over Dezadeash Lake.
We saw a couple porcupines, a black bear and a hairy woodpecker as it got hit by the truck -- feathers flying everywhere. This black bear was running along the highway.
Continuing along, we saw more mountains and some creeks.
We then continued on toward US Customs and the border.
Through numerous avalanche areas.
We finally entered Alaska and a new time zone (gaining an hour, thus setting our clocks back an hour).
We went by the Yukon/Canadian Customs border crossing site and their housing, and were asked to proceed for another 1/4 mile to the US Customs.
And then we were in the United States (Haines, Alaska) at last. Customs at the US Border was much simpler than what we had experienced crossing into Canada. We were asked the same questions - 1) where are you from; 2) where are you going; and 3 do you have any alcohol, tobacco or drugs. They didn't ask us if we had any chicken or eggs, but wanted to know if we had any citrus, green peppers, tomatoes or exotic fruit like kiwi. We said we have a couple of tomatoes -- they said they would let us keep them, but that we needed to make sure we ate them in Haines. Strange!
It was about 40 miles from the border to Haines and on the way we drove by the Chilkat River.
We finally arrived at Haines, Alaska.
Haines is
located at sea level and has a population of 2,530. Haines is quintessential
Alaska, a small community in the middle of big scenery, abundant wildlife and
amazing salmon fishing. A U.S. Army fort (Fort Seward) gives historic significance to Haines,
which is also steeped in traditional Tlingit culture, along with modern
artistic whimsy.
In early
November 1879, a
canoe slipped into the mouth of the Chilkat Inlet carrying missionary S.
Hall Young and naturalist John Muir to the village of Yandustuky where they were to determine the location of a Presbyterian mission
and school. The site chosen was on the narrow portage between the Chilkat River
and Lynn Canal. The following year, George Dickinson established a trading post
for the Northwest Trading Company, next to the mission site. His wife Sarah
began a school for Tlingit children.
By 1881, Eugene and Caroline Willard
arrived to establish Chilkat Mission. The mission and town were named for
Francina E. Haines, secretary of the Presbyterian Women’s Executive Society of
Home Missions, who raised funds for the new mission. She never visited the town
that bears her name, although she was a supporter of the mission to Haines. By
1881 the mission was fully established.
Haines is situated at the upper end of North America's longest and deepest fjord. It is 14 miles south of Skagway and 80 miles north of Juneau. Unlike many other Southeast Alaska communities, Haines is connected to Canada and interior Alaska by the Alaska Highway through British Columbia and the Yukon.
In 1942, the Army Corps of Engineers began to construct a road to the Port of Haines, Alaska on the Lynn Canal. These hard working troops faced incredible challenges. The branch road, completed in 1943, is now the Haines Highway leading to the Alaska Marine Highway System.
We finally made it to the Haines Hitch-Up RV Park where we stayed for three nights on site #36 (for a total of $158.32 or $52.77/night). It was a beautiful campground with gravel roads and we were asked to park on the grassy sights.
After getting set up, we ate lunch and then around 12:45 p.m., we decided to go out for a walk around the town of Haines to see some of the sights.
This is the Haines School (above) with a colorful mural on the side. Below is the Trading Post.
Below is the Haines Visitor Center located on 2nd Street between Main Street and the Haines Highway.
Below is the local clinic administered by SEARHC (Southeast Alaska Regional Healthcare Consortium), serving 18 Native communities.
The Alaska Native Brotherhood and Sisterhood Hall is located below, and its also where they have Bingo Night.
We then took a detour to the waterfront of Haines.
This is the Haines small boat marina (below).
Boat launch area in Portage Cove in Haines Borough.
Totem pole in Haines Harbor.
We are reminded to Breathe and take in all the sights at the Haines Harbor -- so that is what we do.
Haines, Alaska sure is beautiful. Getting back on the walking tour, we head back toward downtown.
Below is a prohibition favorite -- the Harbor Bar and Lighthouse Restaurant that was originally built in 1907.
Below is the Haines Sheldon Museum that was started as a private collection of artifacts and memorabilia of the area more than 80 years ago.
Above and below are two carvings by Judd.
Three Northmen (below) is a recently opened cider house.
The Hammer Museum (with the big hammer below) houses 1800 hammers.
Continuing toward 2nd Avenue, is the Pryor Building (right in the picture below) which was completed in 1923
and was recently renovated into the Rusty Compass Coffeehouse downstairs. Next
door is one of the local watering holes, the Fogcutter Bar. It too was built in
1923 and served initially as a hardware store and later as the local gas
station.
The next two pictures below are the Local Skyscraper -- Haines' tallest building. It stands proudly on the corner of 2nd Avenue and Main Street and is known as the Chisel Building. It was completed in 1916 by Joe Chisel and served as a hotel with backroom gambling, where rooms rented for $3.50 a day. During Haines' boom and bust economy it has housed a variety of businesses and currently is the home to Alaska Rod's.
The red building below has been entertaining guests for more than 100 years, first as the Hotel DeFrance at the turn of the century; a restaurant, dance hall, brothel and bootleg joint in the 1930's; and eventually as a restaurant and bar in the 1950's. The Bamboo Room and Pioneer Bar has been owned by the Tengs' family for more than 65 years.
Below the
building now called Bell’s Store — is a great place to buy flowers and gifts — that started life as the City Hall and Fire Station until they were moved in 1977 to
the current location at the Haines Highway between 2nd and 3rd Avenues.
Below the Haines' Soboleff-McRae Veterans Village and Wellness Center had its grand opening in 2014, and the dedication of its totem pole and sign in 2017.
Shown below is the Inn at Haines, which was originally built in 1917 by Tim Vogel, a notorious entrepreneur and former member of Soapy Smith's Skagway gang. He also built the cannery at Letnikof Cove, still in operation today as Haines Packing Company.
The next two pictures below show the O'Dell-Tagg House, built in 1912 and once heralded as "one of the prettiest houses in Haines." It is now a private residence.
Below, hidden behind the fence and snuggled between the Assembly of God Church and Haines Assisted Living is the Lindholm House. It was built by carpenter and cabinet maker Charles Lindholm, a Swedish immigrant who arrived in Haines at the end of the Gold Rush.
Below the Haines
Assisted Living building was built in 2009.
Walking down 3rd Avenue, we saw the Sacred Heart Catholic Church (below) and passed Dalton Street, that was named after Jack Dalton, an early entrepreneur, pioneer and the man behind the
246-mile Dalton Trail that starts in Haines and ends at Fort Selkirk in the
Yukon.
I have no information on the beautiful house below. I just think it is awesome!
Below is the Alaskan Liquor Store.
The next picture is a beautiful mural on a building in Haines.
The next two pictures are of the Frontier Tradesmen. It also has pretty murals on it.
The mural above is "The Eagle and the Raven" which is representative of tribal menbers who are either born into the raven or eagle clan line, which is established matrilineally through their mother's family.
Above is the "Best Small Library in America, and the 20-foot totem pole beside it was also very interesting as it tells the library's history beginning with the crouching female figure holding the box of knowledge to represent the Haines Women's Club which started a lending library in 1928.
Our walking tour of Haines took about almost 4 hours. Afterwards we stopped in the Haines Brewing Company, where Mel sampled some of their craft beers.
I was pleasantly surprised by their delicious handcrafted root beer made from organic sugar, honey, root beer extract, vanilla and water.
Our last stop was at the Haines Packing Company, but they were closed for the day.
To celebrate our arrival in Alaska, we had steak and twice-baked potatoes for dinner.
We made it -- all the way "North to Alaska!"
Shirley & Mel
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