Adventure in Alaska July 4 – July 25, 2013 

On July 4^th Maureen Healy of Cherryfield and I traveled by bus to Boston where we stayed with my daughter and her family overnight. We arrived at the Logan Airport very early on July 5 to fly to Seattle, Washington on our way to Juneau, Alaska. On our plane trip to Seattle, we sat next to a gentleman who told us he and his wife were both teachers and had just returned from France on a month long vacation. They were on their way home to California. On our next leg of our journey we talked with a man who was a cinema photographer from Mass. He was headed inland in Alaska for a five week fishing trip while his wife was heading to Bar Harbor for her vacation. On this trip there were quite a few that were going fishing in Alaska.

On July 6th we went into Juneau and first checked out some of the tourist traps, the stores with all of the t-shirts and things to buy while we waited for our trip on the Tram to the mountain to see the view and what a view that was. We could see the three cruise ships that had come in and all of the people that were going on the tours to see the area. One couple on the Tramway that I spoke with was from Wisconsin and they told me they were having a great time and their next stop was another port in Alaska.

Maureen Healy, Mark Insteness and Ronie Strout

on the Alpine Loop Trail

Once we arrived at the spot where we could get off the Tramway, Maureen, Kathy and I and our guide Mark Insteness walked the Alpine Loop Trail which was .5 mile. Mark told us in the early 1900’s the entire mountain had been cut off and this was the new growth of trees. A lot of the trees had weird shapes as they looped around and up and over others. On some of the trees you might find carvings that were done many years ago by the natives. I did fine one at the beginning that I took a picture of. In the brochure it says that the carvings found on trees along the Alpine Loop Trail are examples of an ancient custom of the Tlingit people of Southeast Alaska. The one that I saw is called The Messenger or Sentry and symbolizes the one who watches for the approach of visitors and delivers the message to the caretaker.

Ronie Strout, Kathy Carl & her mother Maureen Healy

 Mark told me that this was a mining town in the 1800‘s and there were places now closed off of the openings to the mine.   From there we ventured down the mountain and to the Hanger Restaurant for our lunch where I had tacos, one of salmon, cod and halibut which was a good way to taste all of the fish in one meal.  Here we could see Mount Jumbo and Mount Roberts and a bird’s eye view of the mouth of the Taku River and the cruise ships that were docked there.   The seaplane hangar is a landmark in aviation history we were told. Famous pilots such as will Rogers used to land their aircraft in front of the Hangar during their great northern expeditions. The museum has enlarged historic photos on the walls at the restaurant. 

              After our meal we venture to the Red Dog Tavern to enjoy a drink and listen to the entertainment. Here we could see many things of the area posted on the walls and ceilings. One item was the pistol that Wyatt Earp, the notorious gunfighter, left behind by accident as his ship S.S. Senator was leaving before he was done having his drink. The story goes that he just made the ship by jumping onto it as it was pulling out of the dock heading for Nome. 

After we left here Mark took us to the Last Chance Mining Museum and Historical Park. This Last Chance Mining Museum is the only historic mining building open to the public from Juneau’s Gold Rush era. The museum has the world’s largest Ingersoll-Rand air compressor, historic mining tools and equipment, minerals display, and the three dimensional “Glass Map”.

When we arrived at the Park we walked up the mountain to the museum and on our way we saw folks panning for gold in the river bed as wet we crossed over a walking bridge. While walking through the museum I spoke with a couple of folks, and found out that they were from the Portland area of Maine. The young fellow was in the coast guard in Alaska and had invited his grandfather to come for a visit with him.

On July 7th, Sunday, we drove to the ski resort Eaglecrest in Juneau, a small ski slope maybe about like Hermon Mountain, Maine, where we could have done the zip line. We decided this was not a good day to do that so we headed over to see the Mendenhall Glacier and was able to take some nice pictures of it. There were some ice bergs broken off of it in the water.  To the left of the glacier was a nice size water fall coming down the mountain.  I went down and put my hand in the water, it didn't feel too cold to me, it was not as cold as the ocean in Addison but then again I did not get into it to swim. I think they frown on that.

We hit the grocery store, a couple of thrift shops, couple of stores at their malls as Maureen was looking for something, then we went to Cosco to do some grocery shopping. One shop we went into I found a good deal on a small backpack that I wanted as it was smaller than the one I traveled with more of a pocket book and it was all leather. Kathy said it was a good deal as it would of been quite expensive to buy outright I guess. After we had our meal I decided to go and sit on the deck to enjoy the weather as the sun was out. Here I heard the birds, squirrels and planes flying overhead. .A short hair pointer came up the driveway and checked me out. The dog probably belonged to the people next door as they were out and about, they must have had an outdoor fire going as I could see the smoke through the trees. No bugs here so far but I understand there will be some in Haines. Maureen is really tired she is not yet on Alaskan time. I just keep going and going. The temperature here is 63 just the right kind of weather to enjoy. I pity the ones that have been getting the higher temperatures in Maine and Boston. LOL....Wish you all were here but can't say I am sorry you’re not! LOL....Yes the good life is setting here at 5 PM and soaking up the Alaskan sun. Awesome, who would have thought I would ever come here. Now I wonder where the next adventure will take me. Catch you all on FACEBOOK. 

On Monday July 8, we went into town and met up with Mark Insteness to go on a tour bus that he was doing that day. We first traveled to the Macaulay Salmon Hatchery

 where we saw lots of salmon in the channel and learned more about the salmon from the tour guide. We went inside and viewed aquariums and touch tanks in which over 150 different species of local marine-life reside. Our next stop on the tour was the Glacier Gardens a fifty acre Alaskan botanical garden, where we saw trees that were turned upside down and planted with flowers on top of the roots.  We traveled into the heart of the Tongass National Rainforest to view breathtaking views of the Juneau area from 580 feet up Thunder Mountain. The visitor center here had beautiful display of hanging flowers. 

The tour then continued to the Mendenhall Glacier and as we had been there the previous day we went inside the visitor center and watched the movie that showed all about the glacier. We also saw a display of animals and birds and information on the history of the glacier.

Tuesday July 9 came and we will travel by ferry to Haines, I am told that it will take about four and half hours on the ferry to get there. We will leave about 6 a.m. hopefully the sun will shine for us, if not it will be another adventure for us.        

On Tuesday July 9th.we traveled four and half hours to Haines on the M/V Malaspina Ferry, a smaller version of a cruise ship. Haines lies halfway down the east side of the long, narrow Chilkat Peninsula and it says in my guide book that it offers the best of small-town America life, it’s encircled by glaciated mountain peaks, forested hills, and pristine waters. I n Haines is the historical home of the Chilkat Tlingit, whose name for the area was Dei Shu (“End of the Trail”) this was the sight of  a summer fish camp. Klukwan Tlingit were keepers of important trade routes to the Canadian interior and as far south as Oregon.

This morning we found that a bear had gotten the back of the car open and got some of the food that was already packed in the car. Our loss, the bear gain. This is a reminder to keep the food out of the car and pack it in just before you leave in the morning. 

We are staying at the K. J. Tucker’s Farm, B & B at 26 Mile Haines Highway in a little cabin. Everyone here in Haines uses the mile post as their directions to where they live so I am told.

On Wednesday, July 10, we drove into the town of Haines where I was dropped off to wander by myself as Maureen needed to see a doctor for a sinus infection.  My first stop was at the American Bald Eagle Museum where I saw lots of local wildlife on display such as: eagles, hawks, ravens, moose, black tail deer, birds of the area, wolf eels, bears and other local animals. I then went to the Sheldon Museum where a collection of items showing the culture of the Chilkat Valley were on display.  From here I walked to the shops on Main Street for some window shopping and came upon the Hammer Museum where over 1600 hammers are on display; who would of thought that there were so many different kinds of hammers and would make a museum out of them.

The library was next on my list where I could post on Facebook what I had been doing; I also was able to use the cell phone and call home to connect with my family.

 On Thursday, July 11, I again went into Haines by myself as Maureen was still under the weather and chose to rest up back at the cabin.  On my way in I stopped at several turn outs on the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve to take pictures of bald eagles that I saw along the river. Once I got into town I took a history walking tour of Fort William H Seward. Here a brochure told me that during World Wars I and II the Fort was a training base for Alaska recruits and during the Second World War it was a rest and recreation center for troops who served in the North Pacific Theater. At the end of the war in 1940 it was declared surplus property and was decommissioned. This hurt the economy in Haines after catering to the Army for 42 years. After leaving the Fort I took a ride out of town and saw a couple of glaciers from the road going to the state park.

I had lunch at a health food store nearby and again went to the library to check my emails and to make my calls home before I returned to the cabin.

The weather here has been around 65, sunny and breezy, really nice weather for my vacation.

            On Friday, July 12, 2013 we decided to take a ride, 136 miles to Haines Junction in the Yukon Territory where we traveled through British Columbia and into Yukon Territory. The mountains were majestic to see and we stopped at several places to take photos of the scenery. We saw two bears on our trip to Haines Junction and after having lunch at K.P.I Restaurant we visited the Visitor Center where there were many items of the area on display. On this trip we did not see much traffic, I think we met three vehicles on our way to the Junction and on the way back we might have seen five more traveling the road we were on.

On Saturday July 13, 2013 Maureen and I went into Haines so that Maureen could see more of the area and shop at a few stores. We stopped at first at the Fair Grounds and saw the buildings that were part of the props for the White Fang movie.

The first shop was a yarn store and the owner was from Appleton, Maine and now lived in Haines, Alaska. After chatting with her I ventured to the Farmers Market where I chatted with two other ladies that were from Maine as well. One had gone to the College of Atlantic in Bar Harbor and met her future husband there who was from Haines and the other one was from southern Maine and she now lives in Haines as well. Isn’t it a small world to meet up with more Maine folks on my travels.

Sunday, July 14, was a catch up day for us, relaxing in the cabin, reading and watching movies.

On Monday morning, July 15, we drove to Mosquito Lake to check out that area. We saw a lot of homes that were are up for sale as well as a lot of new buildings being built. The lake area was beautiful and we were glad to find it so close to where we were staying. Afterwards we drove to a unique rundown building alongside the road with the sign Honeymoon Hotel on it to take photos of it.  Just a little ways from there we saw the phone booth that was fixed up as a joke saying this was the Last Stop to call from and took more photos. The phone booth had superman inside and on the tree next to it had different phones placed on it.   I was told that this was a favorite place for tourist to stop and take pictures just like I did.   

On Tuesday, July 16, 2013, we left about 7:45 a.m. from the cabin and caught the Fast Ferry at 9 am to go to Skagway. We arrived in Skagway about 10:45 and walked into town with the rest of the tourist. We played tourist and checked out the museums, visitor center, and the tourist trap shops.  We took lots of pictures of the quaint town and walked as far as 7th avenue checking out the sights before our train trip to the summit. On the train we saw lots of wilderness, mountains, glaciers, waterfalls and the scenery was breath taking. We went over several bridges and thru two tunnels in the mountain and into Canada to get to White Pass Summit.  At the top of the summit we changed sides so that the ones that were on the right side changed over to the left side to be able to see the sights going back down. Of course I stayed outside most of the way up so to get pictures of everything. Going down I sat and viewed through the window by my seat. When we arrived back at the station, we had about an hour and half to get something to eat and check out a few of the shops to see if we had to have something from them before returning via ferry to Haines.

During the day we talked with folks that were from Virginia, Utah, Tennessee, Washington and Mexico, they were either off  the cruise ships or traveling with their own camper.  

We found a lot of the shop workers were actually from other states, as they come to Skagway/Haines to work during the summer months. One young fellow said he works here for six months out of the year, then goes back home and picks up another job for six months. 

When we arrived in Skagway, there were four cruise ships and lots of folks in the town. We were told there probably were at least 15,000 people in this small town with us. The shop owners said when all the ships leave, the town shuts down till the next one arrive.

The ferry ride was awesome going inside the passage to Skagway where we saw hump back whales going to and from Haines and more water falls. We also saw the area where the town of Dyea was in the early 1800‘s which is no longer in existence there now. The weather for the day was perfect and we returned to mile 26 to our little cabin tired but happy that we had such a good day. 

On July 17, 2013 we cleaned the cabin and then went up to the big house to get on the internet while we could. In the afternoon we went into Haines with Kathy as Maureen wanted to buy some wooden bowls that came from wood off her daughter and son in laws property.  John Norton originally from New York had some wonderful bowls at his place and we got the tour of his homestead. We enjoyed seeing how he made his bowls from start to finish. Mr. Norton had many on display for sale.

 We have enjoyed warm weather with only a few rain showers while here in Alaska. The temperature has been in the high 60’s to 70’s.

            We left the cabin Thursday, July 18, from Mile 26 early in the morning to check in at the ferry at 8:30 a.m. to return to Juneau.  We were going on the M/V Matanuska, just another smaller version of a cruise ship on our return trip.  We ate our lunch on board, and I checked out the gift shop that was there. We looked for whales but did not see any but I did see one porpoise after we left Haines in front of the ferry. We finally arrived in Juneau and back to the house  by 4:30 in the afternoon. 

Later on in the evening I called Chris Hicks who lives in Juneau, formerly of Addison and spoke with him. He was busy with some paper work for his job but took the time to chat with me. I also called home and spoke with family and friends that same evening.  

On Friday, July 19 we all went into town to do more shopping at the thrift shops as Kathy said that sometimes you really can find a good bargain. Afterwards Kathy left us down by where the cruise ships come in and we checked out all of the stores that cater to the ships. We then came home to a nice chicken soup that Maureen had started in the morning. 

In the evening Kathy’s friend Mark Insteness of Sitka, Alaska stopped by to wish us well on our trip home. He was heading out on Saturday morning to go to Sitka where he will be teaching this coming school season. 

Saturday, July 20th came and we went again into town to go to some shops and then checked out Kathy’s school that she teachers at. This school was built in 2005 and has over 700 students in Grades 9-12, afterwards we came home and fixed supper. The temperature in Juneau has been around 58 degrees since we arrived here with a few sprinkles here and there.

We found this morning that a bear had checked out Kathy’s car, it left muddy paw prints all over the car. Thank goodness there was no food or snacks left inside or the bear would have probably torn the car up. 

In Kathy’s yard, there are a lot of salmon berries, they taste almost like raspberries but larger. Kathy is planning on picking them to make jam or jelly if the bears don’t get to them first. 

While visiting Haines and talking with Chuck Carl, Kathy’s husband, we figured out that we were related. He is only my tenth cousin twice removed to me. That’s a fact!

 On my vacation I have met folks that had come back from spending a month in Europe searching their ancestors. It seems genealogy is a fascinating subject to the older generation and there are a lot of folks out there that are enjoying finding out where they came from. More and more folks are contacting me to help them in their research of the Pleasant River area even on my vacation.

On Sunday July 21 we caught the Plane for Settle, Washington and had a lay over till 11 o’clock to get the plane to Boston. While we waited we had a nice meal in the airport, salmon and chips that was from Anthony’s Restaurant. We arrived in Boston July 22 at 7:30 a.m. and I was at my daughter’s home by 8:30 giving my grandson some hugs and kisses.

I traveled to home via bus on Thursday after spending three days with my daughter’s family. My vacation was now over and all that I have are the many pictures and memories that were made on my trip. The End