Post 8-15-2014 Haines
We’ll try to update you on our time spent in Haines. It was interesting and we saw a few things.
Our trip over the mountain pass from Haines Junction was an experience we didn’t want to repeat. Most of the drive was as we expected but once we got above the tree line the wind picked up and it got a bit damp driving through the clouds as we went over the pass. There were taller mountains around and some had snow/ice/glaciers on them. Hard to get too excited about them anymore since we see so many of them.
We hit a spot of several miles of driving through some very thick clouds that slowed us down to 15-20 mph and less. Nita was driving and mentioned we should pull over and wait it out. I told her it may take a few days at that altitude. So, we eased on to get clear of it. (Let's pretend the white space between paragraphs is a photo. That's what we were looking at, WHITE!)
We had to cross the border again to get back into AK. Getting used to that now. Then we drove along the river basin where the eagles gather during late August through November to reap the last of the spawning salmon and trout. We saw a few but nothing as we expected. We did happen upon a rafting group at a pull out and joined the crew having coffee and a cookie.
Arriving in Haines, we couldn’t find a parking spot for the bus so we opted for a spot facing the marina and the sea wall adjacent to the RV park. It had the best view around and we enjoyed staying there. The fjord was immediately in front of us and we could watch the 15-20 ft tides move in and out quickly.
Day two it rained most of the day but we did visit the “Hammer Museum”. the place was small but had 2,000 different hammers on display and one of the attendants said there was over 4,000 in storage awaiting a display place. It was just incredible. You just can’t imagine that there are that many different kinds of hammers and a lot of them still in use every day. Think about it. How many hammers can you name? Maybe the photos’ will show some of them for you.
We talked to the owner of the museum and he told the story of the wood "hammer". The man pictured, used the driftwood "hammer" to break the window of the truck, with owner's dog inside, sinking in the water at the boat launch. (Jeff, ring a bell?) The dog was saved, the truck sank and when pulled out days later, the "hammer" was on the hood. The dog is the official greeter at the museum. We drove out to the cannery and bought some fresh “sockeye” salmon that I am going to bake and I know it will be delicious. Close to the cannery, there is a fish “counting” station. They string a line of barriers across the river leaving only a small opening where they can count the ones getting through. The fish then go upstream into the lake and spawn.
There are bears in the area that come down the mountain to fish. We saw two black ones that were scurrying back up after running across the road. We think they were last years (or two years ago) cubs that have been kicked out by mama bear. She does that when she has mated again.
Several people were fishing the stream as well. They are aware of the bears but know how to deal with them and warning signs are everywhere. Stupidity is of no use LOL.
We had dinner in a restaurant that dates back to the turn of the 19th century. It was a saloon and bordello and had a few rooms to rent to the gold prospectors of the day and is still in operation. A madam rented part of it and strung a beaded curtain across a door and started the “Bamboo Room” Restaurant in the 1920‘s. We had the baked salmon and it was mouth watering delicious.
We told you about Juneau where we went Saturday. Juneau is reachable only by boat or by air. There are no roads to get there although there has been a proposal to build one so it could serve the gold mine it would pass. It keeps getting shot down primarily because the gold mine makes $500,000 a day and they should build their own road. AH, politics. As it is, Juneau only has one highway that extends 59 miles around the city. Yet, when you see the number of automobiles and tourist bus’es crowding the road it makes you wonder. And, then again, there were three cruise ships in port so you know there were thousands of tourists there. All the shops in the area where we were supposedly were owned by the cruise lines and were a bit expensive especially jewelry.
We went to the "American Bald Eagle Foundation", a natural history museum that includes 200 specimens of fish and wildlife. This little Arctic Snow Owl was our first example of the rescue work they do. He was found with an injured wing and will never fly again, but he has a good home for life.
Bella, eating her lunch of salmon but her favorite food is rabbit.
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