We had another beautiful, warm, sunny day in Haines today!  Haines is a wonderful little town surrounded by an incredibly scenic panorama of mountains.  It has a much more authentic, working town feel than Skagway did, and it receives far less cruise ship traffic.  The docks are mostly filled with small fishing boats and dock carts full of salmon and halibut (one that weighed over 100lbs!) being pushed by grinning fishermen are a common site.  There is a historic military base, Fort Seward, and a strong presence of the Tlingit people who are Alaska Natives.  Haines also has a hammer museum, native culture and art museums, totem pole carving demonstrations, and great hiking options.  Each crew chose their own adventure today.

Change of Latitude consists of Bob and Susan and their good friends Gary and Kim.  They came up all the way from Austin, TX to escape the heat.  They are new to the boating world, but have taken to it very naturally and are doing great!  They are an inquisitive and enthusiastic group.  Today they decided to take a bus tour up to the Chilkoot River and Lake.  The guided tour took them through areas of critical habitat for salmon and eagle populations, including a bald eagle preserve with the highest concentration of eagles anywhere in the world (over 3,500!).

On Bonum Vitae, we have Mitch and Linda from Arizona.  They have recently retired and after traveling the country by RV, decided to take to the water and bought a boat.  This is one of their first times cruising and they are loving it.  Today, they negotiated for fresh salmon from the docks and enjoyed a relaxing day in Haines and a delicious dinner on board.  They are lovely, kind people who enjoy their time together and always miss their dogs and goats when they travel.

Dave and his parents Ken and Jan are the trusty crew of Discovery.  They hail from Florida and South Carolina, and Alaska’s summer feels like winter to them!  So, today’s 80 degree temperatures were a welcome change.  Dave has worked on boats in the Inside Passage before and has been itching to get back and explore on his own terms.  Today, they did just that! They headed out to anchor in a secluded bay and to discover the quiet inlets on their own.  They are a capable group and they love to explore.

Aboard Victoria are Bill and Nancy from Washington state.  They are a delightful and positive couple, who have a lot of experience boating and even own their own Grand Banks.  Today, after a morning in town, they headed out on the boat to look around.  According to Nancy, the inlet they cruised through was one of the quietest and most peaceful places they have ever been.  They were able to enjoy a quiet afternoon with one another free from distraction, and even doze in the warm sun.  That’s what vacation is all about!

The Patos crew includes six life-long friends from Australia: Graham, Jackie, Noel, Donna, Grant and Carolyn.  They have lots of experience on the water and enjoy racing sail boats back home.  They are an adventurous, fun-loving group.  Today, they were able to buy fresh Dungeness crab from a fisherman on the dock, and as soon as it was cooked they headed out to explore by boat for the day.  They enjoyed their fresh baked bread and fresh crab in front of a beautiful waterfall, took a swim in the cold, clean water, soaked up the sunshine, and headed off to anchor in a secluded bay for the night.  All in all, it was a glorious day!