Haines, AK: Valley of the Eagles

As we left the ferry we drove toward Haines. The forest rangers from the ferry had encouraged us not to overlook this unique, historical, small village. It was raining, skies were heavily overcast, and we were hungry. As we drove into town we spotted the place where we would have lunch, “The Bamboo Room Restaurant,” featuring halibut. It was delicious and to add to our enjoyment, we ate with friends from the ferry. Next we visited old Fort Seward, which was active from 1902 until 1947. At one point, there were 350 Army personnel stationed there. We elected to stay two nights at the Fort Seward Lodge, which was the old fort’s post exchange, bowling alley, and recreation center. The huge homes on Officers’ Row are still intact and are now privately owned. The commanding officer’s resident is now the Halsingland Hotel, and the guard house is a B&B. The population of Haines is 1700, and it is a friendly town indeed.

Haines is in the Chilkat Valley, historic capital of the Tlingit Indians. It is also known as the Valley of Eagles. In the spring, dozens of them soar high in the sky. We saw several eagles perched along the river which is their summer place. In the fall and winter the greatest numbers of eagles arrive due to the warmer water that allows them to feed on the late run of chum salmon. The rest of Alaska is frozen.

Haines won the “Best Small Town Library” award in 2005; we read a day-old newspaper and took care of our e-mail while there. The Sheldon Museum and Fort Seward provided a nostalgic look at times of old when Haines was a thriving community. Jerry visited the world’s only Hammer Museum. Its founder and “curator” provided stories of how he has collected over 300 different kinds of hammers. He is the perfect example of how to turn a hobby into a job.

What a treat to visit such a quaint, far away village. We enjoyed the warm sunshine after the day of rain. Our walking tour showed us that Haines honors its Native Americans through Alaska Indian art, the Storytelling Theater and Alaska Indian Foundation.