American Constellation in Alaska: Haines

Read Our Review of American Constellation in Alaska

Photo: Gerry Barker

By GERRY BARKER
North Palm Beach Life

Day 3 of our "Alaska Explorer" cruise on American Constellation finds us docked at Haines, a town of less than 2,000 people set against the backdrop of the majestic, snow-capped Chilkat Range mountains. Known as one of the key gateways to the Klondike gold fields, as well as a Tlingit trading post, Pam and I are going on the "Chilkoot Lake Wildlife Kayak Adventure" excursion, along with another couple.

We load into our guide's Jeep and drive along Chikoot Lake State Park and the Chikoot River, where the Sockeye Salmon are currently running. Biologists from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game monitor their numbers using weirs, which herds the fish through a narrow opening for counting.

Soon we arrive at Lake Chilkoot, a stunning, turquoise lake ringed by mountains and waterfalls. The guide and his assistant outfit us in the proper attire for kayaking, and after some safety instructions, Pam and I ease our dual-person kayak into the lake waters. With our guide close at hand in his own kayak, we'll spend the next few hours learning about the region and the area wildlife as we paddle our way into one scenic spot after another.

We are by no mean experts at kayaking, but on this serene lake, you don't have to be. Several times we stopped paddling and just enjoyed the beauty and quiet of the moment.

On the way back to the American Constellation, our guide took us for a tour of the town, where we passed what I assume was the very last Radio Shack in the United States. There's also the Hammer Museum, featuring more than 2,000 hammers on display. Also here is Fort William H. Seward, the only U.S. Army post in Alaska prior to WW II. Its barracks and buildings are now repurposed for other uses. 

The town has found a fun way to use one of the fort's cannons: Every 4th of July they stage the "Bloomer Blast" to see how far you can shoot some bloomer undergarments. The record is almost 300 feet.
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Haines, Alaska Slide Show
Photos by Gerry Barker

Video Credit: Gerry Barker