Most of the time we spent in Haines, we were exploring outside of the town…
… watching birds, gazing at scenery, taking a few pictures, fishing a bit, and watching other wildlife:
(Like this guy on the way to his favorite fishing hole.)
But we also really enjoyed the little town. Here are some of the views of this picturesque area:
Like most places in Alaska, Haines is nowhere near a city of any size. Because of its location and small population, I had expected a tiny village with few amenities. I was pleasantly surprised. It actually does not have chain stores and that was OK by us. It's sweet to see a town that doesn't look like every other place you visit. And besides, the local merchants offered everything we needed (good grocery stores and restaurants for us mostly, but there were other stores, none of which seemed overtly 'touristy'.)
This bald eagle was fishing near Haines at the same time Bill was.
About 3500 Bald Eagles migrate into Haines in late Fall and the town hosts the Chilkat Valley Bald Eagle Festival in November. (I'd love to be there — if only it weren't already so cold by then!) But we were just happy to see a few of the ones who make their home permanently in the area.
SHARING WITH: MOSAIC MONDAY (thanks to Judith, the new host) OUR WORLD on Tuesday (thank you to the team Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia, Sandy and Jennifer) and WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY with thanks to Stuart.
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