Every stop we made in Alaska had something unique; history, scenery, community, glaciers, rivers, etc.  Of all these, I think Haines would be the place I would live, if I moved to Alaska. Haines is a small town, about 2000 in the winter. But it has an award winning school and library. The school has about 330 students, from Kindergarden to twelfth grade. Two if its unique features are an awesome totem pole out front and a full sized pool, attached to the school, so the kids can swim all winter. Haines also has a great bookstore and two bakeries. But, here’s the best part, Haines is located on a fjord. Towering, snowcapped mountains often ending right at the waters edge. This also gives Haines an all weather deep water harbor. The Chilkat River has a broad outwash plain so Haines, unlike Juneau, is built on flat land. It is nicknamed the Valley of the eagles, because of the available-ability of food, up to 3000 pairs winter there around the Chilkat River. We saw hundreds of eagles during our 4 days in Haines. But there are two negatives to life in Haines. One, lack of emergency care, one lady told us about her husband who fell off a cliff while goat hunting. It took seven hours to transport him to a hospital.  Two, their AVERAGE snowfall is over 40 feet.  That’s right,

40 FEET. But according to people we talked to the streets and roads are always clear and a snow day for the kids is unheard of….and The whole town is connected to and emergency generator, so they never loose power !