Haines

[Monica887]

We will be in Haines from 5pm to 10pm, 2 kids, some vegetarians not interested in seafood. 

 

What to do there? Worth it to stay for dinner or is it all just touristy? Early dinner on the ship and then walk around town? 

[JT1962]

There is not a lot to see in Haines other than nature. It is a small town with not much typical tourist shops / attractions.  The Kroschel Wildlife Center is excellent, if that is offered as an excursion through the ship.
 

Another option is to rent a car and visit Chilkoot Lake and Chilkat State Parks, if it will be daylight until 9:00 or later when you are there. 

[Monica887]

Just now, JT1962 said:

There is not a lot to see in Haines other than nature. It is a small town with not much typical tourist shops / attractions.  The Kroschel Wildlife Center is excellent, if that is offered as an excursion through the ship.
 

Another option is to rent a car and visit Chilkoot Lake and Chilkat State Parks, if it will be daylight until 9:00 or later when you are there. 

Thanks. We decided not to book the Kroschel excursion becuase of the cost. Any other tours we might be able to grab at the pier? I feel like it might be an odd time of day, especially with the kids. 

[JT1962]

7 minutes ago, Monica887 said:

Thanks. We decided not to book the Kroschel excursion becuase of the cost. Any other tours we might be able to grab at the pier? I feel like it might be an odd time of day, especially with the kids. 

We were there in 2017, and I don’t remember many, if any tours being sold at the pier. It is a small town with only about 1,600 people.
 

We rented a car and went to Kroschel on our on, then visited the State Parks I mentioned, but had 8-9 hours there. It was cheaper to rent the car and pay admission directly than it was for 2 excursions. You might check and see if Kroschel will still let you go on your own, what the cost would be and what it would cost to rent a car. If you are able to do that, just watch your time carefully since it’s probably 30 minutes or so each way to and from the wildlife center from town.

[karatemom2]

Haines is not a touristy town and cruise ships don’t stop regularly so there isn’t a thriving tour demand there where it would support tours sold at the dock as you sometimes find in other towns. There also aren’t a lot of restaurants. It’s a small, authentic Alaska town - very quaint with some interesting shops and historic Fort Seward as it’s focal point. If you don’t book through the ship or track down a private tour in advance, I wouldn’t count on finding anything available at the pier. Getting there at those odd hours might make it hard to rent a car, but if you can find a tour that takes you out to Chilkoot Lake that’s a great place to sometimes see bears during the salmon run. Other than that, I would suggest eating early on the ship and spend a nice evening roaming the town. 

Edited July 2, 2022 by karatemom2

[SightCRR]

Look into the Hammer museum if they are open. 

If they are closed at least walk by to see the roof.

sightcrr.  

[Crew News]

How long will it take to walk around this town?  Not long.

 

[oaktreerb]

The kids would love the Kroschel Wildlife Center.

[Monica887]

1 hour ago, Crew News said:

How long will it take to walk around this town?  Not long.

 

I literally LOLed! As much as they would love the wildlife center, it's late in the day and not a long time. Sigh. I'm already planning my next Alaska trip in my head, and it may not involve a cruise, since there just doesn't seem to be enough time to see everything. 

[Hummingbird33]

We were in Haines last week and did the Kroschel Wildlife Center.  We really enjoyed it but it was pricey.

 

The town is small with not a lot of options.  There is a "downtown" area that is about a 10-15 minute walk from the ship that has more shops.  There is a small beach right where the ship docks that makes a nice walk.  There are also some bike rental places.

 

 

[YVRteacher]

If the Chilkoot Lake kayaking tour is offered it is spectacular.

[Cali Viajera]

We were there last week as the Majestic couldn’t go to Skagway. Loved the Steve Kroschel wildlife preserve. He is quite a character who loves and cares for the animals. Saw so many animals and you can feed the two orphaned moose and the caribou there. Worth it! 

[cruisinsusin]

On 7/1/2022 at 9:24 PM, SightCRR said:

Look into the Hammer museum if they are open. 

If they are closed at least walk by to see the roof.

sightcrr.  

Hammer museum was unique and fun- not very big but enjoyed our visit!

[disneyochem]

In addition to walking the town (and maybe getting an ice cream), you can do a walking tour of Fort Seward.  Not a lot there but it was enjoyable to walk the fort and read the plaques.  Great views of the harbor there.

 

You didn’t mention the ages of your kids, but there’s a pretty good city park with playground equipment.  We sat and watched kids play for  a little bit while we were enjoying our ice cream.  That might be nice just to run around off the ship.

[donaldsc]

https://www.baldeagles.org/

 

Also read

Of Bears and Ballots: An Alaskan Adventure in Small-Town Politics  by Heather Lende

Heather Lende was one of the thousands of women inspired to take an active role in politics during the past few years. Though her entire campaign for assembly member in Haines, Alaska, cost less than $1,000, she won! And tiny, breathtakingly beautiful Haines isn’t the sleepy town it appears to be. Yes, the assembly must stop bears from rifling through garbage on Main Street, but there is also a bitter debate about the fishing boat harbor and a vicious recall campaign that targets three assembly members, including Lende. In Of Bears and Ballots we witness the nitty-gritty of passing legislation, the lofty ideals of our republic, and the way our national politics play out in one small town. With her entertaining cast of offbeat but relatable characters, the writer whom the Los Angeles Times calls “part Annie Dillard, part Anne Lamott” brings us an inspirational tale about what living in a community really means, and what we owe one another.

 

DON

[Kathscof]

I agree with many, not much to do tour wise if you don’t get one in advance.  Your times are better than ours which were 7-11.....you will have more options than our ship did.  The stores and attractions have a higher chance of being open.  The gift shop in the cottage across from the dock on the right is delightful! I took the ship canoe tour and it would be amazing if it were closer to salmon time.  I know there are a few tours that offer wildlife viewing that might be fun.  But as someone else said, the playground and a nice stroll through town to “do nothing” in particular might be fun too after a busy day.

[Cali Viajera]

Haines is such a quaint Alaskan town. You get a feel of life there. Our bus driver to the Kroschel preserve teaches there and talked about how everyone knows one another. There is a free shuttle that takes you into town. Don’t miss stopping in the Fog Cutters bar to meet the locals!

[Beth and Bailey]

On 7/1/2022 at 6:55 PM, JT1962 said:

We were there in 2017, and I don’t remember many, if any tours being sold at the pier. It is a small town with only about 1,600 people.
 

We rented a car and went to Kroschel on our on, then visited the State Parks I mentioned, but had 8-9 hours there. It was cheaper to rent the car and pay admission directly than it was for 2 excursions. You might check and see if Kroschel will still let you go on your own, what the cost would be and what it would cost to rent a car. If you are able to do that, just watch your time carefully since it’s probably 30 minutes or so each way to and from the wildlife center from town.

 

[Beth and Bailey]

Do you recall what the cost to rent a car for just the one day was?  Also what was the cost for the Kroschel doing it on your own?  I'm sure pricing has gone up, but his page is difficult to navigate.

[Cruising Cindy Lou]

We are actually doing a back to back and will be in Skagway twice. I had considered riding ferry over. Read ferry ride is very good. Was hoping something close to ferry to see or do. Maybe good hiking trail close by? I had read about Battery Point, but maybe hard to get out there? 

Not sure ferry would work for you with your port time. 

[JT1962]

1 hour ago, Beth and Bailey said:

Do you recall what the cost to rent a car for just the one day was?  Also what was the cost for the Kroschel doing it on your own?  I'm sure pricing has gone up, but his page is difficult to navigate.

I no longer have the information with the exact cost, but I think it was $ 200 or less. The car and admission to Kroschel for 2 was about the same as the ship excursion price to Kroschel for just one person. 

[new_cruiser]

You can stroll into town and see Fort Seward (buildings around a parade ground) and then over to the Hammer Museum. The Museum website says it is open evenings when a ship is in town.