Haines is a picturesque village of about 2,000 residents on the Taiya Inlet of the Inside Passage of Alaska. Skagway and Haines are the only two communities on the Inside Passage accessible by car. However, the two towns are over 8 hours apart via the road, while only 15 minutes apart by car and 45 minutes by water taxi.
Although downtown Haines is especially interesting because of Fort William Seward and its historic buildings, most cruise ship passengers visit Haines to see the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve on the Chilkat River a few miles north of town. We did a 1/2 day jet boat tour of the eagle preserve from the Cruise West Spirit of Yorktown. This ride was fascinating, and we saw moose, eagles, swans, and all sorts of waterfowl. The jet boat was uncovered, but the ride was not fast and jackets, hats, blankets, and gloves were provided. We cruised along just fast enough to spot the wildlife, yet cover quite a bit of the river. The ride was over way too quickly for me!
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