2 posts tagged “jeftey”
Icy Straight Point was created as a compromise between the locals who wanted the cruise ship revenue, the locals who wanted to preserve the traditional ways, and the cruise ships, who wanted to have someplace to separate their passengers form their money. It is nearby to Hoonah, Alaska’s largest Huna Tlingit community on Chichagof Island.
The Huna Tlingit have lived in their “village by the cliff” (the meaning of Huna) for hundreds of years; a legend tells of moving from a home in Glacier Bay that was destroyed by a glacier’s movement. The first European settlement happened in 1880, when the Northwest trading Company set up shop, followed by the Presbyterian Home Mission in 1881. (The US Post office didn’t arrive until 1901.) A cannery was established in 1912 and provided one of the underpinnings of the local economy (the other two were logging and gold). Sadly, all three resources began to dry up in the 60’s. Only with the creation of the port has the economy begun to revive.
Because they have you trapped here, the best model for Icy Straight Point is that of Disneyland in the old "E-ticket" days. Everything costs money [1]. And everything is sanitized - cleaned up fakes that shield your delicate tourist eyes from the brutal details of fish canning and logging and tribal life and such. But Ken and the kids enjoyed it, even if there was way too much shellfish around for my taste [2]. On the bright side, by arriving near the end of the season, all of the souvenirs were on sale. So a lot of my friends got things from here...
John
[1] For example, we spent $120 on lunch for six people. And then we spent another $120 for a 45 minute show.
[2] I.e., any.
The inside passage is a relatively safe cruising ground for ships. However, though the 10,000 islands of the Alexander Archipelago offer shelter from the worst of the weather, those same islands create tides and currents that are both strong and sudden. Sea level can vary by as much as 30 ft in some places, and currents can run as fast as 20 mph.
The inside passage stretches some 900 miles from British Columbia to Glacier Bay. It is nearly 100 miles wide, with more than 15,000 miles of coastline and thousands of coves, bays, and inlets. Despite the size of the inside passage, we almost always had at least one other cruise ship in sight - which should tell you something about its popularity!
It is also popular with whales. During the passage we spotted humpbacks several times. Others reported seeing orcas, but we had no such luck. Probably because we were busy exploring the ship...
John
