Icy Strait Point was a favorite port stop for me. In its former life, it was a fishing and cannery village. Today, it is a cruise ship stop showcasing its former life. I was excited because there were geocaches. OFD was excited because it had a whale watching tour and some great souvenir shopping. Again, we docked early in the morning and left at 2:30. (Hoonah, population 931 is 1.5 miles south of Icy Strait Point.)
passengers heading into the village
our ship's mooring as seen from our balcony
one of six ropes tethered to the docks
an aerial ride option as seen from our balcony
one of two bald eagles seen from our balcony
this free 6-8 passenger gondola or cable car
was how we got to the village
It was about a mile from the dock to the main part of the village. The walk was on a steep rocky path through the trees. Bears are out and about looking for food after their hibernation. In fact, some of the walking trails were closed because a tourist tried to take a selfie with a bear the week before. We did not know about the area bears when we chose our ride! Icy Strait Point has the highest concentration of wild bears anywhere in the world!
the first geocache
This sculpture, called Kéet, was placed by the Norwegian Cruise Line honoring the Orcas who frequent the bay.
fresh donuts at Lil' Gen's Donut Hut
we did not stand in line for the highly recommended morning treat
the final resting place of some former residents of the village
Capt. Paul E. Dybdahl, Sr.
a Pioneer of Alaska from Norway
a great board walk throughout the village
The Hoonah Packing Company building was constructed in 1912 and was one of the world's most productive salmon canneries.
Since 2000 it has served as a museum where displays explain the local history and the fishing and canning process.
There were also a number of locally-owned shops within the huge museum building which carried authentic Alaska-made products.
notice no prices were posted
this place also had a bar
a number of the cruise folks checked the beach for treasures
one of the Marine Mammal cruise excursion boats
Icy Strait Point is near one of the world's premier whale watching destinations. Seeing whales is guaranteed on their excursions.
Although Icy Strait Point does not have any year-round residents, these three shore-side houses looked lived-in with planters and patio furniture.
rhubarb
I remember seeing and taking a photo of a rhubarb plant in 2001 in Talkeetna that was as tall as me and the leaves were HUGE! This one is on its way!
Because of geocaching we got to see all the important sites in the village.
AK landscape
delicious carrot cake ~ its all about presentation!
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