Update: 11 May 2015 – Beachcombing

How hard do crabs pinch?

A week of beachcombing and bird watching. Every day for the past week, the boys have wandered down onto the beach (right in front of the RV) at low tide to observe what creatures have been left behind by the ocean. Rhys’ favorite activity was finding Dungeness crabs. Dylan’s favorite activity – picking them up. Dylan was also fond of letting the sea stars (starfish) stick to his fingers or touching the sea anemones to watch them close.

Friday was a fantastic day for bird watching right in front of the RV. The juvenile and adult bald eagles came down to the beach to feed on a fish carcass for the whole morning. It was amazing to watch – and photograph. Also, out in the bay we were treated to a display of a couple of humpback whales rolling and slapping their fins on the water. They were pretty far out, so not so easy to photograph, but it was still a treat to see and hear.

It’s also been a good week for catching up with schoolwork. Haines has an excellent library and even Anwen was keen to go there every day. When we go to libraries in the towns we visit, it usually to use their WiFi rather than get access to books. Each afternoon, after the library, Rhys, Dylan and Anwen also got to play with the local children down at the park.

All in all, it’s been a great week for us in Haines, with fine weather also allowing to explore the areas nearby, including Chilkoot Lake, Chilkat State Park and Fort Seward. To top it off we treated ourselves by eating out at the Fireweed Restaurant in nearby Fort Seward and I sampled a few of the local Haines Brewing Company ales J

incoming bald eagle

Next, we’re on our way to Alaska’s interior, which means getting back onto the Alaska Hwy at Haines Junction, in Canada, and then driving west about 600 miles to Fairbanks, AK. It’s a little strange to think that the majority of Alaska (the interior) can only be reached by road from Skagway or Haines (in South East Alaska) by driving through Canada.