Icy Strait Point

Nearby Alaska's largest Tlingit village exists a uniquely Alaskan place - lcy Strait Point. Hoonah, meaning "village by the cliff," is home to the Huna Tlingit who have occupied this area for thousands of years. Local legend tells how they were forced from their ancestral home in Glacier Bay by advancing glaciers, resulting in their relocation to and settlement of Hoonah. In 1912, the Hoonah Packing Co. built a large cannery one mile north of town. After only five years of operation, the cannery at Icy Strait Point turned out 152,505 cases of one-pound cans of salmon, the largest pack ever achieved in Alaska. Today, Hoonah is home to nearly 750 residents. Visitors will be intrigued by its rich Native heritage, opportunities to see wildlife and the vast wilderness that surrounds this unique village. Icy Strait's waters have yielded record-breaking halibut and salmon catches and provide summer-long access to all five species of salmon. Chichagof Island, on which Icy Strait Point is located, supports one of the largest concentrations of brown bears in the world and sightings are common.

Originally we were told this would be a tender port but we have since learned that the ship will dock and we will be able to walk off. HOWEVER this mooring will only be until noon at which time the ship will move and be at anchor for the rest of our stay. This means that we must use the tender to return to the ship.

When we were here a few years ago the ramp that lead you from the ship to the shore was very fragile lookong but that is not the case now. There are sturdy steel ramps which lead to the shore. We can see one more such a travel way from our balcony. Another ship is moored there.

We have an excursion...Seafood Feast and Tribal Dance Show. It is described as : Experience the living culture of the Huna Tlingit with an interactive performance at the Heritage Center Theatre. Once you arrive, a troupe of talented performers in colourful regalia will perform an artistic representation of the history, culture and storytelling through Native song and dance. Listen as Huna Tlingit storytellers recount the gripping tales of the tumultuous days of the Little Ice Age when a rapid glacial advance forced the people from Glacier Bay , their ancestral home. Culminating this dramatic performancce is a lively traditional celebration... and you are invited to participate. Then enjoy a seafood feast including shrimp and seasonal crab boiled in southern seasoning with corn on the cob, Andouille sausage , onions, mushrooms, potatoes and garlic. Before returning to your ship you can sit around the fire pit, roast marshmallows and make smores. With this description in mind we made sure to not over eat at breakfast. We begin this excursion at 1:15. This excursion was very good but not as advertised. There was one lady who told the story of the tlingit people and their history and there way of life. Their value system of respecting all life is really what we need now if ever before. She had all of us spell bound. There were no dancers, probably because this was the end of the season.

The food was good and it was all you could eat. Unfortunately it takes time to eat crab by the time you get it out of the shell. Ken was not able to eat as much as he would have liked because we had to go to the presentation.

Many improvements have been made to this stop, there are new shops, restaurants,information centers, gondulas and a zip line. Normally there would be little to do in this place but with exhibits, hiking trails and rest stops and eateries this is a very nice stay. Of course the fact that we had a beautiful sunny day did not hurt but added to the enjoyment of the moment.

We returned to the ship in time for dinner and just rested the rest of the evening. We met a very nice couple at dinner and we chatted the entire time. Tomorrow we are in Juneau, we do not have an excursion. But tomorrow night is a formal night and it is the Captain Circle Cocktail Party.