Hoonah (Xunaa) Bound

Hoonah is the largest Tlingit settlement in SE Alaska.   Originally named Xunaa, it was formed about 250 years ago when the Tlingit abandoned Glacier Bay looking for a more favorable location.   At the time of the exodus, Glacier Bay's glaciers were rapidly advancing and causing landslides, the largest causing a devastating tsunami in Lituya Bay.   Xunaa's appeal lay in its protection from the glaciers and the cold north winds.   "In the lee of the north wind" is the rough interpretation of what xunaa means.

Today, it is primarily a Tlingit community fishing village of about 1,000 residents.    It is located only about 30 miles from the entrance to Glacier Bay, hence it is also a popular spot for boaters heading to or from Glacier Bay.   That would be us.

As a boater tourist destination, Hoonah leaves a bit to be desired.   Everything is serviceable, but the docks are in disrepair and there isn't much going on here.  There are only a few restaurants, two coffee shops, and two bars.   But on the positive side, there is a hardware store and a fishing store or two.   And the surrounding mountains and vistas are breathtaking.   So, what's a few old docks anyway...

Motoring up from Taku Harbor this morning was uneventful.   We pretty much saw nothing as the fog was very thick, and then it rained.    We passed by Juneau but couldn't see it.   I took a couple of Teams meetings while underway and caught-up on some emails and outbound sales work.

Finally, as we were rounding Point Retreat at the north end of Admiralty Island the fog and rain cleared and we were treated to a few pods of humpback whales; all too far away to get decent pictures.

The wind and waves really picked-up as we entered Icy Strait blowing about 20kts on our beam bringing the seas up to a 1' chop on top of a 2' wind swell.   That's not too bad, except the period from crest to crest was only 2-3 seconds, so it was a splashy ride.   But it didn't last too long.

As we were entering Hoonah, we met the outgoing Norwegian Sun.   I tell you, these cruise ships look enormous, until I look at the pictures I took, and then they don't look so enormous.    Perspective.

We decided to grab dinner out at a well-rated local establishment names "Fisherman's Wife".   The venue was not what I expected.   We ordered form a window and ate out on the patio in the light drizzle.   I had the halibut tacos and Karen had the battered fried halibut balls.   The food was really tasty, hot, and well prepared.   No complaints!   We are having an adventure!

Tomorrow is another day in Hoonah for some minor maintenance, repairs, cleaning, etc.   Then on to our reservation in Glacier Bay starting on the 14th.   We get 4 days/nights there and we plan to make the best of them.   The weather forecast calls for fog and rain the entire time we are there.