We had two very different stops today. Both of them were very interesting. The first stop was Thorne Bay, a town that suffered the collapse of the logging industry. The population dropped by two thirds, but they never gave up. There is some logging today for special woods, but not like it was when this was a major source of Western Hemlock for the pulp mills in Ketchikan. We were met by some locals and had an enjoyable walk along the water. They had parked a loaded log truck along the way and we played a guessing game about how many board feet of lunber was on the truck. The day was very warm and sunny. We met a couple local kids that had been swimming. We went to the grocery store to see what it was like. Of course, it was expensive, but you could get just about anything you like in there. They even had a little bakery.

Back on the boat we headed for the next stop. Along the way whales were spotted. The captain never misses the opportunity to chase them, and this was no exception. We took some pictures and then had to move on to the afternoon stop at Kasaan, a Haida Indian village of 49 residents. This was a pretty modern place, actually. You might expect people living in huts, but that was not the case. The claim to fame for this spot is the Whale House. It is supposed to be the last remaining original Haida house in the United States. As with any wood structure, parts of it rotted and had to be replaced. They are in the midst of another complete rennovation. What has not been replaced is the three large totems which adorn the inside of the house. These are pretty impressive. On the walk back to the boat we stopped off at the carving shed for a little demonstration of using the adze. Ginny got a chance to try it.

All in all an interesting day. Tomorrow is our last full day on the boat. I wish we didn't have to call it quits.