Wrangell

July 3, 2021

The trip to Wrangell was pretty easy and smooth. The highlight was seeing over 20 eagles gathered on a beach along the way. It was really cool. Liz also caught pics of some deer by the water.

Our excitement was really getting boarded by the US Coast Guard. They were doing full sweeps in anticipation of the holiday weekend. Luckily all our paperwork was in order, Matt had his Mariner’s Credentials, and safety protocols were all up to date. Coda got a laugh passing us watching the boarding happen… but SI got the last laugh watching Coda get boarded next!

Once we were settled in Heritage Harbor at Wrangell, we made the about one-mile walk to town and stopped first at what was supposed to be a dive bar: Rayme’s Bar.

Lonely Planet quote: “If you’re on a tour of gritty Alaskan bars that smell of spilt beer and old carpets, pop into Rayme’s, where inhaling deeply is usually enough to make you feel light-headed.”

Rayme’s doesn’t exactly live up to dive bar status as it looked like it had an overhaul (no old carpets and nice high-top tables) in the last few years since the Lonely Planet review, though there is still a deer butt on the wall.

Next we ambled through town and settled at Stikine Inn for drinks and apps. We had great outdoor seating overlooking the water to watch kids jumping off the pier. After that, Liz, Barbara and Tonia walked to the Petroglyph Beach Park and then we settled in for a movie and watching fireworks from the boat. The start time was slated for 11pm but the real show didn’t start until 11:40 – it was good but a late night!