Hoonah was the only village that did not have that row of shops at the port. The corporation that runs the town would not allow it.

We took a bus into the town — we would have walked but we didn’t realize how close it was. Hoonah itself was a real village, no real tourist shops ony store used by the locals.

We stopped a a large warehouse-like building housing the Tribal House Carving Project. There a master carver and his apprentices were working on a massive totem pole. He explained what the ttem was and how it was being carved. The totem pole was destined for and inland village. At the other end of the building a man was carving masks for ceremonials. He explained the totemic animals on the masks (the Raven is very important in southern Alaska .

After that we walked dow the street an decided to eat in a local tavern called The Office. We had gigantic Dungeness crabs pulled right out of the water ands the cooked. Washed down with Alaska Amber (they don’t brew an IPA). Nothing like fresh crab all they were missing was the Old Bay.

After lunch we walked back to the ship.