Around 7:00 am this morning we arrived in Wrangell.

From its earliest period of occupation, perhaps as far back as 8,000 years ago, people have lived in this area, as evidenced by the numerous petroglyphs found in the local rocks.

Wrangell is the only community in Alaska to be governed by four nations and under three flags: Tiingit Nation, Russia, Britain, and the United States. Other cultures have influenced Wrangell, including the Chinese that came to work in the fish canneries and the Japanese that were active in the timber industry. Wrangell has experienced three gold rushes and was the first route to the Klondike Gold Rush!

We had a quick breakfast on the ship before getting off in Wrangell to explore. We started out with a walk into the town to look at some totem poles, and we then went on to the Petroglyph Beach State Historic Park to look at the petroglyphs.

Petroglyphs in the Petroglyph Beach State Historic Park.
Petroglyphs in the Petroglyph Beach State Historic Park.

After exploring the local town, we headed back to the ship for some lunch, before boarding a small boat to take us up the Stikine River to view the Shakes Glacier.

Waterfall on the Stikine River.
Waterfall on the Stikine River.
A Bald Eagle keeping watch along the Stikine River.
A Bald Eagle keeping watch along the Stikine River.
Andrea and Keith at the Shakes Glacier.
Andrea and Keith at the Shakes Glacier.
The Shakes Glacier.
The Shakes Glacier.

By the time we got back to the ship, it was late in the afternoon. We relaxed for a while before heading off to the pre-dinner show, dinner, and the after-dinner show.

Overnight we’ll be sailing to Sitka, where we’ll spend the day.