Clay Perlman was shocked when his wife said she had an idea for their upcoming summer vacation. Normally Clay Perlman does the dreaming and the planning but was happy to let his wife decide on their destination for a change. She approached him with information she had printed from a website about Haines, Alaska. Clay Perlman was now even more shocked because he did not think she wanted to explore Alaska, let alone a small, somewhat remote area at that.

“I had just finished reading a book by an author who lived in Haines. I have to say that I fell in love with her descriptions and hoped that it would live up to my expectations. I thought it would be quite romantic and adventurous for the two of us to be in the ultimate wilderness. This also shocked my husband a great deal!” said Clay Perlman’s wife. He did not hesitate and began planning the trip almost immediately. The couple stayed up late into the night researching almost everything possible on Haines, Alaska and they became giddy like two children.

The more Clay Perlman researched Haines, the more he could not wait to go there. There was the obvious natural beauty along with a multitude of outdoor activities and he was planning for all of it. “I wanted to raft in the Chilkat River and hike Mount Ripinski. Fort William H. Seward is located right in the town and I wanted to explore the old barracks and parade grounds. Most importantly, I wanted to learn about the Tlingit natives that still inhabit the area and hopefully be able to talk to some of them,” said Clay Perlman.

Clay Perlman has always had an affinity for travel, and wanted to take advantage of really learning about the culture of Alaska while he was there. He also felt that they should try to be somewhat educated about the people and place they are visiting, as it is not a typical tourist attraction. “Now that there are docks for cruise ships, many more people are finding out about Haines. However, I am still thinking it is one of the most remote places we will visit in the United States,” said Clay Perlman.