One of the things we learned about cruising, many years ago, is that you need to spend time with the locals to break down the various barriers we all seem to construct around ourselves. In this context, it is better to pick one spot and hang out for a while rather than trying to see as many different places as possible.

We figured Cordova, on the eastern corner of Prince William Sound on Alaska’s Panhandle, might give us a feel for non-tourist Alaska. There are very few outsiders – just one mini-cruiseship per week, with 50 to 100 passengers – no road to the outside world, not the easiest airline connections, and the occasional ferry from Valdez. The local economy is based on fishing and government services. And with sea otters bidding you "hello" as you steam into the harbor, you just know this has to be a special place.

We’re fortunate to be here at the start of the salmon season. The harbor is bustling, and the various canneries are gearing up to process their extremely tasty and valuable catch.’

The full time population of 2000 souls supports a health food store, two grocery stores, an Internet cafe, a combination Radio Shack/Drug Store, a great hardware store…

…and several bars.

The proprietor of the realty office also happens to cut hair. Turns out he has traveled with movie stars, done Barbara Bush’s hair, and now counts Linda amongst his clientele.

This display at the local market caught our eye. From the photo it looks like wearing a mosquito head net is great fun. Once these critters awaken, they are extremely hungry, just looking for some juicy, tender flesh to penetrate – but we’re here before they’ve made their yearly appearance.

We were pleasantly surprised at the variety available in the local markets. In spite of the isolated nature of Cordova, and the fact that supplies are barged over once a week, the produce was excellent. And we learned something new about grapefruit. The photo above is of seeds from one of our locally purchased grapefruits. You would think the flavor would be less than optimum given that the seeds have started to sprout, but they were actually quite tasty.

The harbor has over 600 slips, the majority of which are used by commercial fishermen. We counted maybe 10 yachts amongst the 600+ boats on the docks.

There is a steep mountain behind the town, mostly hidden in the rain clouds during our visit. During the winter Cordovans need only walk a couple of blocks to the local ski hill with its lift. There are miles of ice skating on the many nearby lakes.

Weather was its normal "mild" self for early summer. This is the warmest we saw the first week of June. The sign typically read in the mid to high 40s (5 to 7C).

There are two interesting museums in town. The one adjacent to the library has this foul weather gear top made from the gut of a grizzly bear and sewn together using dolphin sinew. It is said to be 100% watertight. The other museum, right next to the harbor, has a rare orca skeleton on display. The most fascinating aspect of the skeleton are the finger-like bones, complete with knuckle structure, in the fins.

Hanging out on the dock for a week allowed us to meet a variety of Cordovans. These folks lead interesting lives, travel all over the world in the winter, while taking advantage of the wonderful wilderness which surrounds them. Most arrived years ago from somewhere else, and just never left. We can see why.

They are also friendly and trusting to a degree you don’t find in bigger cities. An example took place at the local art gallery when Linda was discussing the imminent arrival of our sister and brother-in-law. "How are they getting in from the airport?," the proprietess asked.

"They’ll take a cab," was Linda’s reply.

"We’ve got two cars. We’ll leave a set of keys in it and you can just use it to pick them up when it is time to drive out."

Can you imagine this happening where you live?

We’ll end this first section with a couple of photos from Copper River Fleece. This is a local business which creates a variety of interesting looking and very functional fleece garments. Some are made with wind and water resistant layers, and all are trimmed in a variety of colorful fabrics.

A great place to do your holiday shopping ( www.copperriverfleece.com ).