Haines, Alaska
Similar to Seward, Haines was one of the most beautiful and unique places we’ve seen. We heard many people call Haines a ‘little slice of paradise.’ We were so enamored by it when we first arrived that we started looking at plots of land on the second day. It reminded me a bit of St. John’s – stunningly blue water that looks about as gorgeous as the Caribbean surrounded by lush, green, snow-capped mountains covered in a rainforest (a lot of southeastern Alaska is a temperate rainforest). The weather was perfect while we were there too – sunny and 70s every day. Haines is much smaller than Seward and most other towns on this list. There weren’t even many grocery options. However, there are a number of unique bars and bar/restaurants in the town, along with a brewery (although its beer wasn’t great). There are lots of kayaking and hiking options in the mountains and along the sea surrounding Haines. It’s also host of the Southeast Alaskan State Fair each July, which is one hell of a party.
