May 23 Day 14

We awake around 5:30AM and see a sunny day ahead, hopefully in the 60’s like yesterday once we landed in Skagway.  There are no cruise ships in yet.  We were able to pull in with a side view of the harbor.  Even though our queen size bed is basically a box, it has a 4 foot window.  When we really wake up at 7AM we open the blind and have a big screen TV look at the harbor.  Two cruise ships are in and a third is slowly entering.  For their size they move in silently like ship ghosts.  They are big but the mountains dwarf them.  You never hear engine sounds.  Skagway sits at the top of the Lynn Canal leading up from the main Inside Passage.  Haines sits south and Juneau sits further.  It is actually a narrow deep fjord with steep mountains on either side.  It has to be deep to accommodate these ships.  It must have been thrilling to eat breakfast while entering this beautiful port.  Skagway is the last stop for the cruisers.  Pat is able to set up the computer outside at the table.  What an inspiring place to blog.  It does make for a lot of gushing details but these adventures and sights merit some time and thought.  But still can’t do it justice.  The birds were the only sound all night long in the long twilight, but the port is waking up, the train and cruise buses are on the move.  Looks like a good day to go back into the pass on the train.  The snow storms are over for now we should get good views.  Chuck is making our first real breakfast of sausage, eggs and sweet potato pancakes.  It’s very nice to sit in one spot for two nights in a row.  We can walk to everything we need or want.  This is a prime location, Pullen RV Park on the harbor.

                We walk about 1/4 mile into the downtown and take the National Parks walking tour.  The guide tells us about this unique park and business arrangement with the citizens of Skagway, the history and shows us historic buildings.  We think we finally have the Alaska/Canada gold rush history straight.  The deep depression in the US, in late 1800’s, started the whole thing.  Only the early people made money.  Soapy Smith was killed here for being the varmint that he was.  Skagway was built ‘overnight’ to accommodate the thousands of Stampeders. This park is an historical park for the gold rush.  It is a series of parks from Seattle, through Skagway, to Dawson City in the Yukon.  The US and Canada share resources and management of trails etc.  The Skagway Park owns 21 buildings.  Does renovations and acquisitions by renting space to merchants.  The interpreter tells us about the old gold rush and about the new ‘cruise’ gold rush.  It seems to be a good arrangement for the locals.  Cruise season lasts for 4-5 months and they get their quiet town back. Most merchants and workers are only seasonal, 400 regular population, 2500 summer population.  There is a tent village near the tracks where some seasonal workers live.  We check out some more of the shops; stop off for a beer at the infamous Red Onion Saloon and Brothel.  The bar is very antique.  The waitresses are dressed in dance hall mode with money sticking out of their ‘bras’ and the men wear vests and garters on their sleeves.  We board the train for a round trip to White Pass.  The sky is cloudless and clear blue and the sun is hot.  The train cars are new but built like an old train.  We literally hug the side of the mountain and look straight down the valley.  Dramatic waterfalls are everywhere.  We pass the US Customs building.  The most dramatic part is near the top watching other trains ahead of us make the steep grade, pass over wooden tressle bridge and enter two long tunnels.  At the top we are in deep snow; full spring below.  Five flags stand: Yukon, BC, Ak, Canada, US.  We meet up with another train.  This is where they ‘turn around’ in the pass.  There are 3 trains running at the same time today it requires a lot of coordination.  Don’t know how this works when there are more people in town.  We somewhat parallel our driving route coming in.  We are in Canada at the top but because we don’t get off the train we don’t need passports.  It’s a different place with the weather.  We can see the Sawtooth Mountain and the Carmack Glacier clearly.  We are told that is rare.  We see a bear den with tracks leading away in the snow.

                We walk through a few more shops in town. It’s been nice not to drive anywhere.  The cruise crowd are a fun group as they experience the area.  The sidewalks are teeming with people.  We find the public boardwalk out by the cruise ships.  It takes us quite a ways into the harbor.  Locals have crab pots tied up to the railings.  Wonder if they’d miss a few?  The town empties out as we watch the first cruise ship leave and its first call for dinner on board.  There was a snafu with the 2 Princess arrivals.  The first one in had to put on lateral thrusters to back around the latecomer behind it.   When you look straight down the main street toward the harbor it looks like the Norwegian cruise ship is parked in the town.

                We sit in our lawn chairs eating dinner and watching the harbor.  We are down to 2 Ak RV’s in the lot.  A new group has arrived in the campground.  They are ready to party, thankfully they observe the quiet time.  We know we are getting old when we don’t walk over to join them and go to bed instead!

Nighty night.

Miles traveled in RV: 0

Hours traveled in RV: 0