Skagway

This morning we arrived in Skagway, which we learned President Harding called the armpit of America. They then named a mountain after him. Go figure. But the city is in the Alaska panhandle and has about 900 year round residents. It swells to more than double during the summer, catering to the cruise tourists which is around 1 million a year!

In addition to learning they have no hospital and love McDonald’s, we learned that Skagway was an important port city during the Klondike Gold Rush and the Yukon Route crossing into Canada’s Yukon Territory.

In order to go on our last excursion of the cruise, we had to meet in the theater early as they organized us into groups for the small boats that brought us to shore. There had been a rock slide, so the boats couldn’t dock normally - you can see the orange boat in the distance navigating the harbor:



Once on dock, we met our tour guide and driver C.J. from Utah who has come up the last few summers to work as a driver. We also all remembered our passports, because we were crossing into C-eh-N-eh-D-eh again. Here are a few members of C.J.’s wolf pack as she howls at us when we need to gather on the bus…



The bus drove us through town first, and then up along the Klondike Highway, along the route used by prospectors during the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush. Our ears popped as we ascended 3,290 feet to White Pass Summit. A sign on one of the buildings in town:



The photos do not do the scenery justice and we learned that this amount of fog was very little in comparison to other days. The pine trees are tiny too due to the climate and wind, and we drove through valleys and passed by waterfalls:





After holding our passports next to our faces, the Canadian immigration officer cleared us and we finally arrived at the Yukon Suspension bridge. The swaying walkway is 57 feet above the Tutshi River which has the pretty glacial hue we learned about yesterday:













The viewing platforms had some props to help take fun photos:







Also on the platforms were various signs and exhibits explaining the area and history. Clearly we’re still in Bear Country as we are continuously reminded:



We learned about native rock sculpture:



Log cabin life…



We also could see Mount Logan, the tallest mountain in Canada, but the 2nd tallest in North America as Denali is #1…



Someone had opened a local pine cone - not so pretty on the outside but it’s the inside that counts!



After seeing some woolly mammoth parts like a tusk and a tooth, we were ready to leave and make our way back across the border.



This time we stopped at the international bathrooms that’s in between the US and Canadian custom houses and heard a bunch of cheesy jokes from C.J. While waiting during this 10 minute stop, many of us headed down to this small and clear lake:



Then we were back in America and on Alaskan time, but none of us had bothered to change our watches:



On the way back into town, we stopped in Liarsville, a Gold Rush Trail Camp that recreates the 1898 tent city:







But the real draw here was the salmon bake buffet. The salmon was smoked over Alder wood logs and very fresh! The cheesy potato au gratin and chicken were also delicious!





My buffet plate along with corn bread, blueberry cake, and lemonade:



Instead of being dropped off at the dock, we opted for the town stop, so we could explore the national park and re-creation of Skagway city life as a mining town. We ran an errand at the drugstore and checked out the grocery store too. My mom thought the grocery store was bigger than expected, but I reminded her it’s only for 900 people year round!








On the way back to the dock, we saw the train station area and the train tracks. Many taking an excursion actually opt for the scenic train ride up to the summit versus us who took the bus. I picked the bus option as the train ride didn’t package a salmon bake - for my family, we clearly prioritize food. Here’s my cousin in front of the train:





Back at the dock, we boarded a shuttle boat and then the our cruise ship where we rested for the remainder of the afternoon. We reconvened for dinner and decided to try the burger joint near the buffet. Afterwards, we headed to the production show in the theater and listened to the singers and dancers put together a medley of Motown and soul music.

At the end of the show, the emcee explained the highlights of the Glacier National Park that I’m excited to see tomorrow. As my mom says, “she wants to see a really big glacier!”