Another day and another port…….Skagway, a most unexpected surprise. Since Icy Strait Point and Sitka were cancelled, we were most fortunate to have another port substituted. That does not always happen. We did get the credit from the port charges refunded to our shipboard account, but it was minimal. Better than nothing we say.
The arrival time was supposed to be 7am, but we were here much earlier. Compared to the city of Juneau, Skagway is completely different. It is much more of an authentic "Gold Rush" settlement, and maintained as such after all of these years. A blast from the past, it is quite easy to absorb the history easily by simply walking through the streets in town, wandering in and out of the historic buildings. This was the gateway to the gold fields, and life was tough here.
On past trips, we have taken several tours here. One of the best had to be taking a bus to the Yukon, then riding the White Pass Scenic Railroad on the way back. It had been an all day tour including lunch, but the excursions offered today were much shorter. The prices ranged from $100 to $150 for 2 ¼ to 4 ¼ hours. There was a zipline tour, and Brie would have done it if there was room. However it was sold out. The most expensive tour was a helicopter ride to a glacier for 2 hours at $370. There were three time slots and they all sold out. Wow.
The weather could not have been better. Yes, it was chilly, but it was dry. The surrounding mountain peaks were covered with snow, making it an excellent photo op. The sun peaked out later in the day, giving the surrounding scenery a lot of color. While sitting on our veranda, we scanned the trees looking for eagles. And we did see two of them, but very high up. Perhaps we will see more of them in town. It was going to be a perfect day for walking, and that is exactly what we did by 10:30am.
At the end of the pier, there was a small kiosk that advertised information. The young fellow inside offered us a mini newspaper full of stories, coupons, and even a city map. That was all we needed to locate the highlights of town. We have to say that everywhere we went, it was spotless and well kept. The locals were friendly as could be, although, we did notice that many of the touristy vendors had left for the season. There were a number of buildings that were empty as well with shops that had re-located elsewhere, or left for good.
The first part of our hike took us down to the rushing creek, which a few weeks ago, had salmon in it. The trail alongside the creek had signage of the local fauna and flora…..right up our alley. It was so nice to see running water again, since the creeks out our way have all dried up.
From there, we made our way to the main streets where we went to the little museum, past shops, a few cafes, and a historical house. One of the main attractions in town is the White Pass Railway Station. Much history is inside that building, along with a couple of engines outside.
We passed by the Red Onion Saloon, which in its heyday, was famous for their barmaids who danced and entertained the miners. There was a walking tour led by some of the local ladies, who dressed in the costumes of yesteryear. One of these tours included a breakfast in the saloon where you were able to listen to tales as told by actors of Klondike Kate and Diamond Tooth Lil back in 1898.
Now, the best was to come……the search for the best pizza in Alaska. We thought the restaurant was part of a hotel, but we could not locate it. Going up and down some side streets without luck, we decided to ask a local lady who worked in a bike shop. As soon as we mentioned pizza, she knew immediately where to send us. We were one block away from The Station Bar and Grill on 4th Avenue. It had not changed since we ate here perhaps 6 or 7 years ago. We did remember the waitress, who told us later than she and her husband were the owners for the last 19 years.
We ordered two pilsner beers, a small salad to share, and a meat lovers 14" pizza. It was every bit as delicious as we had remembered. We split one gigantic scoop of an ice cream we have never tasted……. homemade sweet potato ice cream. And it was very good, similar to spicy pumpkin ice cream. It is going to take a whole lot of walking to burn these calories.
One of us was on the lookout for another Lazy One sleep T-shirt. Never found them in Juneau, but we did see some that were similar here. But not quite the same. Stopping at one of the only clothing/souvenir shops opened, we found just the right one and bought it. The last chance may have been in Ketchikan, but who knows what will be opened there this late in the season.
Back at the ship by 5pm, one of us worked on photos off line. One thing that drove us nuts today was the fact that there was almost no internet or TV reception. Yes, we know that we are sandwiched between high peaks, but the internet was working early on, after we docked, as was the TV. Something had been turned off for maintenance, we assume, but no one would admit it. It did come back after we left at 7:45pm.
Dinner was in Tamarind at 8pm this evening. The menu had changed a bit, with some new items, but some of the regular things were gone. One such item was the fortune cookie, a favorite for one of us. Our starters were Thai beef salad, the ramen soup, and spring rolls. Due to a shellfish allergy, one of us got rice crackers, while the other had the shrimp crackers. Another thing missing were the exploding finger napkins that always brought a chuckle from us when the waitresses added the hot water.
Our mains were wasabi crusted tenderloin and crispy duck. Both very good, but ample portions. We were served two types of rice, even though we only ordered one serving. We did taste both, saving a tiny bit of room for dessert. One of us had the trio of sorbets, just enough, and the other had the new cheesecake plate. Now this was very different, not resembling cheesecake as we know it. There was a half shell of white chocolate with the tart lemon filling inside of it. A sweetened coconut mixture surrounded the shell, and our waitress suggested putting the sweet mix on top of the cheesecake filling. It worked well, and we were happy campers.
One of these nights we will have to check out the entertainment. But tonight, we were more than ready to turn in. Tomorrow will be another day to explore the ship, as we will be in Glacier Bay, scenic cruising.
Bill & Mary Ann
PS Thanks for the hint about using any card in the slot for the lights. It worked. Also, if you are reading these reports, thanks to Ginger and Bill for your greeting card you left for us. Too bad you did not stay on for one more 7 day cruise! Would have been nice to visit with you all!
Wednesday, September 29, 2021
Report #6 Skagway, Alaska Tuesday- September 28, 2021
