By the time we woke up, we were already on our way to docking in Skagway. It appeared that the weather was going to be OK today, although it was chilly with drippy skies, we also had periods of sun here and there. We were not alone today as there were two Princess ships here…..the Crown and the Grand. A whole lot of people for sure, but we suspect many of them would take the tours on the White Pass and Yukon Route railroad.
Luckily we were docked in the center at Broadway Dock. Last year, one time we were near the side of the rock slide, and we had to tender 200 yards to the small boat marina as we were not allowed to walk in that danger zone at all. Bizarre. Today we left the ship around 10am, right in the middle of a crew drill. Looking outside after breakfast, we almost went out with just sweatshirts. Even though the sun was out, the chill was in the wind. In fact, the name Skagway loosely translates to windy place in the Tlingit language. We know that the winds can be fierce enough to prevent docking. That occurred last year when this port had to be cancelled with Haines being substituted. That was fine and dandy for us since we have only been to Haines once in the past. It was a tender port and a rainy one at that, but we really enjoyed it.
Hoping to see some spawning salmon coming up Pullen Creek, we were disappointed to see none. From the info we read later on, the pink salmon run here is later in September. We will be back the next two Saturdays, so there is still a chance to see the fish. If not, the run in Ketchikan seems to be always good.
We took our usual path following the creek to the Pullen Pond, reading the signage along the way. The well-done signs are all about the flora and fauna of this area of Alaska. Making our way up Spring Street, the crowd of tourists had thinned out because we had left the shopping area. We would do that on the way back. There were some historical areas in this area that are worthwhile touring starting with the Mollie Walsh Park. Created for the little ones, there is also a very nice restroom stop which is used by the bus tours. This is a very people-friendly town as far as amenities go.
The Moore house and cabin are located here. The oldest structure in Skagway, this homestead was built by Captain William Moore in 1887 just prior to the gold boom that happened here. He prospered with building a dock, warehouse, and a sawmill. He and his family watched this area become a major port and railroad hub. Even though the gold rush did not last for long, he still made his fortune. It is always a pleasure to tour the cozy house and try to imagine what life was like back then. It was not all rosy however, since his wife often traveled back home and eventually left for good at one point. We see this part of Alaska during the summer/fall season. Being here in the darkness of the harsh winters must have been something else.
Continuing on, we spotted an old train engine that you can explore. It was located right next to the nicest building in town….McCabe College 1899. Built with native granite stones imported on the railroad, it was a short-lived college-prep school. For the following 55 years, it served as a US Courthouse, the Marshall's office and a jail. These days, it is a museum as well as the City Hall.
From here, we headed to the Klondike Highway, passing the railroad work yards as well as the trail that leads to the famous Gold Rush Cemetery and Lower Reid Falls. We decided to save that hike for the next two stops here. Crossing over the Skagway River on the Pat Moore Bridge was dicey. The brisk wind was quite strong blowing up the canyon, living up to its reputation. A nice spacious park called Seven Pastures is located on the left with Dedman Stage right in the center. Since there were few people there today, we took advantage of the stage to rest up for a bit. A pair of husky cross-bred dogs came along to check us out. Lucky for us they were friendly. Their owner appeared and the dogs ran off to his vehicle. This was a good turn-around point.
According to the weather report, there was supposed to be heavy showers by 1 or 2pm. If we headed back to town, we might miss the showers. It was constantly sprinkling, but when we reached the homes that were surrounded with large trees, we were sheltered somewhat. Taking Alaska Street back, we watched as planes landed at their small airport that paralleled the Skagway River. Directly across from this halfway point of the road was the settlement of Dyea, which was once larger than Skagway. It was also the start of the Chilkoot Trail and the way to the gold fields. Lots of history there, although most of the town is gone now we read.
The best part of the day was looking forward to lunch at the Station Bar and Grill on 4th Street. Located off the main streets, this restaurant is usually not crowded. Today was a different story. We arrived by 1pm and learned we would have a 20 to 30 minute wait for a table. Not a problem…it would be worth the wait for the best pizza in town. Eventually we were seated at a nice table where we ordered a Hawaiian pizza and two Amber gold draft beers. The pizza was every bit as large and tasty as we remembered…glad we waited. An hour went by quickly, and we still wanted to explore some of the stores before heading back to the ship.
One of those stores was the place that sold Alaskan Fry Bread. The best way to describe this sweet treat is that it's like a large round flat donut, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. Too bad we were so filled with our pizza lunch, we decided to pass this time. It was interesting to see the jars of jams and pickled things such as pickled kelp. Really? We also located the spruce tip jam and jelly. Now that's a different twist with jams. Huckleberry looked the best.
The shops were over-loaded with shoppers looking for sales. We saw little in the sales department this time and we swear all of the prices have gone up since last year. Not that we really need anything, but one of us likes the Lazy One sleep T's. We saw very few of them today, but we still have Ketchikan to shop as well as two more trips this way. We arrived at the gangway by 3pm where we were greeted with an official using a facial recognition device. One of the trains had just let people off, so the line was long and s-l-o-w. We were well-chilled by the time we entered the ship as the winds seemed to have increased during the afternoon. By the way, the afternoon rains never happened.
The remainder of the day was spent working on photos and the report. At the visitor's center located in the Arctic Brotherhood Hall, we had found a treasure trove of brochures for not only Skagway, but for all of the ports we visit on these back-to-back cruises. We both agree that the history in this part of Alaska is most intriguing with really infamous characters and events.
Dinnertime arrived by 7:30pm with some good choices for appetizers and mains. For a while we were about the only ones in the upper dining room, but eventually, the tables filled with folks from the open seating group. And the all aboard time was 8:30pm, so there may be some guests that went to town for dinner. Anyway, we both enjoyed shrimp tacos (tasty, but messy) and Caesar salads for starters. Our mains were rigatoni with chicken meatballs and a turkey dinner…..both excellent. We shared one of the new desserts – a stroopwafel cheesecake (without the wafel). For a change it wasn't overly-sweet.
The entertainment in the Main Stage was a performance with the Step One Dance Company. We have seen the show several times on past trips, so it was off to bed for us. It had been an invigorating day with about 8 miles of walking in the fresh brisk wind. Needless to say, we looked forward to a good night's rest.
The ship left the dock after 11pm, after the Crown Princess pulled out. Tomorrow's itinerary includes a trek into Glacier Bay, which is always a treat for both of us.
Bill & Mary Ann
