Would you believe it? Skagway, the best weather in AK? It’s true: sunny and 74 degrees for a high today. Mother Nature threw us a bone on our last day in AK; thanks, Mom.
Our original idea was to drive to Haines and take the ferry to Skagway, but we were put off by the ferry schedules/fees and the extra driving miles. Instead, we elected to do just Skagway, it being the more interesting of the two towns. We also considered taking a passenger-only ferry to Haines and back, but there doesn’t appear to be any regular service. Supposedly there are ‘water taxis’ that run back and forth.
Skagway was the first incorporated town in Alaska, had 20000 population during the gold rush, but only about 500 for several decades after. Population currently is 846, and most residents are here because of the tourist industry: 300 cruise ships a year, plus the folks who come by land. The downtown buildings have a classic western look, many with false fronts and colorful business names. Several years ago, I did the Inside Passage cruise with siblings, and the ship stopped here for a few hours so it's not my first time.
The White Pass train rolled by our campground at 7 AM, heading for the harbor to pick up cruise ship passengers. Train rides up to White Pass are one of the more popular tourist activities; having already driven here via White Pass, we’ll give it a miss.
Pix: Emerald Lake on the Klondike Highway, various Skagway shots including the old locomotive with the rotary snow plow in front, and unique jockstrap to keep the privates warm on those cold winter nights. Nobody likes cold privates.
Kinda sad to see you three leaving Alaska. Seems like you just got there. We're still enjoying your daily posts. Enjoyed the "Mail Seeker" posts. Was it worth it? The mail you received, that is? Our daily USPS mail surely isn't!! Mostly junk. The Tacoma, Edge, and all inhabitants are holding up, we take it? We're starting to think about fall and winter in AZ. Our reservoir never did fill up this year. About 4.5' down from normal. Continued safe travels to you three amigos.
ReplyDeleteAl
Was the mail worth it? No. The first batch of forwarded mail did have something urgent though, an IRS notice saying I owed them $ on the '09 return - and a deadline 5 days after I finally received it. It was their screwup: they owe me $6500. So, you have to check the mail regularly even though most of it is trash.
ReplyDeleteYup, equipment and crew performing well. There's a couple of EDGE things to repair under warranty.