Skagway & the Klondike Highway
July 2010
Our next stop was in Skagway. Downtown Skagway was very crowded because there were 4 cruise ships in port that day, but we got out of the downtown area for a while by taking a tour up the Klondike Highway through the White Pass into Canada. Unfortunately, it was so foggy that we couldn’t actually see out the bus windows. We at least learned a lot about the Gold Rush and got to see some of the most inhospitable land I’ve ever seen. It’s such a rough area that the US Customs and Border Patrol checkpoint is 6 miles inside the border and Canada’s checkpoint is 12 miles on the other side of the border! After we got back on the ship and had dinner, we spent some time out on the helipad watching humpback whales and orcas swimming around the ship and breaching. We finished the night at the midnight dessert buffet.
Looking off the back of the ship from our berth in Skagway
Skagway is very much a cruise ship parking lot. Clockwise starting with the Radiance of the Seas those are the Norwegian Pearl, Norwegian Star & Diamond Princess.
The entire downtown area of Skagway is a National Historic Park.
The side of the mountain is painted with the logos of all the ship that have visited Skagway over the years.
White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad as seen from the Klondike Highway
White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad as seen from the Klondike Highway
White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad as seen from the Klondike Highway
Looking over the edge of the Klondike HIghway
Looking over the edge of the Klondike HIghway
One of the few views we saw from the Klondike Highway before heading into the most dense fog I've ever seen.
There aren't many places where you can drive into Alaska. The Klondike Highway is one of them. Note the insane fog in the background!
The Red Onion Saloon was Skagway's most famous bordello.
The historic Golden North Hotel
The Skagway News is the biweekly local newspaper.
The Arctic Brotherhood building is now the tourism center.
The Mascot Saloon is one of the few buildings that is restored as a museum display.
This Campbell's Soup label was found under the Mascot Saloon. It came all the way from Camden, NJ too!
The mountains are almost visible
All of the buildings in downtown Skagway are historic.
McCabe College was the first college in Alaska.
All of the buildings in downtown Skagway are historic.
A fisherman cleaning his catch at the marina
Sailboat off of Skagway
White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad
Downtown Skagway after some of the cruise ship traffic subsided.
The horse half of a horse and carriage
The color of the water is caused by glacial silt suspended in it.
Clear skies and snowy mountains
The color of the water is caused by glacial silt suspended in it.
Melting snow feeds this waterfall
Melting snow feeds this waterfall
Glacial water is a color that you can't mistake.
Sailing away from Skagway
Heading south back toward the Gulf of Alaska
Big ship, big wake
Heading south back toward the Gulf of Alaska
It wasn't cold here, but the wind on the bow of a ship doing 20 knots through a mountain pass is strong.
I'm not giving a thumbs up, nor did I gain 100 lbs. It's WINDY out on the helipad!
Shrimp, scallop and salmon appetizer
Baked Alaska is a really appropriate dessert.
We're thousands of miles from any alligators but we found this guy in our room.
The Pacific Venus was a cruise ship from Osaka, Japan that trailed us for 2 days.
Orcas and humpback whales swam alongside our ship
Orcas and humpback whales swam alongside our ship
My mother tries to dodge the wind down below the helipad
Hoods don't work too well in the wind
She's not imitating the scene from The Titanic, she's leaning into the wind so she doesn't get blown over!
It looks like 5 pm sunlight but it's actually 10 pm.
10 pm and the sun is starting to set.
10 pm and the sun is starting to set.
Another spectacular late-night Alaskan sunset
Another spectacular late-night Alaskan sunset
Another spectacular late-night Alaskan sunset
A sea gull flying low
A ferry passes by
A little blurry, but the only photo I got of a whale coming out of the water
An Orca heads back into the water after breaching in front of us.
A humpback whale waves at us
Seeing the humpbacks spouting was an neat sight.
Seeing the humpbacks spouting was an neat sight.
Two humpbacks swim (and spout) together.
Two humpbacks swim together.
I just caught this humpbacks tail as it was going back in the water
10:30 pm and still light out
10:30 pm and still light out
An ice sculpture greeted us at the midnight dessert buffet.
At the midnight dessert buffet the bread is for looking at, not eating.
Fruit and vegetable flowers in a watermelon vase
Pineapple bird
Fruit mouse
Carrot birds
Fruit and vegetable flowers
This amazing sculpture is made of watermelon
Fruit duck
The fruits are the decorations. They're way to healthy to be eaten at the dessert buffet.
Watermelon swan
This white chocolate cake was one of the best things on the buffet.