2017 - June 13th - Alaska - Skagway

After cruising in the lovely Gulf of Alaska for two days, overnight the Star Princess navigated through the Upper Lynn Canal and Taiya Inlet into Skagway. The old gold-rush-era heritage still shines bright in Skagway on the Alaska Panhandle. The tourist trade is a big part of the business of Skagway causing the population to double in size during the summer to serve the estimated more than 900,000 visitors. American prospectors began the trek for gold in the late 1890's. Some realized how difficult the trek ahead would be en route to the gold fields, and chose to stay behind to supply goods and services to miners. Within weeks, stores, saloons, and offices lined the muddy streets of Skagway. We debarked the Star Princess to begin our adventure for the day in Skagway. On the short couple of block walk into town, we were surrounded by beautiful wild Iris flowers, even though we're fairly certain that these were planted. The town is not very large, so plenty of time to look around.

Picturesque Skagway is almost like looking at and being in the center of a movie set of a small town. Looking down the main street of Skagway at our ship in port, the Klondike Summit (also known as White Pass Summit) is framed behind the ship with this town as it's center. Walking around town on the wooden sidewalks, these pictures show the movie-set feel of Skagway. These unique pine-cone riddled fir plants were so unusual to us as we had only seen pine cones in trees.

Skagway can boast that it is the only place where you can shop for diamond and other jewelry while getting your cup of Starbucks coffee. Yes, the two are under one roof in the Miner's Gem Store/Starbucks of Skagway!

Keeping up with the gold rush remembrance, this great "panning for gold" painting adorns one of the downtown buildings. This building in Skagway is covered in driftwood from top to bottom and was built in 1899 as headquarters for arctic brotherhood Camp Skagway No. 1. The brotherhood was established September 26, 1899 for the purposes of fraternal enjoyment and mutual aid. Over 30 camps were established throughout Alaska, the Yukon and northern British Columbia.

The Mascot Saloon, on the corner, dates back to 1898. It was one of more than 80 saloons in a town once described as "the roughest place in the world." The saloon operated until August 1916, when Prohibition closed it down; it later served as a drug store. The Mascot Saloon remained prosperous even after the gold rush. But the prohibition movement gained strength and a new Skagway law banned the sale of all but medicinal alcohol. On August 21, 1916, the Mascot Saloon was closed for good. The Mascot Saloon paid a $1500 licence fee in 1899 to remain open and added a cigar stand, club room, locally brewed pilsner beer, and had free lunches of spareribs and enchiladas. In one of the gift stores are these uniquely Alaskan Santas ... one with Santa and his outdoor pals -- a Polar bear, deer, owl, wolf and rabbit and the other, a Santa with his dog sled team. Looking at the mountains surrounding Skagway, you can't help but notice the Gold Rush-era advertisements painted on one of the mountains forming the eastern wall of the valley. In 1897 there was an original one and one-half story log structure that served as Skagways first City Hall, jail, courthouse, and US Marshall's Office. Today, there is a much larger building. In downtown Skagway, a painting on the side of a building depicts the hike up to the summit of Klondike and also highlights "Soapy" Smith and Frank Reid who in July 1898 exchanged harsh words and then bullets. Reid shot Smith dead on the spot, but not before Smith had badly wounded him. Reid died twelve days later. Between 1897 and 1898, Skagway was a lawless town, described by one member of the North-West Mounted Police as "little better than a hell on earth." Fights, prostitutes and liquor were ever-present on Skagway's streets, and con-man "Soapy" Smith, who had risen to considerable power, did little to stop it. Smith was a sophisticated swindler who liked to think of himself as a kind and generous benefactor to the needy. He was gracious to some, giving money to widows and halting lynchings, while simultaneously operating a ring of thieves who swindled prospectors with cards, dice, and the shell game. His telegraph office charged five dollars to send a message anywhere in the world. Consequently, unknowing prospectors sent news to their families back home without realizing there was no telegraph service to or from Skagway until 1901! These are just two of the small in-town gardens that we saw in Skagway. A lovely garden spot in the middle of town to admire or take a rest and also take a snap of the beautiful Mary Anne! Also in downtown Skagway was a bakery two doors from this garden of Rhubarb selling Rhubarb cup cakes. We should have asked if this plot is where they harvested their Rhubarb for those cupcakes! Larry found a buddy in Skagway!!!!

We passed by the back garden of the Skagway Inn where they grow many of their vegetables and herbs for their restaurant's use. Home made Fudge was a required stop for us in Skagway! The fudge making process was happening and that's a LOT of fudge!!! What to choose? ... but we made three selections that made it all the way home to share with the family!

We wandered off the main street and found some interesting things to see without tourist around! The Skagway Museum and City Hall is attached behind and an antique White Pass Train on display were found on our walk around the back part of Skagway.

While on that "off-the-beaten-path" we passed this private home's floral garden that was really pretty. One of the the side streets had this street vendor, the Sippin' Sasquatch, selling Bison dogs and Reindeer dogs! Where else than Alaska would you find this?!?!

All of these pictures plus a few more are in this sections photo album at this click. We had a fantastic day exploring, discovering and enjoying beautiful historic Skagway Alaska!