Today I started out to go to Whitehorse as the last stop on the way to Dawson City. As I approached Whitehorse it was still early, about 9:30 AM and I saw the turnoff to Skagway. Examining my maps, I found it was a short two hour drive to get there, so changed my plans and headed for Alaska. The drive to Skagway was magnificent and should not be missed. It takes you back through BC and right into the rugged rocky mountains that line the west coastal region of Alaska. This is the beauty that makes the Alaskan cruises so popular and as I approached Skagway I started seeing the Holland cruise tour buses, and followed one for awhile between scenic spots.
Skagway is probably the most photographed port in Alaska, and is in all the advertisements because of the majestic mountains and glacier peaks surrounding the harbor. Awesome is putting it too mildly. As I drove over the mountains the misty fog blocked some of the scenery, but as you start your descent into Skagway, the rocky walls and deep chasm caused by the water flowing off the mountains and into the river created views that surpassed anything I have seen so far on this trip. Skagway is "must see" for those the come to Alaska. And a short detour off the main Alaska Highway. The customs check was simple and friendly as tourism is the main industry here these days, and passing back and forth between the US and Canada is common and required to travel between locations.
Once here, I decided to investigate getting a Ferry across to Haines, which would allow me to return to Whitehorse by a different route. There was a 3:30 Ferry leaving that cost about $85 for me, the car and trailer. They charge by the length, so went out and actually measured the Jeep and Trailer which they said came to 29 feet. This gave me about 4 hours to spend in Skagway which was plenty.
Skagway is a small tourist town that booms in the summer. I read that there are only 800 yearround residents here, and another 200 that come for the summer work. So frequently the tourists can outnumber the locals when cruise ships are in town. There were two cruise ships in the harbor today. I walked the length of town, rummaging in the souvenir shops and stopped at a local pub where I had a great blackened chicken sandwich and fries. Then I went to a hardware store and bought a small wind up clock for when I camp without electrical hookup. As I walked on down the street, I realized that I no longer had my camera with me and Panicked... retraced my steps and finally found it back at the pub where I had stopped to eat. First time out on the town in Alaska and I was getting sloppy...
I headed to the harbor and lined up the Jeep and trailer in the specified lane for loading. I napped and read and the time passed for loading.. finally the load coordinator walked by and I accused them of running late, only to find that Alaska is one hour ahead of Canada... so I had gained another hour the last few miles. I will be heading back to Canada tomorrow so will have to take this into consideration again. The trip in the Ferry lasted about an hour, with some great views even with the increasing overcast. Several saw a whale surface and spout off near the ship... unfortunately these events come and go very quickly and I missed it.
This RV park where I am staying is one of the best that I have seen. Immaculate with great services, including modem connections although they are outside in covered phone booths. Walking distance to downtown which would be great if it wasn't pouring rain again. The evening rain is beginning to be daily event, but with nice sunny days following, I guess one should not complain. The temperature was in the low 30's when I left this morning and is 44 here in Haines. The Alaskans are sick of waiting for the normal warm spring weather to arrive. Haines is generally one of the milder spots in Alaska. The RV park cost me $20 with the Good Sam's discount, and they were the first ones to ask to see my card. Although higher than most others, it is nice and worth it to have good facilities once in awhile.
While at Skagway I visited a museum and followed a tour into an auditorium to view a short film on the Klondike gold rush. Skagway is where the march started and it wound up at Dawson City. It was interesting to hear the history, and it prepared me for the next leg of my trip which is to head up to Dawson City following the Klondike highway from Whitehorse. So the change in plans fit in, as one should start their Alaskan adventure in Skagway where the gold rush began... and Skagway is not far off the Alaska Highway route north. Tomorrow I have a short trip up the Haines highway back to Whitehorse which is the largest city and capital of the Yukon Territory. I hope to get my oil changed and windshield looked at as the crack is "growing". Canadian customs does not open until 7:00 so cannot start as early as normal.
