The drive to Skagway (population 1,240) was only 65 miles, and while it was suposed to be a very scenic stretch, the rainy and foggy weather prevented many picture opportunities. That said, even bad weather couldn’t stop it from being pretty.

We stayed three days at one of two RV parks in town, both owned by the same company. The one adjacent to the port was booked, so we ended up camped about 0.8 miles from the AMHS (Alaska Marine Highway System) Terminal. Pretty views in almost every direction.

After setting up camp, the AMHS Terminal office was still open, so we seized the moment and went to make our reservations for the return sail in September. Damned good thing we did too, because we secured the last available cabin. We had reseached the ticket price months earlier, and while initially it seemed quite expensive, it turned out to be a wash when compared to the costs of driving back: gas, food, camping fees, the wear and tear on Sid and Arthur, not to mention the value we placed on time saved (4 days sailing vs. 30+ days driving). We bought our tickets!

I picked a restaurant for dinner, and we were delighted to see the broad fresh seafood menu, the first of many to come. This place was highly rated and didn’t disappoint. We opted not to have King Crab legs, but what you see plated here would have cost us $33.50, and a giant red leg was listed at $85. We had Crab Stuffed Mushrooms (pictured next to the crab leg) and a bowl of Dungeness Bisque. Both were absolutely delicious!

We walked two blocks south to Broadway (main drag through town) and strolled several blocks east and west to get a deeper feel for the town. While the store fronts had an interesting frontier look, we agreed that the glut of cruise ship tourists, the over commercialization of junkish retail products, and ladies in period costume hanging out the windows of the brothel museum tainted Skagway’s first impression. MFI counted no less than a dozen jewelery stores, each with an employee out front pimping their wares. To us, the diplay items in the windows looked very nearly the same from store to store, as well. I took some pictures, and we returned to Arthur for the evening.

Next morning, we explored the downtown further, walked along the port, and found our coffee spot inside the W. P. & Y. R. train depot. This part of the town was quainter, much more picturesque, and improved the overall vibe we were getting.

While enjoying our morning coffee, the empty train to Carcross pulled into the depot yard and was readied for boarding. I found great humor in the lengths to which the W. P & Y. R. had gone to prevent stupid tourists from potentially getting injured by moviong trains. There were sandwich-board warning signs everywhere and crossing guards. Despite these efforts, tourists galore were not only mindlessly crossing the tracks (the actual crossing locations meant little) but standing on the tracks, oblivious to trains, and engaged in deep conversations, most likely about what jewelry they should buy.

MFI went to the local clinic and sought help in getting a referral to see an Orthopaedic Surgeon in Fairbanks about her broken finger and damaged hand. When the accident occurred, she was initially advised to see a surgeon two weeks after her injury. However, this didn’t happen because of our travels, coupled with insurance coverage problems in Canada. We had purchased insurance, but the rules got… complicated. By the time we reached Fairbanks, it was going to have been 6 weeks since her fall. Thankfully, the clinic made the referral and provided fresh bandages for rewrapping her hand. This was a small victory, although we still couldn’t see or feel much improvement happening.

I took three interesting hikes during our stay and captured some pictures worth sharing. We thought they not only represented the scenery around Skagway but gave a hint at what we’d experience across Alaska.

As usual, I’m a sucker for beautiful flowers and can’t get enough pictures of them. In spite of the short summer growing season, we discovered how well both residents and nature celebrate the brief opportunity.