Skagway Loves Tourists

Today we explored Skagway. With a registered population of 862, the town is located at the northernmost point on the Inside Passage in Southeast Alaska. It is approximately 3,300 miles from our home in Port Huron. That’s a lot of miles.

Skagway owes its birth to the Klondike Gold Rush. It boomed as thousands of gold seekers arrived to follow the trails north. At one point in 1897, it was reported to have a population of 20,000! By 1903, its population was reduced to 500 and was described as, “little better than a hell on earth”. The gold rush did create the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad, however. So despite the fact the gold rush was over, the small town was established as a port town.

Today, cruise ships make stops at Skagway, as does the Alaska State Ferry System. Tourism is Skagway’s main economic base. The town bulges with visitors and seasonal workers from May to October. After that, it is a very quiet town.

We got an early start, hopped on our bikes and scoured the town for picture possibilities. We wanted to wait until the cruise ship visitors began to fill the streets, tour buses and trains before we really began photographing the town. Cruise ship passengers began disembarking around 10:30 and the town started to rock. The ships fill this tiny harbor and add dimension to otherwise quiet waters. Skagway is not the commercial fishing town that Seward and Valdez were. The small harbor is dotted with a few pleasure boats, but does not compare with the other towns.

Ship goers were anxious to part with their money and storeowners were only too happy to oblige. Jewelry stores, gift shops, bookstores, restaurants, taverns and more were elbow to elbow with customers. Three ships were in the harbor and so business was brisk. Speaking of brisk, temperatures hovered around 55 degrees today; so very little “cruise wear” was being shown. Most were bundled in jackets and pants. A few foolhardy folks wore shorts and sandals, but they were the exception.

We photographed tourists in sightseeing buses, folks in buggies, and visitors on trains. The White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad is a real attraction. Five or six full trains of travelers rode the 3.5 hour ride up to Whitehorse. We also saw a train engine with a "snow thrower" on the front. It gives you an indication of the snow they fight during the winter months.

We captured the shops and streets of the town. We saw saloon girls hanging out of windows to attract customers. It seemed to work well, as there were many men on the streets by midday with garters around their upper arms. The garters were passed out to patrons in the establishment.

We ate lunch at the Corner Café. It was a bit off the beaten path and it appeared to be frequented by the locals, rather than the tourists. We must be looking a bit rough on the edges, as the waitress acted like we were “regulars”.

We stopped at the Alaska State Ferry Terminal to investigate a ferry ride to Juneau, as well as the possibility of taking a ferry (with our motor home) to Prince Rupert British Columbia. We ended up nixing the Juneau idea, as there is only one ferry headed to Juneau on Monday and none returning. We would need to spend the night in Juneau. It is not a mecca by any means and so the thought of that was not appealing. Our whole goal was to photograph the state capitol building, but our motivation does have its limits.

Our second inquiry related to the ferry to Prince Rupert was also dashed. There was no available space for our vehicle for part of the trip. We would have had to disembark with the motor home in Ketchikan and then hope for a “stand-by” space. That didn’t seem like a very good idea. So, we will finish our pictures here today and then begin heading north again.

Once again, we will need to retrace our steps. Today will be our last day in Alaska. Tomorrow we will head into B.C., then the Yukon Territory, then back into B.C. We will be in British Columbia for approximately a week. Tomorrow will again bring roads we have already traveled. Tuesday will be new territory. We will travel down the Cassiar Highway. It is reportedly treacherous at times. With some of the roads we have already traveled, we find it hard to believe they could be more difficult. However, we have heard “stories”. We trust they were significantly exaggerated. Hopefully, the phenomenal scenery we are expected to see will outweigh any travel issues.