Day 4 began docking in Skagway, Alaska, the gateway to the Yukon and Goldrush of 1849. Our planned excursion, a train ride through the White Pass, wasn’t scheduled to begin until 11:45 so we spent the morning exploring this beautifully maintained frontier village. Quaint little shops line the main street of the historic part of town, and we did our share of browsing and buying souvenirs. As in the Caribbean, Alaskan ports are often filled with cruise industry jewelry and clothing stores. Those seemed abundant in Juneau, which was why we weren’t too disappointed to go back straight to the ship. Skagway was much different. Sure there were a few of the standard stores, but mostly the shops were local venues featuring products that were made in Alaska, or at least relevant to the area. One of Janet’s favorites was a quilting shop that featured beautiful patterns of Alaskan culture and wildlife. We found a souvenir totem pole for our display shelves at home, and another nativity for Janet’s collection, score!

Our main activity was boarding the White Pass Yukon Railway for a trip through the mountain pass leading to Canada. Rising over 4000 feet, the train made many switchbacks along rivers, waterfalls, and past other trains. Over bridges and through tunnels, we finally made it to the peak and crossed into Canada, only to loop around and descend via the same track. Along the way we learned of all the risk taking adventurers who put their lives on the line to maybe strike it rich. A very small percentage were actually successful finding enough gold to make it worth the sacrifice. I’ve taken chances in my life, but I’m not sure I’d have been cut out for that type of adventure.

The ship left port earlier than usual because we were scheduled to make a second stop that day in the bustling metropolis of Haines. I say that with all the sarcasm one can muster in the written word. Billed as the adventure capital of Alaska, many of our cruise companions joined us scratching our heads as to why a cruise ship would stop here. Boasting a hammer museum and another local museum, the town really had very little to offer. To add insult to injury, most of the stores had closed before we arrived. The town is apparently home to a dense population of bald eagles, and we did see some catching fish in the harbor. As usual, I found the wall murals fascinating and captured a few pictures.

Though Haines wasn’t as exciting as most of the other stops, it did provide a magnificent backdrop for the ship. We enjoyed our walk. The weather was mild, and at 9:00 PM, we still had plenty of light to enjoy the sites. Another day of amazing adventure! Time for some rest!