Five Free Things to do in Skagway, Alaska

 

It would be really hard to choose only one thing that I loved about our Alaskan cruise, but I would have to say that the quaint, historic town of Skagway is certainly a top contender!

Skagway, Alaska is a tiny little town with a population of less than one thousand. Surprisingly, it is also a very busy port during the cruising season and can host up to seven cruise ships in one day, surviving almost entirely on the tourism industry.

Skagway was our first stop and the first time my family has ever set foot on Alaskan soil, though I hope it is not the last. In fact, Skagway is one of the reasons that I’d LOVE to return to Alaska.

There were many excursions that we could have selected that would have allowed us to see more of the area, but we opted to explore the community on our own…and for FREE.     

I did a bit of research prior to our trip so I had a couple ideas in mind of where we wanted to visit but there is one thing that I always try to keep in mind: Locals know best. So, our first stop, which is actually #1 on my list of places to visit in Skagway was  the Visitors Center.

1. The Visitors Center a.k.a. Arctic Brotherhood Hall is a rather curious building that you simply can’t pass by without giving a second glance. Adorned with 8,833 pieces of driftwood, this building is said to be one of Alaska’s most photographed buildings. Clearly you can see why. 

Not only were we able to get a really close look at the building, but the wonderful ladies in the Visitor’s Center gave us some great ideas to aid in our exploration of Skagway.

2. The Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park.

I loved the turn of the century facades of the buildings downtown and the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park is no exception. Housed in the historic Railroad Building,  thousands of visitors stop at this National Park Site each year to learn about the Alaskan Gold Rush, and where better to learn than in Skagway, the gateway to the Klondike?  

This exhibit shows the supplies that each prospector were required to pack for the journey into the Yukon- weighing nearly 1,000 pounds!

Inside, you may choose to view a short 30 minute movie that offers an overview of the area and gold rush,  or view some of the exhibits. The Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park also encompasses an area of seven historic blocks in downtown Skagway. You can continue to learn about the gold rush days on one of several free, 50-minute walking tours that the National Park Service offers several times each day.

 

3. The Gold Camp Cemetery is in easy walking distance of downtown (4 mile round trip hike from town) and boasts the “Largest Nugget in the World”.

Not all prospectors were honest men and with the lure of money came the gamblers, thieves, cutthroats and murderers, some of which are buried in the Gold Camp Cemetery.  

If you continue through the cemetery for 1/4 of a mile you can also see Reid Falls. Unfortunately, my family couldn’t be persuaded to walk any further. 

4. Yakutania Point and Smugglers Cove are both a short easy hike from downtown and offer views you won’t want to miss. I could have sat and enjoyed the amazing scenery for hours and we probably would have had it not begun to rain.  We also wanted to make sure that we did not miss #5 on my list.

 

5. The Broadway Dock is the place to be during high tide during the  salmon spawning season and probably my families FAVORITE memory from Skagway. As the tide comes in, so do the hungry harbor seals seeking a dinner of …you guessed it…. salmon. Of course, if you prefer not to watch the salmon being eaten, you may opt to visit Pullen Park where you can view the salmon swim upstream without fear of being eaten. By seals anyway…

Sometimes we go on vacation and look back and wish that we could change things and though I wish I could change plenty about our cruise and trip to Alaska, our day in Skagway was perfect.

Have you been to Skagway? What would you add to the list?

Vacation: Destination, Alaska

Last month, my family set sail on our second Carnival cruise.  We were headed to Alaska and excited to stop at Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan and Victoria which is in British Columbia, Canada.    

We flew to Seattle to catch our boat and I instantly fell in love. The weather was mild- not at all like the humid Midwest or South that we’re used too. Nestled between the mountains and water, Seattle couldn’t be in a better location.

We spent time exploring Pioneer Square, the Waterfront and Downtown, but I couldn’t resist thinking that someday I’d love to make a second trip to Seattle to see everything I didn’t have time for this time around- like the troll that lives under the bridge!

The weather was beautiful while we were there. It didn’t rain at all. It was so clear on the day that we sailed out of the port that we were able to catch a glimpse of Mt. Rainier.   

Our cruise was a seven day cruise. Two days would be spent at sea but unlike the Caribbean, there was plenty to see for most of the journey.  Like the whales in this picture:

  

You did see them didn’t you? Well, maybe I didn’t get the best picture but I promise, we really did see a few whales and it was so neat!

If we weren’t whale watching, there was beautiful scenery to view, especially as we made our way through Endicott Arm. Our boat was scheduled to travel through Tracy Arm Fjord, but conditions weren’t favorable for passage so we made a detour.

Floating ice burgs…

waterfalls…

and beautiful glaciers.

Our first stop in Skagway was our favorite. Quaint and historic, we enjoyed a quick visit to the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park followed by a stop to the Visitor’s Center to find out what the locals consider “must see sites”. We took several of their suggestions. One led us on a quick hike outside of town to Yakutania Point which was stunning. I could have stayed there all day but after relaxing for about 30 minutes, taking in the incredible view,  it began to rain.

  

As we were making our way back to the boat, we noticed that the tide was coming in. Guess what appeared with the high tide? SEALS! One of the highlights of our trip – we watched the seals as they played and then as they began to hunt their dinner- salmon!

  

Next stop: Juneau, where we were able to get a glimpse of true Alaskan weather. Overcast, chilly and rainy. Good thing I packed our umbrellas and ponchos. They certainly came in handy.

We ventured out to explore but didn’t make it further than the Alaska State Museum. We enjoyed our visit, but definitely would have gotten more out of if we’d taken the time to learn more about Alaska before we went. Of course, I had intended to do that before things got so crazy. 

Our next stop, Ketchikan is the Salmon Capital of the World but we didn’t see any salmon. Not from the salmon viewing area anyway. We tried to visit the eagle viewing area that was on our map but didn’t find it. Too late we learned that we could have taken a 45- minute walk through the rainforest.

It also rained and since we weren’t enjoying yet one more day out in the rain we decided to walk back to the boat and call it a day. Still, we did see some pretty views.

Back on the boat we headed for home. Our boat was only scheduled to be in Victoria for a short time but high winds caused a bit of delay so it was already dark by the time we arrived so we opted to stay on the ship.

Have you been to Alaska? What were some of the highlights from your visit?