Skagway

Skagway, is a little town with a big history. This sleepy little Alaskan town was one of the gateways to the Klondike.

We took a free history tour from the National Park Service.  We learned about the people who left their lives behind in search of GOLD!  You had to be a hardy person to endure the journey.  Only 1% of the gold rushers found enough gold to become RICH. 

This building was being excavated and refurbished by the National Parks.

Skagway seemed like it was a real Wild West kind of town.  They have tried to keep the Klondike era alive, with wooden sidewalks and historically correct buildings.  But you can still find a Starbucks behind those doors.

After the tour we packed a lunch and headed up to Dewey Lake.  It was a steep climb, and this old girl felt every step.  We had a picnic up at the lake and Michael fished for a couple hours. 

Up, up, up we go!

Springtime is just beginning here in Alaska. All the trees are starting to bud and bulbs are blooming.

I found this Stellar Blue Jay foraging around the ground for sticks to build his nest.

Skagway had  honest businessmen and then the not so honest ones.  “Soapy” Smith tried to play both sides and finally lost.  We hiked through the “Gold Rush cemetery.  I don’t know how many of these graves are real and how many are just stuck in the ground for the tourists. 

Just passed the cemetery and up another hill was Reid Falls. It was a nice waterfall. It was an easy hike, with what I like to call a prize at the end.

 

There were a couple more fishing spots we wanted to hit, but we had to know when to stop.  These old joints aren’t what they use to be.  Next stop Icy Strait.