Historic Skagway Inn Bed and Breakfast

... can't they wait until they're off the bus?

One more thing I noticed is that this has been a trip where many of the passengers and crew are rude. It wasn't like that last year - maybe it's all the rain. I'm still having a good time despite these observations.

Oh, I had to 'Golden Ritas' tonight as we left Skagway - yummy!

Well, off to see what trouble I can get into - tee hee! Chat with you tomorrow.

... 40 miles west on the Glacier Highway to the end of the road, passing glacial streams and walking on deserted sand beaches, listening to the silence.

Returning to the city, we checked the departure of our ferry to Sitka – it was delayed, due to a mechanical fault. So we planned to be at the ferry terminal the next morning at 6am to find the next best plan.

July 30 – 31

Luckily, the experts and parts were flown in and worked through the ...

... time in the gallery of enamel artist, Wm. Spear. I had already admired his work which is sold in some of the finer stores we had visited thoughout our travels and had purchased a couple of his pins and a zipper pull. We were fortunate enough to meet Mr. Spear and he signed the back of a new zipper pull that I bought named, "Blue Moon."

We all met back at the bus and our driver-guide continued our tour of the city, showing us the ...

... among the lucky who made it at all). Both the presentation and the tour were quite informative and enjoyable. We went back to the coach for a quick lunch and then hiked a short trail from the airport area of downtown to Yakutania Point and Smugglers’ Cove. We walked about 2 miles with some short but steep hills. The drizzly weather continued. At Smugglers’ Cove we were reminded of Alaska’s sharp ...

... fresh blackberries.

The wifi internet on the bus didn’t
connect so I’ll keep updating until I can get online. After our bus
trip we went through all the customs routine again – into Canada,
then back into the US. We then settled into our cabin on the ship. It
is quite spacious and very comfortable. There are quite a lot of
Australians but also a lot of Americans, Canadians and a few English ...

Glad we took pictures yesterday of Kulane Lake because today is cloudy.

When we were here in May, the road around Kluane Lake was under construction and it was mud and gravel. Couldn't believe it is all paved; what a difference!

Toward the beginning of the Haines Highway, there was a section of road that was being repaired; had to wait about ten minutes ...

... from the rented backpacks back to our luggage. I swing by with the car and we all agree to meet again for dinner (after much-needed showers) at a local pub. At dinner, Jonathan, Tripp and Serine present us with birthday cards and t-shirts, and we commemorate our living history lesson with some local brew and barbecue -- the perfect end to a perfect trek.

... to another camper trying to secure their food out of bears' reach. After multiple attempts, she casts the line over the bar, and hoists the bag to safety.

It's been a wonderful day, not at all anticlimactic as I had expected it might be, having cleared the pass the day before, and we settle in. Despite the racket the gulls on the lake are making, followed by the loons' turn, even I manage to get some welcome rest.

... know, a trail as long as this is likely to have a wide variety of walking surfaces. We are glad others saw fit to construct the board walk here, keeping our boots dry.

We'll follow the Taiya River all day today, a handy source of drinking water as well as a soothing sight and sound. Like much of the water features in the area, its greenish color displays the glacial flour, or silt ...

Beautiful day in Skagway. Everyone takes the train to the Canadian border thru gold country. Dolly entertains us with stories of the gold rush years. At the end of the train trip we try our hands at gold digging and Braeden strikes it rich.