Skagway Bungalows

... do not look down out your window." <br> Of course this sing-song voice matches its owner, and of course Hayden has made friends with the Box Car Girl. She is very beautiful, innocent, girl-next-door-ish with a perfect smile and her baseball-style train cap is pulled down low with her ears sticking out. Any boy's (or girl's) fantasy. Later when I spoke with her, 'Cathy' said it was her first time away from home this summer. She'd ...

... residences, garments and handicrafts. We saw traditional dances performed by a lively group of young people with gusto: the young woman announcer was clearly out of breath from the effort of dancing in-between her explanations. Then we headed off to Totem Park to see the oldest and largest collection of totem poles in Alaska, set among winding trails in the grandeur of a tall spruce forest interlaced with sunlit paths and sparkling streams. It was the site of the final ...

... trip, it always tended to clear up for our group excursions. In Skagway, we have not been so fortunate.<br><br>Our 65-foot, state-of-the-art, fast-hulled catamaran, the "Fjordland," was captained by an extremely able, young female captain. Her first mate was also a spry, youthful 20-30 something lady who not only followed her captain's orders, cast off and tied the lines, but served all the passengers.<br><br>After departing Skagway ...

... the Statue of Liberty. <br><br>The WP&amp;YR railway was considered an impossible task but it was literally blasted through coastal mountains in only 26 months. The $10 million project was the product of British financing, American engineering and Canadian contracting. Tens of thousands of men and 450 tons of explosives overcame harsh and challenging climate and geography to create "the railway built of gold."<br><br>The WP&amp;YR climbs almost 3000 feet in ...

... flew to Sydney, then had a 13 hour flight to Seattle<br>via San Francisco. We were rather weary when we arrived but soon came<br>good.<br><br>We spent a very pleasant three nights<br>with Jake &amp; Cathy in West Seattle. We met them through AFT<br>(Affordabe Travel Club &#8211;see on internet.) and really enjoyed their<br>hospitality. They had maps and lots of good info for us. We also<br>enjoyed some lovely Washington wine and ...

... name is Benjamin Jowett. I'm the master of Baliol College. If it's knowledge, then I know it. If I don't, it isn't knowledge.") In Kenai, we visited a Russian Orthodox Church, dating from the 1890's, complete with retired Orthodox priest in full regalia as keeper. He was charming and earnest, and the little church with the onion dome seemed quaint and fragile in its seaside setting, making us wonder about the future. Kenai also provided us with a solution to our automotive problems. The ...

... surprised how much meat was in them&#8212;claws, legs, and body. We had one more of these fabulous dinners before we left. Delicious and so much fun!<br><br>On Tuesday nights, the Elks Club has an all you can eat tacos. Lots of fun hearing stories from the locals.<br><br> Lutak Road is right along the Lynn Canal and the Chilkat River, and the drive was so beautiful. Talked to the guys fishing by ...

... for dining, and space to secure our foodstuffs to keep bears from visiting our tents. But there's a distinctly different openness here. The water source here is larger and more scenic than the one at Sheep Camp, and the alpine elevation (close to 3000') lends a rarity to the air. I can't help but feel that this contributes to a greater conviviality among hikers. That, and possibly, the settling-in to the rhythms and ...

... read about?<br><br> Landing in Skagway gives me the feeling of what it must be like to land on an aircraft carrier. Granted, the latter's much scarier, but if we misjudge the north end, we'll be in Skagway, the river, instead of Skagway, the town! <br><br> After a picnic lunch near the docks, we familiarize ourselves with the town and meet up with our ...

... and tourists alike, playing games, riding bikes, walking dogs, and just giving the whole town a quaint, small-town celebratory atmosphere. It was nice.<br><br>After leaving Skagway, we sailed Lynn Canal where the scenery is awe-inspiring. There were several sightings of humbacks... but always on the Port side... and we were Starboard.<br><br>Note to future travels... Everything exciting is on the Port side.... Next time book a cabin on Port.<br>