Tuesday, June 26, 2018
Start: Juneau
Stop: Skagway
Miles: 0
5:30am in the hotel lobby for a taxi ride to Alaska Marine Ferry Terminal. After watching a mega RV miraculously back onto the ferry, we board by walking on the same rampway. And then it’s views for miles and miles and hours and hours. It’s a slow 7 hour ride from Juneau to Skagway which gives you lots of time to soak in the mountains, glaciers and wildlife. The Lynn Canal is the deepest fjord in North America and one of the longer ones in the world.
I sleep through our 1.5 hour stop at Haines and feel rejuvenated. Phil tells me the story of a 5th wheeler that couldn’t manage to back onto the ferry and they ended up not getting on at all. As we point into the tiny port of Skagway there are 4 cruise ships already docked there. St. Preston Lodge gives us a ride through town to the lodge and the streets are thick with wandering tourists. And I mean THICK! We get straight to the business of getting our return train tickets and Chilkoot Trail permits complete with an official orientation.
Dinner of pizza and beer are at the lively and historic Red Onion Saloon. The waitresses good-heartedly play the part with breasts overflowing their bustier plus there’s a brothel museum upstairs. And then we’re off to see The Days of 98 show which has be running since 1923. During the show they like to involve the audience. Somehow I get roped onto the stage and before I know it I’m dancing the can-can with the actresses. Phew, that was humiliating. Phil made sure he got a video so I can be embarrassed for all eternity.
Even though it’s late out, it’s still bright enough that the brain doesn’t think it’s time to go to sleep. It never really gets dark and then by 3am it’s getting bright again. That makes it hard to sleep and I awake feeling absolutely exhausted.
Journey Return 