Day 5 of our cruise, and the last Alaskan port of call, Skagway - my favourite of the stops. It's a small town that has retained much if it's frontier charm from the Gold Rush days. We did a walking tour of the Gold Rush Cemetery, with its many wooden headstones. The day started overcast and a bit wet, but the sun came out, and we finished the day warm and bright. The sail away from Skagway was beautiful through the narrow channel, with snow capped mountains on either side (Sorry - no camera with me at the time.) Tomorrow we have a relaxing day at sea before our last port of call in Victoria, BC.
The main commercial street of Skagway - Broadway with many shops and restaurants.
The historic Red Onion Saloon - "Built in 1897, the Red Onion Saloon operated as one the finest bordellos in Skagway and though times have changed, the spirit has not.:
Another look at the main street.
The Mascot Saloon Museum
On the edge of town sits the railway tracks that bring the White Pass & Yukon Route trains come and go into Skagway. Taking the train excursion was a highlight of a previous visit to Skagway.
The rotary snowplow used to clear the tracks during the long snowy winters.
On our way to the cemetery, we passed a railyard with some of the train cars from the White Pass and Yukon Railway.
A frequent sight around town were these old fashioned touring buses, taking cruise passengers around town.
We started our tour of the old cemetery with a bit of reading about the various graves we would see.
The cemetery is spread out among the trees, with pathways winding through the forest.
Two examples of very different plots - one with grandiose stone fencing and headstone, and another, just a piece of cared and painted wood. Both are from the late 1800's.
It looked like some of the wooden headstones have been more recently replaced.
On the left: Duncan McFadden from Cape Breton (44 years), on the right: Carolina Hilly from Germany (52 years). Carolina's epitaph reads "Could she too soon escape this world of pain. Or could eternal life too soon begin?"
A short hike up from the cemetery is Reid's Falls, a beautiful natural spot deep in the woods.
One last look at Skagway before we made our way back to the ship.
Next: (Day 6) At Sea
Prev: (Day 4) Endicott Arm & Juneau, Alaska
Alaska - May 2017