Alaskan cruise - day 6 — Captain Father John

Skagway is 200 mile detour up the Inland Passage. It was created as a port of for the Klondike gold rush in 1898. From Skagway it was a 500 mile trek to the Klondike gold fields. A train built to carry miners still operates as a top tourist attraction. The Tlingit natives lived peacefully until the 1,000’s of hopeful prospectors set up camp here. One enterprising entrepreneur staked claim to the mountain pass where all the prospectors had to travel to reach the gold fields. He created a toll road and mined the miners. There was much consternation by those required to pay the toll. The owner quickly sold his land to the railroad for $100,000. It was later determined that he did not own the land he sold but he was long gone and so was the money.

Four of our group went on a bike excursion down a mountain, We started at 3,920 feet and rode down to sea level. It was a bit chilly but the scenery was amazing. We passed a US Customs office on our way to the summit. Even tho we did not leave the US and pass into Canada our tour guide had to get us permission to pass through the customs checkpoint. Our tour guide Paul was from Elgin, Illinois.

The Skagway Brewery makes a spruce tip blonde ale. The Klondike gold rush miners had few vegetables available to them. As a result, many came down with scurvy. It was determined that the fresh spruce tips harvested in the spring have a high concentration of vitamin C. The spruce tips were added to the brewing process and the miners got their vitamin C in their beer. I must admit there is a hint of turpentine in that tasty brew.

We are on our way to the Hubbard Glacier. Skagway was our last port of call until we arrive in Seward to disembark. The ship will tour the glacier for a few hours by passing it on port and then starboard so staterooms on both sides of the ship will have a view.

Tonight is our final formal dining night. We have a reservation Giovanni’s Table for Italian cuisine.

The bike riders.

Helicopter ride to the Mendenhall glacier

Enjoying “ice cold” 300 year old glacier water.