the small harbor is filled with 4 cruise ships
we pass an impressive waterfall
this is the busiest street of Skagway, for some reason they call it Broadway
luckily there is still a birth for the ferry
the ferry turns left towards Skagway, leaving the Statendam behind
on Broadway the harbor is never far away
with the ferry from Haines to Skagway
Skagway is 21 km from Haines by ferry. By car it is a hefty 600 km, so we used the Alaska Marine Highway System ferry for
our May 2007 visit to this historic town.
Skagway was the port of debarkation for most of the stampeders during the Klondike Gold Rush of
1897-99.
From here they took the Chilkoot trail to Bennett at the Yukon River for a ride downstream on makeshift
rafts to the gold laden creeks near Dawson City.
At the height of the gold rush Skagway was the largest town in all of Alaska.
And it was a lawless town to, with outright crooks like Soapy Smith.
Skagway is a major summer stop for many cruise ships
that dump loads of tourists in an overcrowded town.
Do not bet on getting a seat in a cafe or restaurant when 5 or more cruiseships
are docked in the small harbor.
If you have a day to spare take the very scenic
White Pass and Yukon Route narrow
gauge train to Whitehorse. Make sure you buy a two-way ticket as the line has no connection to any other railsystem.
from Haines you can take the ferry to Skagway and enjoy the scenic views along the Chilkoot Inlet
at Haines Harbor we take the ferry to Skagway
we approach Skagway Harbor, seems pretty crowded
Skagway here we come
the Red Onion Saloon is packed with tourists, no empty seats available
after a while we are back at the waterfront
Liquor has always been availably in sizable quantities throughout Skagways's history
you can take a citytour in this vintage bus
time to board the ferry back to Haines