A Day in Skagway

We had a very nice tour of the Skagway area. It was the gateway to the Yukon gold fields and we opted to do a whole day tour. We were gone from the ship at just after 8 in the morning, returning around 5 in the afternoon.
 

The first part of the day was spend on a bus travelling the highway over the pass. It was a

The Train!

wonderful trip. The bus driver guide was a non stop source of information. The weather was again clear blue skies and the remarks about the weather being so nice were heard again. We made numerous stops along the way, including the one at the Canadian customs as we entered first B.C. but eventually ended in the Yukon. The lakes were just melting and the mountains being reflected in the clear calm waters were picture perfect. We carried on to Caribou Crossing for a lunch and museum stop, then made our way back to Carcross. It is famous in Yukon history as the starting point for the gold rushers. After carrying the 2000 pounds of supplies required by the Mounted Police, they built rafts for the 600 mile journey to the gold fields. Looking and learning at what they endured can only make one wonder.
   We then took the bus back to the train ride down the mountain and again the sense of what they endured was overwhelming. The advice that people gave us about taking the train was great. In town we visited the Red Dog Saloon for a beer. A walk around town ended the day.
I should add a word about the Captain of the Diamond Princess. His name is Captain Dino Sagani and he is probably the most personable of all the Captains we have seen. He gives full reports and has a great sense of humour.