Day 4 of the cruise was another port day -- Skagway!
The big thing to do in Skagway is riding the historic White Pass Railroad train up to White Pass. But it costs $200ish per person for just a few hours on the train, and we kept reading on the Internet about how it was such a disappointment if you end up not getting a window seat, so we searched for other options.
The big thing to do in Skagway is riding the historic White Pass Railroad train up to White Pass. But it costs $200ish per person for just a few hours on the train, and we kept reading on the Internet about how it was such a disappointment if you end up not getting a window seat, so we searched for other options.
We ended up renting a Jeep from Alaska Green Jeep Tours. Best decision ever!
There's a highway that parallels the railway, so we travelled past all the same beautiful sights as the train, just the two of us, and we went way further than the railway goes to some even prettier sights. Plus we saved a ton of money. We had the Jeep all day, along with a bunch of maps and information about all the sights and interesting accompanying stories, and we got to stop and get out and enjoy the pretty views whenever we wanted. It was a perfect day.
I'll let the photos do the talking...
We didn't encounter any avalanches. :)
We crossed the border into Canada (British Columbia) after a little while, and pretty soon after that we left British Columbia and entered the Yukon!
"International Border Falls"
One of my favorite views!
Eventually we reached White Pass Summit!
We stopped for lunch in the old gold rush town of Carcross. We bought sandwiches at a little bakery and ate lunch by the water at a little picnic table, then grabbed some ice cream at the historic Matthew Watson's General Store.
Outside of Carcross is Carcross Desert, aka the "smallest desert in the world!" It's really strange... there's just a big random sandy area in the middle of the Yukon!
Just past Carcross was the prettiest view of the day - Emerald Lake. Truly beautiful. The photos could never do it justice.
There's a highway that parallels the railway, so we travelled past all the same beautiful sights as the train, just the two of us, and we went way further than the railway goes to some even prettier sights. Plus we saved a ton of money. We had the Jeep all day, along with a bunch of maps and information about all the sights and interesting accompanying stories, and we got to stop and get out and enjoy the pretty views whenever we wanted. It was a perfect day.
I'll let the photos do the talking...
This bridge is built over a fault line, so it's only structurally anchored on one side!
We didn't encounter any avalanches. :)
We crossed the border into Canada (British Columbia) after a little while, and pretty soon after that we left British Columbia and entered the Yukon!
"International Border Falls"
One of my favorite views!
Former home of the owner of a nearby silver mine!
We stopped for lunch in the old gold rush town of Carcross. We bought sandwiches at a little bakery and ate lunch by the water at a little picnic table, then grabbed some ice cream at the historic Matthew Watson's General Store.
Outside of Carcross is Carcross Desert, aka the "smallest desert in the world!" It's really strange... there's just a big random sandy area in the middle of the Yukon!
Just past Carcross was the prettiest view of the day - Emerald Lake. Truly beautiful. The photos could never do it justice.
I hope y'all like these photos. We pretty much climbed up the sheer face of a cliff to get them. Haha!
These tall, thin, Christmas-style trees were everywhere. We don't have trees like that in Texas, so I loved them, especially the teensy tiny cute ones. :)
We turned around at Emerald Lake and started the trip back to Skagway. We stopped at a few more pretty sights on the way back.
We saw SO MANY waterfalls, which I was totally not expecting! So beautiful.
These next few photos are from Summit Creek, where people build "inukshuks," piles of rock with a spiritual significance for the Eskimos. There were so many rock piles!
Jeff built one of his own!
Eventually we made it back into the United States!
He's so cute. :)
One of our stops on the way back had a great view of the cruise ship terminal!
After we got back to Skagway and dropped off the car, we still had about an hour before we had to be back on the ship, so (since we seem to enjoy cutting it close with the ship boarding times) we stopped at the Skagway Brewing Company so Jeff could try their "spruce tip" beer and I could get a Diet Coke!
After a perfect day in Skagway, we hurried to get back on the ship, and enjoyed another delicious dinner! Day 4 was technically a "sea day," but the ship travelled up Endicott Arm Fjord to see the gigantic Dawes Glacier. We entered the fjord around 5:00am, so Jeff and I got up at 4:45, bundled up in coats and scarves (it was cold!), and went to our favorite spot by the windows in the Solarium (an indoor pool area on the ship with a Panera-like restaurant) to watch the icebergs pass by.
The Captain spun the ship in a circle a couple times, and then we went back down the fjord. Jeff and I watched as a giant iceberg hit the ship!
Some of the ship's crew went down in the fast rescue boat to retrieve a chunk of ice, which they later used for an ice carving demonstration!
We sat in our favorite spot and watched the ice pass by as the ship maneuvered out of the fjord.
And at the end of the day, we got to come back to our cozy little stateroom, complete with a new towel animal. :)
More beautiful scenery, more waterfalls, this time with icebergs!
When we got our first glimpse of the glacier around 7:00 am, I think the entire ship gasped. It was so big and beautiful! My photography skills are nowhere near advanced enough to do the glacier justice, but here are some photos anyway:
The Captain spun the ship in a circle a couple times, and then we went back down the fjord. Jeff and I watched as a giant iceberg hit the ship!
Some of the ship's crew went down in the fast rescue boat to retrieve a chunk of ice, which they later used for an ice carving demonstration!
We sat in our favorite spot and watched the ice pass by as the ship maneuvered out of the fjord.
And at the end of the day, we got to come back to our cozy little stateroom, complete with a new towel animal. :)
Absolutely beautiful pictures.
ReplyDeleteI can't get over how gorgeous these photos are. I used to feel pretty ambivalent about Alaska, but now I'm convinced I must take an Alaskan cruise!!
ReplyDeleteYour pictures are amazing and have got be 100% on board with an Alaskan cruise! It is going to happen one day, especially if/when we leave Seattle. Even if we have to bring the toddlers with us!
ReplyDelete