JUNEAU / SKAGWAY

Thursday, June 15th Day 62   No Name Cove to Juneau, AK

We were up early again, coffee, cereal, yogurt and fruit. After breakfast we headed out from our anchorage at “No Name Cove” early.  We stopped outside the bay, among the icebergs to fish for halibut today. I took a morning nap while John fished. Neither boats caught anything. Oh well.

Today we headed for Juneau, actually a civilized town with all the amenities. We did know that we will have wifi, internet and cell service.... and the tourista thing! What a treat! The marvelous day we had yesterday, in the Tracy Arm ice field to the North Sawyer Glacier has not worn off yet. It was truly amazing!!!

Nice glamour shot of Red Rover, anchored in "No Name Cove".

We continue to cross paths and enjoy visits from Kevin and Alison
aboard Red Rover, a Nordhavn 55 from Seattle, WA.

Friday, June 16th Day 63  Juneau, AK  Harris Harbor Marina

Another view of Mendenhall Glacier.

We passed Mendenhall Glacier several times.

As soon as the boats were secured, we all went for a walkabout in Juneau. It is quaint mining town that has one main drag, ferry and cruise ship docks. Stopping in the Red Dog Saloon is a must!

We enjoyed dinner at the world famous Red Dog Saloon.

Saturday, June 17th Day 64  Juneau, AK  Harris Harbor

We walked about town. Kay and I browsed the shops while the guys found a place to drink beer. 

The Capital Building 

We visited the heritage museum which explains the meanings interpreted in the carvings. 

That evening we packed for our overnight trip to Skagway, 


Sunday, June 18th Day 65  Ferry from Juneau to Skagway

Historic buildings on Broadway Street, the main drag, from the turn of the century.

After checking into our rooms at the Westmark Hotel, we made our way to the world famous Red Onion Saloon for a late lunch and brothel tour. The Madam was a great personality, very witty and we really enjoyed the tour.

Kay and I did the tourista shopping while the guys bellied up to the Bonanza Bar. Kay and I hung out for a while and ordered some apps. It was the typical setting where John and Tom knew everyone by the time we arrived and were busy telling lies, as usual... 

Monday, June 19th Day 66  Skagway, AK   

We met for breakfast in the hotel restaurant before 7am. John and Tom were moving slow. For this days adventure, we rode on the scenic White Pass & Yukon Route of the famous Klondike Gold Rush of 1896. The train was the historic White Pass pride steam engine #73. She is a fully restored 1947 Baldwin 2-8-2 Mikado class steam locomotive who celebrated her 70th birthday in 2017 and 35 years of pulling eager tourists, like us, up and over the White Pass Summit, elevation 2,885 feet at the US / Canada borders.  When you consider this railroad  construction began in 1898 and was completed in 1900 it was quite a feet. The then $10 million project was the product of British financing, American engineering and Canadian contracting. Tens of thousands of men and 450 tons of explosives overcame harsh and challenging climate and geography to create this wonder of steel and timber. 

The rail trip begins in Skagway, Alaska, at sea level, elevation 0. The tracks steadily climb along the Skagway River, through switchbacks, over trellis bridges and through tunnels. During the four hour tour we experienced countless breathtaking panoramas of mountains, glaciers, gorges, waterfalls, rivers and lakes. The US / Canadian boarder crossing is marked with the USA and Canadian flags proudly flying center by a historical monument commentating the completion of the the railroad. We continued on a bit further and found five other flags to be flying high atop the mountainside; USA, Alaska, British Columbia, Great Britain and Canada! Quite a sight in the middle of all this wilderness!

This is the original trellis bridge and tunnel!

Close to the halfway point, just before turning and heading back down the tracks, the train makes a stop to fill its water tanks from one of the many lakes in these mountains. The conductors work feverishly to connect and roll out a giant canvas hose,  resembling a fire hose. The men had to clamber down the hillside in the gorge to reach the water, which is then pumped to the top of the engine for filling. This process took several minutes where we could move about the cabin, ask questions to the guide who’s on board for historical facts and such. We were not allowed off the train. 

Pumping water up to the steam engine so we can get back!

Once we had turned around and were heading down the mountainside, we were back at it with the photos from a whole new perspective. The trip was magnificent!

The Yukon Klondike

Back in Skagway at noon the train station, as well as the main drag we the town to be packed with tourists, presumably from the cruise lines. We milled about Broadway Street and made our way back to Bonanza Bar and Grill for lunch before our ferry ride back to Juneau. After lunch it started to rain so we ducked into the lobby of our hotel, collect our baggage and wait for out ride to the ferry terminal. 

We got front row seats for our return trip. This time they were not recliners, so sleeping comfortably was not an option. It rained often and the trip was not very enjoyable. We got back to the cold boats in the marina after 1am. It had been a long day.