A little over a week ago, Eric and I took a much-needed vacation with his amazing family to Alaska. Our first port-of-call was Skagway, a tiny town 3 hours north of Juneau that boasts a colorful history of red light ladies, tented saloons, the famous White Pass railway and stunning views of the harbor and surrounding ice-capped mountains.
We started our tour of Skagway with a hike just off the railroad called Lower Dewey Lake trail. The first half was a steeper-than-we-expected incline with crazy switchbacks and rocks that make your ankles brace for dear life. But once we got further up, the path smoothed out and it led to a gorgeous lake surrounded by wild purple iris, dogwood and rushing creeks flecked with gold (or at least fool’s gold, or glitter; if someone was playing a mean trick on us).
To my relief, we rubbed shoulders with a lot of other hikers as well (some vacationers, some locals) and since I am snack-sized, was glad not to be alone in a spot where bears and other critters were occasionally spotted. Following our hike, we grabbed a hearty lunch of tater tots, soft pretzels, chicken fingers and chili (to gain back our energy) and strolled the shops (but not before getting my penny smashed by the train)!
Like any tourist destination, the lineup pretty much looked like this: jewelry, shirts, collectibles, jewelry, shirts, paintings, jewelry, shirts, authentic Alaskan ulu knives seen nowhere else, jewelry, shirts, hats, jewelry, shirts, collectibles, jewelry, shirts, paintings…. There were a few small cafes and outdoor sports facilities, but it was mostly a cute walking and browsing town.
We ended up heading back to the ship early after a touch of rain came our way, and sat in the heat of the jacuzzi while overlooking the harbor. Afterwards, we sat on the lounge chairs, snacked on popcorn and hot chocolate and took naps in the sun which came out in full force shortly after (see? A bathing suit in Alaska is possible! ;) I think the craziest part of the day was hearing that there was a girl from Riverside who came up to work for the summer. And in the winter, there are only 300 people who stay. I’m beginning to looooove me some California sun!
Have you gone anywhere new this summer?