Skagway, Alaska

 Today in Skagway Alaska. 

As we sailed into the port of Skagway on this cool, crisp morning, the scenery took my breath away.  The striking landscape is picture postcard perfect!! With sweeping stunning views of the snow capped mountains reflecting in the tranquil crystal clear sea, mother nature never disappoints here.

Skagway rose to fame after the 1896 discovery of gold in the Klondike and it served as a gateway for prospectors during the Gold Rush. Within a three  month period, the population soared from 60 to 20,000 people in search of making a fortune in gold. Few succeeded under the harsh environmental conditions and in a climate of fierce competition among tens of thousands of gold seekers.

The lawless town attracted fortune seekers, con artists, saloon keepers gambling houses, dance halls, hustlers, and brothels. By the spring of 1898, the town was labeled “little better than a hell on earth.”

Here is an interesting quote: “miners have moiled for gold in the Yukon for many centuries but the Klondike Gold Rush was a particularly strange and intense period of history. Within a decade, the towns of Skagway, Dyea, and Dawson City appeared out of nowhere, mushroomed to accommodate tens of thousands of people, and just vanished again. Although only a few people found enough gold even to pay for their trip, the Alaskan gold rush left an indelible mark on  nations imagination.

Originally settled by the Tlingit people, Skagway is a small town with a frontier motif and a population of only 1000 people.

As in many Alaskan port cities, much of the town shuts down after the tourism season ends. I spoke with many locals who are amazed that the Alaska cruise season continues to be extended beyond September. Today, it reached a high of 48°, on a clear sunny first Tuesday in October.

I strolled throughout the downtown area after taking the scenic 25-minute walk into town. Our walk was disrupted as we had to wait at least 20 minutes while the Famous White Pass railway train made a long stop on the tracks that bisect the city. 

I was awe-inspired by the sense of serenity I felt strolling around this lovely town.

Please forgive any errors. I will edit this after I return home.