SKAGWAY
After leaving Vancouver we were 'out at sea' for a day and a half and then dropped in at Juneau. Apart from the fact that Sarah Palin lived there for the time she was Governor (Juneau is the capital of Alaska) I was not that impressed with the little town.
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| I took this photo from the ship as we arrived, of an old jetty just outside Juneau. |
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| One main street in Juneau .. love the mountains as a backdrop |
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| The large white house is the Governor's house in Juneau. |
The following stop - Skagway, was quite different. The most delightful little town - Chocolate- box pretty wooden buildings, timber board-walk pavements and everything as neat as a pin. We disembarked early and boarded the "White Pass & Yukon Route train that took us to the White Pass Summit. The train climbs almost 3000 feet in just 20 miles with gradients of up to 3.9%, cliff-hanging turns of 16 degrees, two tunnels, bridges and trestles. "The steel cantilever bridge was the tallest of it's kind when it was constructed in 1901"
It was great fun, and each coach had a little 'pot-belly' stove which provided warmth and cheer.
I spent most of the ride outside, between the swaying coaches trying to get good photos! There was a lot of editing and I think I got some good pics. It was very cold out there, the train was rocking and rolling and travelling at considerable speed. The result was many blurred photos!
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| The 'brakeman' inspecting the train before our descent |
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| The Flags at the summit |
The landscape was exceptionally beautiful!
Back in Skagway, we did some shopping and below some of the pics of the day.
Cruise ships stop at Juneau and Skagway everyday during the season, resulting sometimes in up to 11,000 visitors a day! I must say that I did admire their friendliness and patience
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| Mr R-I took this picture of Judy, Ozzie and me. I love the combination of the huge cruiser berthed right next to the train! Judy is sporting her new bag bought in Skagway! My final post on Alaska will tell of our visit to Ketchikan and Glacier Bay. |
So beautiful plus I am a sucker for train trips! You got some great pics xx
ReplyDeleteThanks Naomi... I love trains too! xx
DeleteCruise ships do tend to overwhelm a bit, don't then! I suppose that the towns people have come to rely on the tourist trade quite a bit if they get cruise liners docking every day. I can remember when I worked in the Rialto building in Melbourne discussing the cruise ships with the Observation tower people, and the bus loads would be sent all over Melbourne and surrounds with thousands of people for the few days they were docked. It was quite fascinating!
ReplyDeleteLove the train pictures, and I'm guessing that brake man has a very important job! The town certainly feels quite remote with the mountains as such a close backdrop. xx
Thanks Heidi... I would imagine that they derive huge income from these ships! There was a certain quaintness about Skagway as well as the people.... and the mountains were SO beautiful! xx
DeleteLoving your posts and adore your photographs. What an exciting trip. I have added it to my wish list x
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Lesle ... On my wish list is another visit to Alaska but by land. I did feel as though we missed out on the interior of the state. However, one has to be on a ship to experience the Inner Passage and I wouldn't have missed this!.... I will blog about this next ... Glacier Bay xx
DeleteI love Judy's bag! Haha. Sorry I'm commenting on that first before the photos. I love that you're being honest about not being impressed by the town. Sometimes you have to say it.
ReplyDeleteBut I love the mountain views, the train and the train ride!
I love train rides as long as it's not going to work :)
Have a lovely Sunday and even more lovely trip!
Marj x
PS. Your photos are great even with all the rocking and rolling x
Hi Marj .... thanks for your comment! We found a shop that sold Turkish Kelim goods!! haha ... I bought a bag too... they are lovely! We get back to Australia in a week! xx
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