Klondike Museum in Skagway

I was fascinated by the history of this area as I had a great grand father
who left his wife and family in Utah to come to Alaska to find riches.

Wm. Marion Johnson probably came here and men from all over USA and
the world flocking here to get rich. Little did they know what was ahead.

Each person was required to buy a ton of goods to sustain him for a year.

It wasn't easy as the railroad wasn't finished yet, they had to walk or use sleds.

A list of supplies needed, click to make it larger to sustain a person/year.

Imagine packing this up the mountain or using horses,
dogs or whatever you could find to help you

Some individuals stopped looking for gold and served
those travelers with goods, saloons and brothels. 

Imagine making 40 trips to carry your goods on your back! 

How to store the gold and transport it back to the states wasn't easy!

Quite a town developed in this area and still survives revived by tourists! 

Too soon time to leave Alaska, note the blue glacier top right in the mtns.

Goodbye Alaska, on to Victoria BC, Canada and then Seattle, Wash.

DAY FIVE-Skagway, Alaska

Gold Rush town still thrives today with tourists!

The women in our group choose to take the train ride up to White Pass

Along the Skagway River, a route many gold diggers followed to get to Dawson
Creek where gold wasa discovered in 1896, one of my ancestors came here too.

Looking back down the canyon, you can see several cruise ships docked.

Quite a feat to build this railroad, especially the bridge trestles still standing

Beautiful wildflowers decorate the hillsides abundantly on this cool day!

That's our engine pulling us up these steep incline then we'll return back.

Several tunnels were blasted through granite rocks  to laid this track.

Don't look down if you get nervous...lol!

It's difficult to imagine building these bridges back in the late 1890s.

Before the train, men had to hike along the river banks.

White Pass summit, we are now in Canada but won't stay just turn around.

Heading back on the same track happens too soon on this 3.5 hr ride.

Klondike Gold Fields is a place where you can go and pan for gold!

Too soon we are back to town and civilization!

The depot greets us with tourist sales and refreshments to buy.

Sawyer Glacier from our ship

Heading up the Tracy Arm to see the glaciers in this area.

Couldn't stop taking photos from our balcony view.

Love the layers of blueness in mountains, cloud and sea.

Getting closer to the glaciers as icebergs appear at our sides.

Many times you will see animals or birds on these icebergs.

My son Daniel loves to take photos also.  

Love traveling by ship and basking in the beauty of this beautiful state!

Melting glaciers create waterfalls everywhere.

Tracy Arm Glacier up close and personal.

The power and majestic of nature's forces at work.

Interesting blue color that is almost electric in its coldness and power.

We stopped by the glacier and made a 360 degree turn around to head back.

Soon it was time to have dinner this time with only the adults there.

Another towel creature waited us with turned down beds.