On our Alaskan cruise, our favorite day of port stops was Skagway.  Out on our balcony the early morning view offered our first look at this little gem of a village. From our docked ship we initially saw the arresting rooflines of this quaint little town. Snow capped peaks are reflected in the still waters of the harbor.  Small steeple buildings and one with a golden dome seemed to beckon us do walk on in and get a better view.   As the harbor is so small, generally only one cruise ship at a time is docked at Skagway.  This makes traversing the little town a very pleasant experience.  Graceful sailboats are anchored along a dock leading to a path into a picturesque little town nestled in a gracefully cut valley between towering granite fir covered cliffs.  

The White Pass Yukon Rail station is the first building you approach as you saunter through a small park into the heart Skagway.  The inside bustles with vendors, and museums.  A ride on the train offers you some of the most beautiful Alpine views in all of Alaska.  As your train car hugs the side of the rugged granite cliffs on one side you peer down into a deep canyon where an aquamarine colored stream meanders along the sandy canyon floor.  History comes alive as you hear the narrated accounts of the grueling struggles of the gold miners trying to walk across the mountains to the gold fields. We also did a bike ride from the summit of the mountains down into the little village.  The cool air, the gorgeous towering cliffs and waterfall stops made this an exhilarating experiential land tour.  Shopping was peaceful in uncrowded stores and it was with deep satisfaction and a little regret that we headed back to our ship at the end of this full yet relaxing day. We were thinking that this town had given us all the special experiences that it could for this one day but we were wrong.  Sitting on our balcony watching the sunset soften and narrow the light onto the roofline of Skagway as we sipped our wine…ahhh…what a wonderful way to end a very special