We had a busy day planned at Port of Skagway.
I booked a 6 hour train/bus excursion on
the recommendation of my parents.
The excursion did not disappoint.
We left the boat at 7 AM and were bussed to
the train. Todd and I laughed when we
saw the U.S.Customs and Border Protection Building.
I think it might be a shed that you buy at Home Depot.
We boarded the train at 8 AM to tour the
White Pass and Yukon route railroad.
The entire tour took approximately 8 hours,
and was worth every penny spent.
Todd getting ready to start the fun.
We viewed scenic waterfalls and lakes.
Apparently the lakes that are formed in this part of
the Yukon territory are generally long and deep
instead of wide and shallow.
This is because of the harsh weather in the area.
We passed an old portion of the railroad.
It was a little scary because if you look closely,
the bridge is collapsing.
Thank goodness we passed right by it.
When we reached our final destination
by the train, we had a nice tour bus
waiting for us.
Selfie in front of the train.
After a jarring and semi rough train ride,
it was really nice to board a bus.
It had comfortable seats, tv, a/c,
and most important...
a bathroom.
Our first stop after boarding the bus was
Caribou Crossing, Yukon, Canada.
The trading post has a wildlife museum,
petting farm, dog cart rides and husky puppies,
gold tours and of course food.
Our visit started with a complimentary
all you can eat lunch.
Lunch included fresh made donuts!
I can't say that I'm used to donuts at
lunch, but I'm not going to complain :)
There were several animals around the property.
My favorites, however, were the husky dogs.
They actually train at Caribou Crossing for the Iditarod.
People pay for dogsled rides,
and in turn the dogs get practice and exercise
They were beautiful dogs,
and there was lots of information about them
that you could read if you so liked.
Dogs training in the Summer.
My favorite experience of the entire excursion...
Getting to hold the puppies!
I wish I could have snuck one out in my jacket.
They were just precious.
After our time was up at Caribou Crossing,
we made our way to Carcross.
Carcross has a population of less than 300,
and relies heavily on tourism.
It reminded me of some of the small towns
that I live near. Rich in history...small in size.
It's located on Bennett and Nares Lake.
Notice something wrong with the building?
Ya, there are no stairs coming down
from the doors. Our tour guide said this was by design.
They get so much snow in this area,
there was no need to build stairs.
Just outside of Carcross is the Carcross Desert.
I don't believe it considered a true desert,
but it is a sandy area covering about 1 square mile.
It was formed during the last glacial period,
where the glacial lakes dried up and left silt behind.
After we were done visiting the desert,
we made our way to one of the most
beautiful lakes I've ever seen,
While the pictures aren't outstanding,
the lake is gorgeous.
It has a bright "emerald" color
because the light deflects off of the marl
(clay and calcium carbonate mixture).
The last thing that I wanted to share from
our excursion (we had 800 pics - I have to cut back some pics),
was a cantilever Captain William Moore Bridge that was built
over an active earthquake fault.
It is built with only one side secured
so that when there is a quake the bridge may
move and adjust instead of tear apart.
It was a scary experience,
but our tour bus driver was fantastic
and helped people feel a little more at ease
with some comic relief.
Next up...Skagway (Part 2),
or the actual town of Skagway.
2 comments:
Great report/pictures again!! What on earth do the antlers on the Carcross deer statue have on them? AA
Why thank you Anne. I don't think there is anything on his antlers. The deer was made of metal, so I just think it is part of the metal decoration.
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