Although it has a population of less than 1,000 people, Skagway welcomes almost 1 million tourists each year. Historically, the town served as the starting point for the thousands of prospectors who arrived in the North at the start of the gold rush. Today, it hosts many historical sites and artifacts that give insight into life during that time.
Because Geoff has been involved in a deal related to the White Pass and Yukon Railroad, we decided to take a ride on this famous train. Over the course of the week, we had convinced Fred and El (Beth's parents) and Beth's brother, Mike, to join in the festivities and so then five of us headed out that afternoon to catch the train, parked conveniently at the foot of the cruise ship.
Although the train left late and the commentary a little underwhelming, the scenery was spectacular as we ascended from sea level to approximately 4,000 feet into the mountains above. The steep drops, the creaky wooden bridges we crossed and the pitch black tunnels were a touch fear-inducing but it was nothing in comparison to the treacherous hikes of the prospectors or the daily grind the bridge builders would have endured.
The train ride was truly a journey back in time...a time in history we were happy to visit for just a day!
No comments:
Post a Comment