My drive from the Alaska border to Skagway had a few sights along the way. A beautiful waterfall was right next to the road.

And I saw a caribou! This guy seemed pretty lean. Hopefully he fattens up before the rut.

My first stop in Alaska was Skagway. This is a gold mining town from the late 1800s. There are a lot of original buildings still being used today. Many of them have been restored to their original look. It’s definitely a tourist town now, with cruise ships arriving daily. Even though it’s a small town, it never felt crowded.

I enjoyed shopping in the stores. I tried to shop locally to show support for the community. I understand the cruise lines own several stores there. From what I could tell, all the jewelry stores were owned by them.

I had dinner at Skagway Brewing Company. I had fried halibut with a fresh garden salad. Both were amazing! They added a little hot spice to the batter of the halibut, and it was delicious. They told me they grow the vegetables for the salad right on the roof of the restaurant. So fresh! You could definitely taste the difference in fresh produce. It was so good I ate there twice and had the same meal. And they had an awesome amber brew!

I came across this large photo on a side street. It shows the original main street of Skagway in 1897.

I found a small museum inside a local gift shop. Though it was small, it had some amazing art pieces. Many of them were from the early days of Skagway and the surrounding tribal lands.

I was amazed at this detailed Wooly Mammoth hunt carved into a walrus tusk.

While visiting Skagway, I noticed there was a large population of crows. And let me tell you, these guys run this town. They are like the local mafia shaking down the citizens for food. There was a fry bread shop that was delicious. People from the cruise ships would sit outside the shop to enjoy their treat. The crows were fed bread by all these tourists. The shop knew this and had this sign in their store.

I had heard of a waterfall within walking distance of the town. It was a pretty hike along the railroad tracks of White Pass & Yukon Railway.

It took you by the main railyard of the White Pass & Yukon Railroad. I love that they had an old steam engine firing up while a more modern locomotive was driving past.

I came across this tsunami evacuation route sign. Someone was pretty clever adding a surfer to the large wave 🙂

I also walked by the local power plant. I wondered how Skagway provided electricity to the town. I walked behind the power plant that gained it electricity from the the flow of Dewey Creek.

The waterfall was definitely worth the 5-mile round trip hike. Lower Reid Falls was way better than I had been told. It was large and beautiful!

Below the falls is the original cemetery for Skagway. The inhabitants have a tranquil resting place. I can see why the people chose this place for their loved ones.

This headstone was very sad. The early days of Skagway were rough. This deputy was killed in the line of duty just hours after his only child was born. It broke my heart to read this.

I took a different route back to town. I ended up walking along Skagway River.

The last day I was in Skagway was a very windy and stormy day. These days are always a challenge for me because I have a high-energy puppy that needs a good walk every day.

So I braved the 30+ mph winds and walked the Skagway Lookout trail. Thankfully, the wind wasn’t too bad within the trees. But it was still very cold and windy for me to really enjoy myself. Maddie on the other hand had a blast. I swear the wind just revved her up! She raced up and down the trail happy as can be.

I really enjoyed my stay in Skagway. I could have easily stayed several more days there. For a small town, there’s a surprising number of things to see and do. If I had had more funds and time available while I was there, I would have taken a tour of the 1898 Gold Rush Trail and the Benton Lake Rail Tour.

My next post will be in Haines, Alaska!