Review: To Denali and Back, July 22 - Aug. 12, 2018

[RetiredMustang]

July 26, Skagway

 

It was a gray and gloomy morning as we moored at Skagway. The White Pass and Yukon Route train was waiting at the pier:

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had booked the shore excursion called “Best of Skagway” which included a ride on the railway, a visit to a Gold Rush camp and a tour of a famous bordello. Here is a brochure that outlines the excursion:

 

 

 

 

We went ashore and waited a bit at the end of the pier for our excursion, and watched the train load passengers and then pull out. Clearly we were in the part of the excursion that was to take the bus to the turnaround point and ride the train back to Skagway. A few minutes after the train left, we were shepherded onto a bus and we set out on the Klondike Highway, which goes up the river on the north side as opposed to the train, which runs on the south side. It was a relatively short drive, but the weather closed in and at one point I was happy I was not the one trying to drive the bus on the winding road in heavy fog. At one point we stopped to look at the bleak landscape of the Tormented Valley:

 

 

 

The train follows the footpath taken by miners trying to get to the Klondike gold fields in 1897-99. Thousands of people flocked to Skagway to take the trail to Canada and on to the Yukon gold fields. Canada soon required that the would-be miners bring enough supplies with them to last a year – about a ton in total. They carried the supplies up in a series of hikes, bring some up to a storage point and then going back down for another load. Not surprisingly, many did not even get make it that far. Those that did built boats and floated down the river to the gold fields. Almost none of them found riches. But, the railroad was built to make it easier to get over the pass; it was started in 1898 and finished in 1900.

 

Our bus crossed the Canadian border and we went several more miles to Fraser, B.C. to the Canadian border station and the train turnaround area. It was a requirement to go on the excursion that we bring our passports with us. The border passport inspection was quick and efficient, and we were soon through and parking near the train, which had already arrived. Presumably the buses would then take the newly-arrive train passengers back to Skagway.

The weather had started to clear, at least in Fraser, and there were some nice views over Bernard Lake as we waited to board our train car.

 

 

 

 

Soon we were able to go to our assigned train car – our bus was allotted a car most of the way to the end of the train.

 

 

 

 

More later,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

July 26 (Cont.)

 

The railway doesn’t actually turn the train around – the engine is detached from one end and reattached at what is now the front of the train. The seat backs in the cars are simply flipped to make seating facing the direction the train is moving. Here are photos of the seating, and inside the train car:

 

 

 

 

 

 

The cars also had a small outdoor platform where people could go to watch and/or take photos during the journey:

 

 

 

 

We set out back along some beautiful high country landscapes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

More later,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

July 26 (Cont.)

 

 

Soon after we started, we passed the U.S.-Canadian border, with a hut for the Mounties who greeted the arriving gold seekers and allowed them to pass if they had their required supplies:

 

 

 

 

At one point, we passed near to the Trail of ’98, the original footpath the would-be miners had taken before the train was completed:

 

 

 

 

We continued down the track for several miles, passing through more high country, and near an old steel bridge that was used by the train until 1969:

 

 

 

 

More later,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

July 26 (Cont.)

 

 

We started entering some more rugged terrain with denser woods as we descended. We could see across the valley to the Klondike Highway we had ridden to Fraser:

 

 

 

 

 

 

At one point, we had a great view down the valley to the bottom:

 

 

 

 

And, along with no doubt dozens of my fellow passengers, I got a shot of the front of the train passing around a curve and across a bridge over a creek:

 

 

 

 

More later,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

July 26 (Cont.)

 

 

The train pulled into a siding in Skagway, not all the way back to the pier. We got out and rejoined our bus for the ride to Liarsville, the Gold Rush camp, for a visit and a salmon bake, along with a few other buses of visitors.

 

The place was only a few miles away, and the first item was the salmon bake, which consisted of a buffet line for side dishes and chicken if you wanted, and then a walk to the barbeque pits for a freshly-cooked piece (or two) of salmon. Seating was covered picnic tables. Soft drinks were provided, but there was also a bar where you could purchase beer or wine.

 

 

 

 

After the lunch, we went across the street to Liarsville, a replica of a camp that was here during the Gold Rush.

 

 

 

 

Guides at the camp told us that newspapers in the U.S. and elsewhere sent journalists to Skagway to report on the people who came for the gold and struck it rich. The journalists weren’t going to do the hike themselves, so they talked to whomever was available. That meant usually those who had given up on trying to get up the pass. So, there were reports of failure that were sent back to the newspaper editors, who did not want those stories. Instead, they told the journalists to send them success stories. So, the journalists made up reports. Their camp was therefore called Liarsville (insert modern media joke here).

 

 

More later,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

July 26 (Cont.)

 

 

The camp had several tents depicting life at the time, including a smithy, a bordello, a saloon and a press tent:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More later,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

July 26 (Cont.)

 

 

There were also a few buildings, such as the barbershop:

 

 

 

 

And a general store that sells modern gifts, souvenirs, snacks, etc. On an outside wall is a list of supplies needed for a year in the Klondike:

 

 

 

 

On the porch of the general store is a display of boxes of what some of those supplies would be:

 

 

 

 

At one point, we were led to an outdoor theater for a show of singing and dancing:

 

 

 

 

Afterwards, there was an opportunity to pan for gold:

 

 

 

 

Most of the people found a fleck or two of gold, which they could keep in provided plastic zip-top bag, but the kids from the Disney ship were given “special” pans and delightedly discovered big chunks of pyrite.

 

 

More later,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

July 26 (Cont.)

 

 

After a couple of hours at Liarsville, our bus took us back to downtown Skagway, to the Red Onion Saloon. It is a working pub today, and was packed with diners, but we were dropped at a side door for our tour of the upstairs bordello museum. There actually was a bordello there for a few years, and the management has made the small number of rooms into a museum of the time.

 

 

We were greeted by a “madam” who led us to a large upstairs room for drinks and an orientation talk:

 

 

 

 

We then went through a few more rooms, including small bedrooms where the professional women worked, one of which had a display of an elaborate nightgown, and through the real madam’s boudoir:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I got the impression that the most famous Madam of the saloon was called Diamond Lil.

 

 

After the tour, we had the choice of taking the bus back to the ship or staying in town and making our way back the half-mile or so. It had been a long tour, so we took the bus back to Westerdam.

 

 

This was a very interesting an enjoyable excursion, but a bit overlong for us. We highly enjoyed the train portion, and would recommend it. Liarsville was interesting, but we thought too much time was devoted to the site, and the salmon bake was pretty ordinary for us natives of Washington state. The bordello visit was brief but worth it, in our opinion. I noticed a sign that indicated you could take a tour on your own for ten dollars. If we were to do this again, we would take the train excursion, and possibly visit the Red Onion on our own, but would forgo Liarsville.

 

 

More later,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

July 26 (Cont.)

 

Here are the first four pages of today’s When and Where:

 

 

 

 

 

 

More later,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

July 26 (Cont.)

 

Here are the other two pages of the When and Where:

 

 

 

 

And here is the MDR dinner menu:

 

 

 

 

More later,

Dave

[Krazy Kruizers]

Enjoyed reading about Skagway.

Our first time there was in the 80's -- also took the train ride -- also toured the Red Onion Saloon and had lunch there.

The scenery is beautiful from the train.

[erewhon]

Enjoying your great review and photos, thank you

[fatcat04]

Wow, you had some good weather. Love the pictures. Enjoying this review!:D

 

PS.... the menus make me hungry :p

[portofrome]

I'm enjoyng your amazing review and photos. Thank you for posting.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I noticed that as well about the good weather.

[RetiredMustang]

Thanks to all who have commented. Yes, we did enjoy good weather … sometimes. Stand by :).

 

 

July 27, Glacier Bay

 

We picked up the National Park rangers early on our way through Icy Strait en route to Glacier Bay. The ship had distributed a fact sheet:

 

 

 

 

 

We also had the large national park brochures with maps to follow along our journey. It was cloudy and misty in the morning, but people were already staking out places in the Crow’s Nest/EXC:

 

 

 

 

We passed by South Marble Island and I got a photo of sea lions and sea birds on the rocks:

 

 

 

 

A bit later, we passed the aptly-named Gloomy Knob:

 

 

 

 

The rangers pointed out several bears and some mountain goats along the shore, and while we could spot some of them through binoculars, my small point-and-shoot camera was not able to resolve a good photo. Others on board had professional cameras with huge lenses and got some good photos. In fact, during the day, I saw some sea otters close enough to the ship for me to try to get some photos, some possibly in focus, but the creatures would act tremendously winsome and awww-some until I got my camera focused on them, at which point they would thumb their noses and dive. Oh well, the mountains and glaciers didn’t duck out of sight.

 

 

More later,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

July 27 (Cont.)

 

 

We continued our way north up Glacier Bay, and when it looked like we might be having gloom and fog all day, all heaven started breaking out. The sun suddenly came out and the scenery took our breath away:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, we caught our first view of Marjorie Glacier, one of the largest tidewater glaciers (those that reach the sea) in Glacier Bay:

 

 

 

 

More later,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

July 27 (Cont.)

 

The captain maneuvered us close to the Marjorie Glacier and we spent a good bit of time as the ship faced first one side to the glacier and then turned so the other side faced it:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The captain had also opened the bow decks, and a good many people took advantage of the opportunity:

 

 

 

 

But some were content to look from the comfort of the Lido deck:

 

 

 

 

More later,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

July 27 (Cont.)

 

 

Eventually, we left Marjorie Glacier and went up Johns Hopkins Inlet to as close as we could to Johns Hopkins Glacier. Seals were having and nurturing their pups on the ice around that glacier, so we could only get so close without bothering them. The setting was sublime:

 

 

 

 

On the way out of the Inlet, we passed by another tidewater glacier close by, the Lamplugh Glacier:

 

 

 

 

 

 

We then went back down Glacier Bay during the afternoon in gorgeous scenery, and dropped off the Rangers on our way out. What a glorious day! We had really lucked out with the sunny weather, but I imagined it would still be pretty impressive in more typical Alaska weather.

 

 

More later,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

July 27 (Cont.)

 

 

Here are the first four pages of today’s When and Where:

 

 

 

 

 

 

More later,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

July 27 (Cont.)

 

 

Here are the other two pages of the When and Where:

 

 

 

 

And here is the gala dinner menu:

 

 

 

 

More later,

Dave

[Krazy Kruizers]

Glad you had a beautiful day for Glacier Bay.

Thank you for the reports.

[RetiredMustang]

July 28, at sea

 

This was a sea day, so no shore excursion descriptions or scenic photos. Instead, I will give a pretty comprehensive photo review of the new EXC/Crow’s Nest on Westerdam. I had reported on my October cruise that the Crow’s Nest had been substantially altered with the conversion to the EXC, and this July I found a few changes that had been made since then. I have seen the threads discussing the EXC, and thought I would show what it is like, taking it from starboard aft around to the port side.

 

As you enter on the starboard side, the first thing you encounter is the new Future Cruise Consultant’s office outboard. This is a more spacious and more private area than the one down in the atrium area, and has more storage and display area for flyers and brochures:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inboard is the new EXC desk, which replaces the Shore Excursions desk previously in the atrium. It has a computer screen that lists available excursions, and on the desktop is an interactive map display. In the second photo below, there is a cover over the display, as I took the photo early morning, but during the day the cover is off and people can explore maps of the ports and their attractions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

More later,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

July 28 (Cont.)

 

 

Forward of the FCC office are three large interactive-screen tables, not quite as large as pool or snooker tables; but many have described them as pool tables. In October, these were all interactive factoid screens, but in July at least one was also an interactive map like the one at the EXC desk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More later,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

July 28 (Cont.)

 

Forward of the display tables, outboard, is the “library” I suppose you could call it. It is not like the usual library, since there is a sign saying not to take the books out of the EXC/Crow’s Nest. In October, these books were a random assortment of coffee-table type books; in July, many of the books were about the history, geography and fauna of Alaska, and so fit the cruise a bit more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also in the starboard area, and around on the port side as well, are sliding louvered screens that can be moved to block direct sunlight as needed:

 

 

 

 

More later,

Dave