Second stop: Skagway
Adrian and I have each spent 5 summers in Skagway. I was there summer of '98, and he was there summer of 2000. Then we were both there that fateful summer of 2001 when we met one another and, well, our love began to bud in Skagway. We both landed year round jobs, decided to get married, and began our life together in Skagway. In October 2004 our career choices took us elsewhere, but it's no wonder we were excited to return to our "old home" 8.5 years later.
(And we couldn't have possibly imagined we would be returning with 5 children!)
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| boarding the Malaspina ~a very familiar sight~ it is about a 6 hour sailing from Juneau to Skagway Because there is no road connecting the two cities, the other option is a 1 hour flight in a bush plane. |
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| We passed the Matanuska and a lighthouse at the same time! |
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| breakfast on the ferry! |
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| Enroute, you can see mountains, islands and glaciers galore! |
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| a sea otter greeted us at the Skagway ferry terminal (as well as Aunt Patricia, Uncle Charles, and Elda!) |
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| Tessa on my favorite hiking trail of all time |
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| many many kid-less memories on this trail... now here they are enjoying it along with us! |
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| While Orion slept... |
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| the other children made new friends |
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| White Pass Summit I would have been disappointed at the view if we had paid full price for train tickets.... Thank You White Pass for treating a past employee!! |
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| a very special agate! |
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| oops, this is actually a Juneau photo. Cuties in the sun! |
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| Tessa's Birthday Bash in a beautiful castle on the hill! |
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| Aunt Jauna baked an amazing strawberry cake at Tessa's request! |
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| love Tessa's expressions ~opening gifts with Aubrey G~ |
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| Thank you Jaci! |
Tessa had mentioned that all she really wanted for her birthday was to ride a horse...
Aunt Jauna caught wind of that wish, and made it come true!
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| grooming Sonny |
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| such a good, patient boy with all the kids! |
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| D&B came over from Haines to visit us, so all got to join in on the horse treat! |
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| A Birthday Girl and a horse... what could be better?! |
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| And of course everyone got a turn to ride Sonny! |
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| and Orion got to say hi... |
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| I <3 pass="" td="" white=""> |
Aunt Jauna (and Orijan) also treated us to a carraige ride!
(Adrian stayed with our Orion while he napped)
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| homework on the return ferry |
I was blown away by how much I've missed Skagway!
With the population only 800 in the winter, it was a community where you knew most everybody.
Visiting 8 years later, I could still pick out locals amid the crowds.
I knew who lived (or used to live) in the houses.
I discovered much of what was the same, and what was different in town.
At one point, I heard a train give its road crossing signal. I thought to myself, "that sounds like the engineer ___ ____". When the train passed, I peeked into the engine, and sure enough, operating the engine was the engineer I had imagined. Working for the railroad for 3 years I knew the engineers, conductors and brakemen so well, I could even tell their crossing signals apart. When we departed on the ferry, we talked to the employees like they were old friends. Word had traveled very quickly that we were in town. We didn't have near enough time to go everywhere and do everything in this little town, only 5 blocks wide, 16 blocks long.
So, time to plan the next visit! :)
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