The first thing you notice about Skagway is the size of the place compared to the sheer population of tourists inhabiting it on a daily basis. The town barely seems big enough to support the thousands of people that disgorge out of not only our ship but two others bigger than us, on a daily basis. And since the majority of the heritage wooden buildings that that front onto the rough-paved main street now house coffee shops and jewelry stores (honestly I don’t think there is anything in Alaska these days except coffee shops and jewelry stores…and if I sound bitter, I suppose I am) – I find myself wondering where the people who must actually live here, do their everyday things like grocery shopping…
But if you can get past the crush of people, and actually make it to the far end of town where this is some more in the way of breathing room, it really turns out to be a lovely little town. Perhaps not the most interesting place in the world I grant you, but the scenery is breathtaking, and a little patience reveals hidden treasures slightly off the beaten track: a single floor museum at the end of a side street that houses everything from gold rush memorabilia to 1930s gold kid shoes, a coffee shop that’s barely more than five steps wide that serves the most amazing fresh baked cheese scones I’ve tasted in a long while and does so with a genuine smile, and – my personal favorite and the most dangerous to my budget – a crystal shop. And I do not mean the kind of crystal shop that sells fancy jewelry, I mean a real rock shop, the kind where you walk in your eyes are caught by raw amethyst the size of your closed fist, barrels (and I’m not kidding) of huge chunks of rose quartz, and yes…if my big brother is reading this…its one of the few shops in Alaska that stocks raw turquoise, some pieces nearly the size of your open palm. Not as well priced as the crystal shop I’m loyal to in Ketchikan but a better selection overall.
I was good girl, I did not buy everything in the store.
Trust me, this deserves congratulations.
A flash of my crew ID card granted me front row access to the comedy/musical/historical show they put on in the little tiny theatre three times a day. While the quality was definitely questionable, and the music was provided by a tin-pan piano in the corner, there was a definite charm to the performance, as you could tell that the small cast truly did put their heart into it. They played off the small audience well and present their script with the vigor that can often only be found in these kinds of shows. While I may have been disappointed if I had paid full price for the performance, as it was it was definitely not a bad way to spend an hour.
And on a completely childish level – I must express my delight that the ice cream shop in Skagway has chocolate-chip-mint ice cream. You laugh, I can hear you laughing, but while the flavor is a staple in nearly every ice cream parlour in town on land, on the ships you never see it, and when it does make a rare appearance its usually gone before you can even attempt to order a portion.
I suppose it is the little things that keep you sane after all…