Alaskan Cruise: Day 4

 Date:  Tuesday, May 13th

Itinerary:  Skagway, AK for most of the day

Highlight:  Our Yukon train ride

Favorite eats:  red velvet cupcake, spaghetti with meatballs, and tiramisu

Drink of the day:  Spruce Tip Ale from Skagway Brewing Co

Weather:  Sunny, beautiful, warm weather

We woke up at 6:15 a.m. to find that we were already docked in Skagway. Though we arrived in port super early, we weren’t in a hurry to get off the ship because our excursion wasn’t until later. We had our regular “morning necessities” delivered at 6:30, and I showered, got ready, and drank coffee.

When we went down to breakfast, we ended up sitting with a retired minister and his wife. They were quite interesting to talk to, and they clearly live life to the fullest.

After breakfast we got off the ship and walked to town. (About a 10 minute walk.) The weather was amazing! Skagway absolutely stole my heart, and I immediately fell in love with the quaint little shops and drop-dead gorgeous scenery. We didn’t spend much time looking in the tacky tourist shops, and instead went to look for the local gems. Our first stop was Sugar Mama’s- an adorable little cupcake bakery. (By the way, cupcakes at 10 a.m. is perfectly acceptable on vacation… if you didn’t know.) I ordered the red velvet and Marty ordered the chocolate. Both were delicious!

After devouring our cupcakes, we meandered down the main street until the shops came to an end. And what did we find at the end of the shops? Skagway Brewing Co! Fate? I think so! (Since I didn’t get to go to Alaskan Brewing Co in Juneau.) We waltzed right in (yes, at 10:30 a.m.) and my husband cracked me up by saying, “If it makes you feel any better, it’s 11:30 a.m. back home.”

We shared a beer flight, sampling five of their beers. Our favorite was the Spruce Tip Ale. (We later learned that back in the gold rush days, men would mix spruce tips in their beer to prevent scurvy!) After talking with the bartender and waitress, we learned that they both just came to Skagway to work during the busy tourist season, which I found interesting.

Oh, and we also snagged some fudge at the Alaskan Fudge Company shop. Of course.

After beer tasting we slowly made our way back to the ship, peeking into some shops and buildings here and there. It was really nice just to walk through town because the weather was so nice. We took the extra hour we had before our excursion to go back to the ship and grab a quick bite to eat for lunch. (Since our train ride would be 3 hours long.)

The scenic railway was awesome. Views like you wouldn’t believe. And we glimpsed a black bear! They had complimentary water bottles, and everyone got a map that showed you the points of interest on the train ride. Our tour guide told us lots of interesting information throughout the ride as well. And we got to stand outside between the rail cars which was so cool! Seriously you guys. The most amazing views. A must see. Pictures don’t do it justice.

After our train ride we went back to the ship and got ready for dinner in our room with wine. When we went down to the dining hall we were seated with a table full of super nice strangers. One lady, who had such a zest for life, was a fellow coug! Can you believe it?! It was Italian night, and probably one of my favorite meal nights of the trip. I’m a pasta girl for life! I had a Caesar salad to start which was really good, and I had spaghetti and meatballs for the main course. It was delicious. And for dessert, tiramisu! (I love tiramisu!) It was also delicious. It was a great meal all around between the delicious food and wonderful conversation.

After dinner we ordered a drink and took it into the theater just in time to catch the magic show. (They will take your order in the theater as well, and bring you the drink which is nice.) The magician was a younger guy named Michael Barron, and his show was really good. He was funny, entertaining, and all of his tricks baffled me. (Not hard to do, I suppose.) My favorite trick he did involved two sisters from the audience and two creepy old lockets that supposedly belonged to Siamese twins. I tried to Google it to figure out the trick’s secret but had no luck.

After the magic show we went back to our room and looked outside on our balcony for a little while. We ended up passing the tiny town of Haines, AK all lit up. Then, it was time for bed. We had a very early morning ahead of us.

Come back soon to read about our time spent in Glacier Bay, an absolute trip highlight!

xoxo,
Kayla