WEDNESDAY, JULY 17

WEDNESDAY, JULY 17:

     Up at 4:30 to get the RV closed up and over to the ferry dock by 5:30 at the latest.  Got on fairly quickly, found ourselves comfortable seats, and within a few minutes of leaving the dock, we both promptly fell asleep.  We weren’t the only ones!  When I woke up a couple of hours later, I saw lots of folks snoozing.

     Was a nice trip over.  Passed a quaint lighthouse.        

 

 

 

     We stopped at Haines, just across the Lynn Canal from Skagway, around noon. 

 These 2 towns, which are at the northern terminus of the ferry system, and broadly considered the northern boundary of Southeast Alaska and the Inside Passage, are only 14 miles apart by water.  They both have roads leading into the interior – the first there’ve been since we left Prince Rupert.  But those roads connect in a circle of 300+ miles! (due to icefields, impossibly steep mountainous terrain, etc.)  So to go from one to another, you can take an hour boat ride, or a 6+ hour car ride, not including time at border crossings into Canada and then  back into Alaska.  So have your passports ready!

     Ate our Subway sandwiches while we were docked, and watched the hubbub around the terminal.

      The remaining hour to get to Skagway was nice – felt like Southern Calif weather on the top deck!  Rolled up my pant legs to let them get some sun!  Water was crystal clear turquoise.  

     Saw the cruise ships as we came into Skagway; the ships stop here, but not at Haines.

                                                                

     Got settled into our new RV park.  It’s large . . .  has grass between sites, and mature trees along the perimeter and a few scattered within, mitigating an otherwise parking lot look.  We got a pull-thru spot this time, which of course Bill loves!  I don’t think we’ll see much of the owner/manager – he was expecting us, took our $$, but then took off, and no sign of him since.  The WiFi is very weak, just like the one at Spruce Meadows (in Juneau).  Very frustrating when they advertise they have it, and you’re supposedly paying for it, but more often than not, can’t get it unless you trudge up to the office hot spot.  I spent a lot of my evenings up in the Spruce Meadow office/laundry/shower area.  Which is not terrible – you meet folks that way.  But still, would rather be at home!  I’ll see how the WiFi here works later tonight and tomorrow morning.  If no luck, may just sign up for 3 days’ worth with AT&T.

     We plan to be here 4 nights.  We have tickets to ride the steam train on the White Pass &  Yukon Route RR on Friday.  And want to see the Klondike Gold Rush National Park.  Beyond that, we’ll see . . . 

     After a simple dinner, took Pappy for a walk around the RV park and a little out of the park’s boundaries.  Looks like there are several permanent residents here, and their places are bordering on trashy.  Still no sign of the manager/owner.  Looks he’s pretty much disengaged.  Quite a contrast to our last place!  And the showers are pay.  This place isn’t making a good impression on us.  And it’s the highest price we‘ve paid yet:  $38.50/nite.

     It feels considerably warmer here than it has almost any other place we’ve been for a good while – I wore a T-shirt and sandals while walking Pappy.  First time I’ve been out of long sleeves and socks for weeks!  I wonder if this is typical for Skagway, or if we’re in the start of a general “heat wave” all over Southeast, similar to the weather we had in Wrangell & Petersburg.  At any rate, feels nice!