Whitehorse, YT to Skagway, AK

We drove the 113 miles from Whitehorse through the White Pass to Skagway and stopped at the old Robinson Train Stop. The Roadhouse was a popular stop for gold miners and railroad workers; remnants of the old log roadhouse and a couple of cabins are all that remains. It sits near one end of a large, picturesque lake--if only old buildings could talk! From there we drove to Carcross, known in the old days as Caribou Crossing. This little town of a few hundred people is a photographer’s delight. We enjoyed shopping at the oldest store in the Yukon, Matthew Watson General Store. The train from Skagway does not yet reach this peaceful little village, but that is supposed to change in 2007. Therefore, when you visit this area, be sure to take this most scenic train ride. You will ride over a high, scary trestle and be entranced by glaciers, lovely lakes, busy rivers, waterfalls, deep crevasses, and hopefully large wildlife.

Upon arriving at Skagway, we quickly found a room at the historic Skagway Inn. The Inn, built in 1918, was formerly the home of a successful local merchant. Before that the large lot on which the Inn was built was home to the red light district. With the gold rush came dance hall girls and women of ill repute. The owner of the Inn named each room after prostitutes whose names (Alice, Birdie, Cleo, Flo, etc.) appeared on police blotters from 1897 to 1900. The Inn boasts a large, colorful garden filled with a variety of plants and flowers. Each morning the chef prepares a special breakfast delight for the guests, and the dining room faces the lush flower garden.