My earplugs came in handy to block the noises of the late-night campground revelers, the relentless caws of the crows, and the early trains carrying tourists up to the White Pass and along the Yukon route. I fired up the stove for some delicious instant oatmeal and headed back to - it turned out - the still closed ferry terminal to see about passage to Juneau. With a little detective work and after talking with a few coffee shop proprietors that were up early in Skagway, I learned that in fact there was a ferry going to Juneau at 1:00 AM. I considered that option until I learned of the deal-breaker: There wasn't a ferry returning until Thursday. So... Plan B.
The Fjord Express to Juneau, a fast-hulled catamaran that could get me there in 2.5 hours, one-way (as opposed to 6 hours on the ferry) was my best option (even better than the ferry it would turn out!.) For only $50 more than the cost of the ferry, the round-trip ride would include a stop in Haines, Alaska, natural sightseeing in the Lynn Canal on the way to Juneau, free-time in Juneau, and a bus ride to and ticket for entry to the Mendenhall Glacier. I called just in time to book the last seat for the next day, Monday.
In need of a fix of cyberspace, Conrad and I trolled the two main streets in Skagway in search of free wifi access, but we came up empty-handed. I found the Haven Cafe off of State Street and paid $7 for all-day access. My bottomless cup of coffee got me a quiet spot in the corner under some great oil paintings by a local artist from which to blog. The baristas were cute and extremely sassy. I spent several hours jacked up on caffeine updating my blog and cleaning up my email. Without regret, I cancelled my internet subscription to T-Mobile. That turned out to be a bad deal; Coverage was nowhere near what they claimed it would be on this trip. I felt miffed that I had invested in a new phone in order to access the technology and I considered how I would convey that message to T-Mobile when I returned to Minnesota. From here on, I would rely on local wifi access to the Internet.
I had covered a lot of ground over the last few days, so I looked forward to chilling during the afternoon and evening around Skagway. I took some time to read my guidebook about my upcoming destinations before returning to my campsite to prepare my mac & cheese dinner. From there, I set out to explore the shop-lined Broadway Street, the harbor area and my departure point for the boat the next day.
A little about Skagway. Skagway's population of 862 temporarily swells every day as between one and five cruise ships unload about 1000 passengers each. The passengers are funneled through the harbor and up Broadway which is full of touristy shops. Loads of RV-ers and campers like myself approach the town from the opposite end. Everyone seems to congregate around 2nd and Broadway. All of the shops have false-fronts to recall the days of the Klondike Gold Rush which began in Skagway in 1897. The most interesting facade was the Visitor Information Center. It is built entirely of driftwood.
I had a wonderful Alaskan Amber at a restaurant overlooking the harbor before returning to the campground for a coin-operated shower. I looked forward to the next day!
The Fjord Express to Juneau, a fast-hulled catamaran that could get me there in 2.5 hours, one-way (as opposed to 6 hours on the ferry) was my best option (even better than the ferry it would turn out!.) For only $50 more than the cost of the ferry, the round-trip ride would include a stop in Haines, Alaska, natural sightseeing in the Lynn Canal on the way to Juneau, free-time in Juneau, and a bus ride to and ticket for entry to the Mendenhall Glacier. I called just in time to book the last seat for the next day, Monday.
In need of a fix of cyberspace, Conrad and I trolled the two main streets in Skagway in search of free wifi access, but we came up empty-handed. I found the Haven Cafe off of State Street and paid $7 for all-day access. My bottomless cup of coffee got me a quiet spot in the corner under some great oil paintings by a local artist from which to blog. The baristas were cute and extremely sassy. I spent several hours jacked up on caffeine updating my blog and cleaning up my email. Without regret, I cancelled my internet subscription to T-Mobile. That turned out to be a bad deal; Coverage was nowhere near what they claimed it would be on this trip. I felt miffed that I had invested in a new phone in order to access the technology and I considered how I would convey that message to T-Mobile when I returned to Minnesota. From here on, I would rely on local wifi access to the Internet.
I had covered a lot of ground over the last few days, so I looked forward to chilling during the afternoon and evening around Skagway. I took some time to read my guidebook about my upcoming destinations before returning to my campsite to prepare my mac & cheese dinner. From there, I set out to explore the shop-lined Broadway Street, the harbor area and my departure point for the boat the next day.
A little about Skagway. Skagway's population of 862 temporarily swells every day as between one and five cruise ships unload about 1000 passengers each. The passengers are funneled through the harbor and up Broadway which is full of touristy shops. Loads of RV-ers and campers like myself approach the town from the opposite end. Everyone seems to congregate around 2nd and Broadway. All of the shops have false-fronts to recall the days of the Klondike Gold Rush which began in Skagway in 1897. The most interesting facade was the Visitor Information Center. It is built entirely of driftwood.I had a wonderful Alaskan Amber at a restaurant overlooking the harbor before returning to the campground for a coin-operated shower. I looked forward to the next day!
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