9. Skagway - the "Movie Set" town

Skagway is the northernmost port of the Alaska Cruise ship lines' standard "inner passage" route. The town hosts 2-4 cruise ships per day, with over a million tourists descending on the town each season.

Craig calls Skagway the movie set town, because during the off-season there is no one around; the stores shut down and everyone leaves. Each Spring the shops and restaurants re-open; the cobwebs are dusted off; employees are hired & trained; product and food are flown in and image of a thriving, bustling town is recreated again.

Skagway's historical significance lies in it's role as a launching point for prospective gold miners heading up the infamous 33 mile Chilkoot Trail in search of Yukon Gold in the 1897 Klondike Gold Rush. Within 3 months of the start of the gold rush, Skagway was transformed from a small quiet town to one filled with "raucous hotels, saloons, gambling houses & dance halls". Once gold was discovered in Nome & Fairbanks Alaska a few years later, the gold-seekers followed, and Skagway's inflated population of 20,000 dwindled to 700.

Craig has friends in Skagway who own the Historic Skagway Inn, as well as a popular jewelry store Lynch & Kennedy. We stayed at their Inn and enjoyed their delightful company.Read more