Skagway

[dbhome]

Our plan for Skagway is to rent a car and drive to Emerald Lake using Murray's guide. But it seems that Skagway is the place to immerse yourself in Gold Rush History. I haven't downloaded Murray's Guide yet, so will that help with this? I'm beginning to wonder if we need to take a guided tour? If we do the drive to Emerald Lake, do we still have time to visit some places on foot in Skagway? We are not into shopping. We want to see incredible scenery. We love to hike. And we want to learn the history of the places we visit. Last night I met a friend who said that the train was a "must do" in Skagway because it immersed you in the Goldrush History. Help! We are on the Diamond Princess Southbound on July 12.

[bottom-dragger]

immerse yourself before hand with pierre berton's "klondike"

are you going to be in seattle? start at the southern extreme of the goldrush national park downtown.

[dbhome]

Thank-you, bottom dragger. My next question was, "Is there a good book. . .?"

[dbhome]

And along those lines, any other must reads for a first time visitor to Alaska? I've checked all of the "tourist" books out of the library, Fodors, Frommers, Alaska by Cruise Ship, etc. What about other books, that would be entertaining and help us "understand" Alaska a little better.

[wolfie11]

Our plan for Skagway is to rent a car and drive to Emerald Lake using Murray's guide. But it seems that Skagway is the place to immerse yourself in Gold Rush History. I haven't downloaded Murray's Guide yet, so will that help with this? I'm beginning to wonder if we need to take a guided tour? If we do the drive to Emerald Lake, do we still have time to visit some places on foot in Skagway? We are not into shopping. We want to see incredible scenery. We love to hike. And we want to learn the history of the places we visit. Last night I met a friend who said that the train was a "must do" in Skagway because it immersed you in the Goldrush History. Help! We are on the Diamond Princess Southbound on July 12.

 

If you want to immerse yourself in Gold Rush history, stop by the cemetary on the way out of town. Visit the graves of Soapy Smith and the man who killed him. The highway follows pretty much the same route as the road, so you will still be on the White Pass trail. I think if you rent from Sourdough, they will let you drive over to Dyea, where you can visit the avalanche cemetary as well. This was the site of the start of the Chilkoot Trail, and you might have time to hike a couple of miles, but not much else is left.

 

The main part of the town is historic, but most of it is lost under the hoardes of cruise ship passengers and the jewelry stores. Check out the visitors center at the AB Hall (the one with the twigs) and visit the NPS exhibits at the train station. Otherwise, a half-hour walk around the backstreets will give you some history - there is a really good museum in the town hall too.

[rhondakap]

And along those lines, any other must reads for a first time visitor to Alaska? I've checked all of the "tourist" books out of the library, Fodors, Frommers, Alaska by Cruise Ship, etc. What about other books, that would be entertaining and help us "understand" Alaska a little better.

 

 

Is it worth reading Michener?

[Yukon]

Is it worth reading Michener?

 

Michener's Alaska is fiction "based on fact" - Alaska history turned into a soap opera. The real facts are far more interesting.

[bottom-dragger]

Thank-you, bottom dragger. My next question was, "Is there a good book. . .?"

 

berton's "klondike" is the book of the klondike gold rush. it covers the four major routes but does focus on the chilkoot and later the whitepass railway. i think his dad was a civil servent in dawson city during the turn of the last century.

 

now, if you want to get a book tries to explain alaska get john mcphee's "coming into the country". written during the 70's when the state was still kind of young and just beginning to feel the affects of oil wealth.