Late lunch
We found seats at a table in the Broadway Bar and Grill and went in to get out of the wind and I have some lunch. I chose to have a burger and a glass of Alaskan IPA. This bar may not have been as busy as the saloon down the street but the food was good and everyone was friendly.
Outside was a pick up truck with two of the largest dogs that I’ve ever seen. They were just lounging on the front seats with their heads hanging out of the windows.
At the top of Broadway the shops came to an end and we crossed to walk back down the other side. At the back of one of the shops was a small museum and we had a look at a series of exhibits showing the history of the area and of Alaska.
In one of the cabinets, the Russian connection was covered with photographs and artefacts. I learnt that the Russian Alaskan governor had commissioned 1,000 canoe type boats. All of these boats were for hunting sea otters as their pelts were so valuable. It is no wonder that this species almost became extinct.
The wind by now was really blowing and without gloves we were getting colder and colder. The saloon was still full and we gave the guided tour of the upstairs bordello a miss too!
Turning off-Broadway we heading back to the ship after first calling at the liquor store to pick up a couple of bottles of wine.
Nash Metropolitan
We were passed by a gentleman in a classic Nash Metropolitan. He did turn around and come back past us and waved as I shouted support.
I remember seeing these cars as I was growing up. The American design was by Nash, the bodywork was made by Pressed Steel Fisher and the mechanicals and final assembly were by the Austin Motor Company.
Back to Island Princess
The view of Skagway from the path back to the ship.
On the cliff side was this ‘note’
We could see the Disney ship at another dock across the marina.
The weather did not improve during the rest of the afternoon. We stayed in the cabin and watched one of the movies. I enjoyed a free bottle of Dos Equus from the ‘fridge.
We then went to see the one-off show from a local entertainer called Steve Hites.
Steve Hites and then dinner
Steve told stories about Skagway and sang songs that reflected the town’s history. After the show I picked up one of his CDs. I discovered That I would have to later pay by an honour system. He requested that I post $20 to his address back in Skagway whenever I could.
Dinner was again in the Bordeaux. My main course was filet mignon on a skewer with sweet potatoes and a goat’s cheese soufflé as my starter.
From the Captain’s Log
By 03:45 Island Princess had entered the Taiya Inlet and at 05:00, we rang ‘Standby Below* as we made our final approaches to Railroad Dock. We ran our first lines ashore at 05:28 and we were all fast fore and aft by 05:45 with 8 lines forward and 8 lines aft.
Noon Position: Railroad Dock, Skagway lemperatuie: l3^C fe6°F)
Wind: Southerly Strong Breeze
Barometer: 1015 mb
Sky: Cloudy SidesWith all pre-departure checks completed and the last passengers and crew safely embarked, the order was given to land the remaining gangway at 20:00. Shortly after the mooring teams commenced letting go the lines and as the last lines were heaved clear of the water at 20:11 Island Princess thrusted away from her berth and commenced moving astern to swing her bow to Starboand at 20:35 and proceeded into the main channel.