321GO - The Alternative West Coast TR - Day 8

[Chilly]

Thursday 24th May

Mickey phones at 6am to wake us up and room service breakfast arrives 20 minutes later. Our tour meets in the theatre and we are in the blue belle group. There are just 15 of us on this tour including 1 little boy. We head off the ship and onto our coach and meet our bus driver David, he was a student doing this as a summer job and was really nice. We headed off driving through Skagway with David commentating as we went. He told us that Skayway International Airport is the only international airport with no control tower, planes just circle to check the runway is clear and then land. Its also only an international airport because an international flight once had to make an emergency landing there. It was lucky that it wasn't a large plane though because although a 747 could land on the runway, its not long enough for a take off. It was a beautiful drive up to the suspension bridge and we stopped along the way to take photos while David told us the history of the gold rush. We drove over the boarder back into Canada stopping to show our passports. We also saw an animal that we did find out the name of but it wasn't something i'd heard of and I can't remember what it was maybe you'll know from the picture below.

 

[Chilly]

The suspension bridge was another beautiful spot and we plenty of time here to look around. It was a beautiful day with the sun shining not what we'd expected in Alaska, David said he'd never seen it so sunny and clear.

The till in the shop was clever it had two money draws, 1 for Canadian dollars and 1 for American dollars. Back on the bus David said we were ahead of schedule for the train so he'd take us to a lake, another beauty spot.

 

[Chilly]

It was then time to board the white pass railway. Our coach had its own train carriage so we had plenty of space to spread out. We then began the journey down the mountain on the route of the gold rush. Along the way we stopped to pick up hikers who'd been dropped off earlier that morning. We spent a lot of time on the platform at the back of the carriage outside and took a lot of photos, here are a few.

 

[Chilly]

Once at the bottom of the mountain we then had to show our passports again to the guards who walked through the train then got off at the station and walked the short distance back to the ship.

We went to BBB for some lunch (PC was closed) and realised the camera needed charging so we took it back to the room to plug it in and then went and had a game of shuffleboard, this time Mike won. We grabbed the camera and walked back into Skagway to explore the town, it wasn't very big, only around 800 residents. We each got an ice cream milkshake and purchased some postcards. It really was got hot walking about so the ice cream shop was doing a roaring trade. Mike got me a charm for my Pandora bracelet in one of the many jewellery stores, the salesman was obviously hoping for a much larger sale and kept telling Mike he should buy me a diamond ring. I tried one on for fun, it was a snip at £3K.

Back at the ship we relaxed in the room, there was no show tonight, just Avengers in 3D in the theatre, so we watched MI4 on the TV in our room and I wrote up my trip notes. Dinner tonight was in Animators. I had the artist impression cocktail which was lovely, potato and cheese soup, followed by chicken and chocolate cake which was a bit rubbish. Mike had risotto, followed by veal chops with crumble to finish. I got myself another cocktail while we waited for the colour to come on and Mickey to arrive. We didn't have very good seats to see him as all the servers blocked our view.

Upon exiting dinner we came across a load of characters, first Minnie, then Ariel, followed by Belle and ending with Pinocchio. We headed over to Diversions next and after a hard fought game of checkers I had to admit defeat. We finished the night with a pomo cosmo for me while watching Match Your Mate in Wavebands which was so very funny as one woman was very drunk so kept swearing and Daniel the host was trying to contain her and the newlyweds seemed very sweet and innocent until the question "where is the most interesting and unusual place you've found the magic?" A prize is on offer to anyone who can guess the answer!*

*Prize is not available to anyone who was on the cruise so knows the answer and no international postage sorry.

 

[Ware Bears]

Lovely photos and another scary bridge and lol at Sarah Palin!

I think the animal's a marmot but I'm not going to even try for the prize as I don't have a very good imagination!

 

[Chilly]

Lovely photos and another scary bridge and lol at Sarah Palin!

I think the animal's a marmot but I'm not going to even try for the prize as I don't have a very good imagination!

DH also thinks its a marmot so well done on that one!

 

[Claire L]

Such a fun and interesting day, loving the photos

 

[Chilly]

Such a fun and interesting day, loving the photos

It was and the sun was such a bonus

 

[dolphingirl47]

The scenary is absolutely stunning. I am still not convinced about the suspension bridges though.

Corinna

 

[Fantasia Sam]

Oh wow now you go and do it again... it all looks so pretty but that bridge and those cliffs and those drops.... I wanna go....hmmmm

OK so that big red train with like a fan at the front - is that like a giant snowblower thingy?

Oooo was that a beaver?

Not a bad price for a diamond ring I'm surprised you didn't buy 2

Well jell of the Little Mermaid photo, you're wearing the perfect outfit for this photo. Yumo on the food!

 

[wickesy]

Is the answer to the question "an airplane bathroom"?

 

[dolphingirl47]

Having attended Match Your Mate on a number of previous cruises, I would hazard a guess at on their veranda or on the coffee table in their cabin.

Corinna

 

[Chilly]

The scenary is absolutely stunning. I am still not convinced about the suspension bridges though.

Corinna

Have you planned your tours yet?

Oh wow now you go and do it again... it all looks so pretty but that bridge and those cliffs and those drops.... I wanna go....hmmmm

OK so that big red train with like a fan at the front - is that like a giant snowblower thingy?

Oooo was that a beaver?

Not a bad price for a diamond ring I'm surprised you didn't buy 2

Well jell of the Little Mermaid photo, you're wearing the perfect outfit for this photo. Yumo on the food!

Kinda it was the old train that cleared the tracks of snow.

No it was a marmot.

The ring was supposed to be about £11500 so a real saving!

Is the answer to the question "an airplane bathroom"?

Nope.

Having attended Match Your Mate on a number of previous cruises, I would hazard a guess at on their veranda or on the coffee table in their cabin.

Corinna

Nope.

 

[Fantasia Sam]

Is it "on an attraction at Walt Disney World?"

 

[princess_ariel_85]

Love the photos with the characters, love Ariel!

I think that little animal thing maybe a hoary marmot? don't quote me on that though lol

The scenery is stunning.

Lovely update x

 

[Linda67]

Another great update
I really want to go on the White Pass Railway and didn't realise that you could combine it with the suspension bridge
Sounds like you still get enough time to have a look around Skagway as well

 

[dolphingirl47]

Have you planned your tours yet?

We have not really given this any thought yet as we still have nearly a year to go. I think that we will probably arrange the excursions independently rather than go through Disney. I have however got some plans for the repositioning cruise. I really want to do the Disney Family Museum in San Francisco and we are hoping to do a whale watching tour in Victoria.

Corinna

 

[Chilly]

Is it "on an attraction at Walt Disney World?"

Nope

Love the photos with the characters, love Ariel!

I think that little animal thing maybe a hoary marmot? don't quote me on that though lol

The scenery is stunning.

Lovely update x

Marmot is correct.

Another great update
I really want to go on the White Pass Railway and didn't realise that you could combine it with the suspension bridge
Sounds like you still get enough time to have a look around Skagway as well

Yes we were lucky with quite long days in port, the Seattle to Seattle cruises after us did not, but i've heard that next years Vancouver to Vancouver cruise have much better port times.

We have not really given this any thought yet as we still have nearly a year to go. I think that we will probably arrange the excursions independently rather than go through Disney. I have however got some plans for the repositioning cruise. I really want to do the Disney Family Museum in San Francisco and we are hoping to do a whale watching tour in Victoria.

Corinna

I've been to the Disney Family Museum its great. Its in my TR from last year. I'm not completely sure but Whale Watching might be better in Alaska I think your more likely to see them. We went whale watching on day 9 which i'll post soon.

 

[dolphingirl47]

I've been to the Disney Family Museum its great. Its in my TR from last year. I'm not completely sure but Whale Watching might be better in Alaska I think your more likely to see them. We went whale watching on day 9 which i'll post soon.

I have to check out last year's trip report when I get home this evening.

I had always assumed that the best place for whale watching would be Alaska, but it is Orcas I am after this time round and they have a big resident pod of Orcas in Victoria.

Corinna

 

[Chilly]

I have to check out last year's trip report when I get home this evening.

I had always assumed that the best place for whale watching would be Alaska, but it is Orcas I am after this time round and they have a big resident pod of Orcas in Victoria.

Corinna

yes we saw humpbacks