Skagway - and my dilemma

[Coral]

Coral - Just as a side note: I'm pretty sure we've met on a cruise before. A 10 day cruise in the Caribbean. If I'm right about your user name it was the Ruby Princess - Southern Caribbean - March 2010. Does this sound right? We were traveling with a group of family and friends of about 24 with 3 little ones.

 

I wasn't on that cruise. I was on the Crown once and it was too crowded for me so I have so far avoided that class of ships. I will look at your signature and see if anything compares :)

 

Edited to say - nope :( . We seemed to do coastal cruises on the same ship but opposite years.... Future? I am sure those grandkids will want another cruise in the future :)

Edited June 15, 2016 by Coral

[GMECruiser]

Best thing I can suggest is to make sure you're on the left side of the train for the best views. :)

h

 

Would that be the left side going up or coming back?

[GMECruiser]

Best thing I can suggest is to make sure you're on the left side of the train for the best views. :)

h

 

Would that be the left side of the train going up or coming back?

[QueenofEverything]

Left side going up, right side coming down

[notentirelynormal]

If I had to do it again I wouldn't.

 

 

I guess the days of panning for a gold - even if only on an excursion - are long gone!

[notentirelynormal]

Well, I'm still having computer problems so I'm a little on the frustrated side. I actually had to get a new one. The store that was fixing it for me gave me a store credit to cover the cost of a new computer. What does that tell you? LOL.

 

Thankfully I have time to work on these and you guys have gave me some amazing ideas. For sure the train one way. The rest of the day I need to figure out. Once my computer is not doing "groundhog day" things I'll make more progress. Right now it is just too frustrating.

 

Some have mentioned the dog sledding - the one not on the snow. Not a sarcastic question but - why would I want to do the dog sledding on the ground as well as on the glacier? Wouldn't it be a let down in comparison?

[sherryf]

Some of have chosen to do the dog cart ride because we cannot afford to do the helicopter ride to a glacier to do it on snow. :eek: Anyone who suggested this option may not realize that you already have the helicopter tour booked.

[Coral]

 

Some have mentioned the dog sledding - the one not on the snow. Not a sarcastic question but - why would I want to do the dog sledding on the ground as well as on the glacier? Wouldn't it be a let down in comparison?

 

Yes it would be. Sorry - the text is really small - I saw it as a helicopter trip to glacier. Missed that you will dog sled on the glacier.

[bugze380]

I was just on the Coral Princess last week and did the Klondike Gold Fields gold panning in Skagway. It was the biggest waste of the entire trip and do not recommend it. The panning lasted 5 min.

 

There was a bunch of kids who looked to be having a good time panning but also were done after about 5-10 min. and then were just hanging around bored.

[notentirelynormal]

Thanks. I just wanted to confirm on the dog sledding. I didn't want to miss out if it really was a great time but it didn't sound like it would be.

 

bugze380. This is exactly what I am trying to figure out. The Klondike Gold Fields just doesn't sound like it. I want to try to get the curmudgeon with the snarly beard and bending over in a creek panning for gold experience. The stock one is worthless. I can do the exact same thing at the Santa Barbara zoo if I just want to do that. Years ago - and I do mean years - Princess offered that excursion and was hoping to get the same experience this time around. I know this will be a challenge. I have Ketchikan and Skagway to find a place.

[notentirelynormal]

Some have chosen to do the dog cart ride because we cannot afford to do the helicopter ride to a glacier to do it on snow. :eek: Anyone who suggested this option may not realize that you already have the helicopter tour booked.

 

I can't really afford it either :eek: BUT some things are worth doing once in a lifetime to create memories that might not be there the following year. After my husband finds out what this trip is going to cost he might just have a heart attack.

Edited June 22, 2016 by notentirelynormal

[chellecruise12]

We used Frontier excursions in Skagway and had a blast- did the tour that goes to caribou crossings.

 

Great views, saw a ton of bears. My 5 and 7 year old daughters absolutely loved it (I took them by myself in this cruise- new baby, didn't want to take the cruise from em)...

 

 

Skagway is immediately past Juneau in the pics

 

Great pictures!!

[chellecruise12]

We used Frontier excursions in Skagway and had a blast- did the tour that goes to caribou crossings.

 

Great views, saw a ton of bears. My 5 and 7 year old daughters absolutely loved it (I took them by myself in this cruise- new baby, didn't want to take the cruise from em)...

 

 

Skagway is immediately past Juneau in the pics

 

Just curious..trying to find the tour you did & am not sure which one it is??

http://www.frontierexcursions.com/index.html

[rvorcruise]

The only way I saw to do the train both ways was to get right back on and ride it back. Don't do that because you miss a lot in the Klondike area.

 

Skagway was "The Gateway to the Klondike" 118 years ago, but the Klondike area is another 300 miles north :)

[Budget Queen]

Skagway was "The Gateway to the Klondike" 118 years ago, but the Klondike area is another 300 miles north :)

 

500 miles.

 

Any "gold panning" is going to be completely fake and theatrical in Juneau and Skagway.

 

This is an old post- but, with the glacier dog sledding such a priority, this is the most canceled Alaska excursion, so, some may want to be prepared and have back up plans.

[TomAndJane]

Just curious..trying to find the tour you did & am not sure which one it is??

 

http://www.frontierexcursions.com/index.html

 

 

It is one of the Yukon tours. Lasts 6 hours.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[RickinStl]

I was just on the Coral Princess last week and did the Klondike Gold Fields gold panning in Skagway. It was the biggest waste of the entire trip and do not recommend it. The panning lasted 5 min.

 

There was a bunch of kids who looked to be having a good time panning but also were done after about 5-10 min. and then were just hanging around bored.

 

I cannot disagree.. I thought it was corny with everyone dressed up in period correct costumes..

 

I would not book the round trip on WPRR.. I enjoyed it.. but its too much time on a train when you could be doing something else.

[Mxmom242]

Best thing I can suggest is to make sure you're on the left side of the train for the best views. :)

Is that going up? Or coming down?

Thx, Randi

[Crew News]

Is that going up? Or coming down?

Thx, Randi

 

Left side going up to the Yukon and right side coming back. Note that you can go to the platform between the cars and get great photographs:

 

[bottom-dragger]

I want the gold panning thing, hopefully with a good old timer gold prospector. This guy should preferably have suspenders and a bunch of hair to match his unshaven raggly beard. Just like you see in the movies and the books.

 

I am available for rent. I've hiked the Chilkoot from Dyea to Lake Bennett, spent a summer panning for gold north of Chicken, I can lie, spit, cheat at cards, and cuss. I can explain why a prostitute named Squirrel Tooth Gertie should not be your first choice. For a extra fee I can talk like Gabby Johnson from Blazing Saddles.

 

Edited August 30, 2016 by bottom-dragger

[RickinStl]

Omfg! LMAO,

[notentirelynormal]

I am available for rent. I've hiked the Chilkoot from Dyea to Lake Bennett, spent a summer panning for gold north of Chicken, I can lie, spit, cheat at cards, and cuss. I can explain why a prostitute named Squirrel Tooth Gertie should not be your first choice. For a extra fee I can talk like Gabby Johnson from Blazing Saddles.

 

 

LOL. Well, maybe you could give me a way to get hold of you and we can talk. I want to do the train but it seems to be over by noon and we will still be there another 8 hours. If you are serious give me a way to contact you.

[bottom-dragger]

LOL. Well, maybe you could give me a way to get hold of you and we can talk. I want to do the train but it seems to be over by noon and we will still be there another 8 hours. If you are serious give me a way to contact you.

 

There is no placer gold (the type you pan for) in Skagway, it was a jumpoff point and not a final destination. The only ones that struck gold in Skagway were Soapy Smith and Squirrel Tooth Gertie.

 

I've never been to one of the trough panning operations so I can't judge but even though the sands will be seeded, I don't know the attention span of young kids swirling a pan of sand and water again and again and again and not finding anything. But a small glass vial with a flake you panned out is pretty cool with bragging rights.

 

I would not be a cost effective excursion and you'd end up wanting to take me home as a souvenir.

 

Only hardrock mining (no placer gold) where I live so before I went north to work a friend's claim, I bought a big bag of paydirt/concetrate on ebay and spent all winter panning that same 5lbs of paydirt over and over again to get my technique down. The lovely Mrs B-D is very tolerant.

 

For less than $30 you could buy a small gold pan and some concentrate prior to your trip and test the kids to see if this is something they'd be interested in continuing. Plenty of instructions on YouTube, some with colorful charactors.

 

Fair winds and following seas