Next Stop, Skagway!

It was All Aboard at 8pm in Juneau as the Island Princess prepared to set sail shortly thereafter. It was getting lighter every night with sunset getting later and later as we traveled farther north.

Juneau to Skagway                 99 nautical miles             speed  10.8 knots

Before we leave Juneau behind a few tid-bits about the Capital of Alaska;

1. There are no roads into or out of Juneau. The only way to access the capital is by air or sea. If you have a need to visit the capital for Official Business then the state of Alaska will pay for your trip in and back out of the city.

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2. Juneau is the 3rd largest City in Alaska in spite of it’s access problems.

3. The area of Juneau is larger than that of Rhode Island  and Delaware individually and almost as large as the two states combined.

4. Downtown Juneau sits at sea level, with tides averaging 16 feet.

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5.  Juneau is the only U.S. state capital located on an international border. (Canada to the east)

So with that bit of trivia out of the way we will cast off and sail through the Upper Lynn Canal. By morning we will be safely moored in the Port of Skagway.

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Skagway gets it’s name from the Tlingit people: ” a windy place with white caps on the water.” We have a very full day excursion in Skagway. We’re riding the rails on the White Pass & Yukon Railroad, visiting a suspension bridge, and ending with a “Garden Lunch”.

The Garden Lunch has me worried because I don’t eat Quiche and it sounds as though that might be the only option. We’ll just have to see.

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