Wednesday, May 20

After we returned from our train ride, we had lunch on the ship, then went off to explore the town. Two people in our group went on a second excursion, to pan for gold, and had fun with that; the rest of us meandered up and down Broadway and in and out of stores in search of gifts for upcoming birthdays and holidays, plus of course personal souvenirs. Skagway's permanent population is 800 people; it doubles during the summer, with businesses hiring seasonal workers to serve the thousands of visitors who swarm through town each day. (Three or four big ships a day, 2,500 passengers per ship, plus smaller ships, other tour companies, individuals and families arriving for fishing, boating, and hiking vacations -- it's amazing!)

Signs painted on dockside rocks commemorate the first visit of every cruise ship to dock in Skagway	Sapphire Princess at dock in Skagway; such BIG ships!	View down Broadway toward the docks; cruise ships are by far the largest "structures" in town
Looking the other way up Broadway	We didn't go inside, because the sign says it all: "$5 for 15 minutes, just like in 1899"