August 10th

THE WEATHER: Low cloud cover, warm! It was 62 most of the day but gusty winds.

So we spent the day in a town that made you feel very much like you stepped back into the 1800’s and were in the west joined by gold miners, gun fights, bad men and saloons! We started the day walking to the cemetery and visiting an old grave sight. It was amazing to read how young people died back then. Ironically most died between May and September. I think the oldest person died at 42. Most were in there 20’s and many were young children. Two graves made the cemetery a popular tourist stop. Jefferson Randolph Smith, better known as; “Soapy” Smith, and Frank Reid were laid to rest here after a gun battle that left them both dead. Frank shot Soapy (the con man who ran Skagway for 9 months) through the chest and he died immediately, but Frank lingered 12 days with his mortal wound before he passed on. Later in the afternoon we went to see a one hour live show that has been running for 85 years now, depicting the events of Soapy Smith’s reign all staged in the saloon of his lover Miss Belle Davenport and her “soiled doves.” In the foyer of the theatre there was a log book of signatures of who had stayed at the hotel during 1888-89. There were two names that caught my eye, “Orion Byrd” from White Pass, Alaska, and “A.B. Bishop” on August 9th.

We had lunch in the Red Onion which was also a historic brothel in 1897. The waitresses and bartenders were all dressed in character and even acted the part when their picture was being taken. They served the best pizza I’ve ever had. The town itself is full of shops along a well maintained boardwalk and everything is kept looking very historic. The National Park service was even in the process of restoring a house around the corner from Main St. Two more cruise ships were docked when we went downtown for a total of 4 and the streets were very crowded. It was fun to spend the day browsing the shops, talking to the locals and people from the cruise ships. I have never heard so many languages all in one place! German, Russian, Italian, Indian, French, Swiss, Scottish & British accents. It was fun.