Guest correspondent Alicia Amberg went to Skagway last week (Birthday trip with Mom!).
Here’s her report:
I had the pleasure of staying in Skagway, AK before and after hiking the Chilkoot Pass with my mom last week.
We took a five-day hike through the Chilkoot Pass (summiting in the RAIN!). Here I am at the top with my mom, Tammy Oswald.
Afterwards, we took the Historic White Pass and Yukon Route narrow-gauge railway from Lake Bennett, BC (pretty!)
back to Skagway. Karl Klupar, of the Historic Skagway Inn, picked us up. The Inn is a great place to stay–and eat! 
Built in 1897 during the Gold Rush, it operated first as a brothel, a family residence, then a boarding house and finally, as a b-n-b. The staff is friendly and the complimentary hot breakfast is scrumptious! The Inn is also home to Alaska Garden Gourmet and Olivia’s Restaurant. I felt right at home chatting with other hikers about our trip in the cozy, authentic lobby.
After eating granola and freeze-dried food on our hike 
, I was ready for a great meal–and I found it at the Red Onion Saloon . Now a National Historic Building, the Red Onion once was Skagway’s most exclusive bordello and offers tours of the “upstairs” portion of the restaurant daily.
On July 4, the town of Skagway and its visitors broke the Guinness World Record for the most people participating in an egg toss at once. More than 1400 people lined up on Broadway as a helicopter hovered above! My mom and I only made about 3 tosses before the egg smashed in my hand. Oh well–what FUN!
When you’re in Skagway, don’t miss the Days of ’98 Show with Soapy Smith. Relive the exciting days of saloons and dance-halls, of shootouts and lynch mobs, and of floozies and Can Can girls! The show lets you experience the last days in the life of Alaska’s most notorious outlaw, Soapy Smith, who reigned over Skagway during the wild days of the Klondike Gold Rush.
There is SO much to do in Skagway–visit the grave site of Soapy Smith, pan for gold with Klondike Gold Dredge Tours (http://www.klondikegolddredge.com/), stroll the shops in the Historic District, or venture on a day hike. Be sure to see my friend Buckwheat Donahue perform Robert Service poetry readings in the Park Auditorium FREE on Friday & Monday evenings. This guy is amazing!
If you’ve never been to Skagway, now is the time. There’s plenty to see and do–take the ferry from Juneau or Haines for the weekend and enjoy the the beautiful sights on the cruise. This town is a B-L-A-S-T!
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