SKAGWAY, ALASKA - AFTER THE TOURISTS HAVE GONE

Was watching a rerun of one of my favorite travel programs yesterday, TOP TRAVEL. 

The show is a production of the South African company Tswelopele, and was produced for only a few series before ending its run. But it's a bit of a guilty pleasure watching ultra-beautiful people Jeannie D and Janez as they traveled the world in search of luxury and adventure.

This particular rerun involved the charming little Alaskan town of Skagway, Alaska. The episode brought back memories of our own jaunt to this part of the world and recalled a moment in which I was sitting at one of the town's little cafes and had just remarked to my wife how much the town resembles a film studio back lot. 

Within seconds a large Holland America bus pulled up directly in front of the cafe and Los Angeles news anchor Chuck Henry and crew jumped out to film a segment for a travel show he was doing at the time. Hollywood had followed us up to Skagway.

The news crew never did figure out why our first reaction was to literally "laugh out loud".

We traveled to Skagway on our own rather than the usual route: on a cruise ship.This enabled me to get the below shot of the main thoroughfare, State Street,. It depicts the town near sunset after all of the cruise tourists have returned to their vessels for dinner while the shopkeepers lock their doors and head home.

SKAGWAY, ALASKA - DIGGING UP THE DIRT

In keeping with the October Country thematics, this is the cemetery in Skagway, Alaska. A land where thousands came seeking their fortunes in gold and more than a handful found nothing but dirt instead.

I wandered up to the cemetery very early one morning, with not another person within a mile or so. Profoundly quiet, other than the sound of a waterfall off in the distance. 

For some the dirt simply didn't pay off. For others, well. The dirt was a bit more final.

Pic of the Day: Skagway Morning

Early summer morning before the cruise ships arrive in the charming gold rush-era town of Skagway, Alaska. The town, which boasts a year-round population of around 300, readies itself for the onslaught of four massive cruise ships which are docking down at the waterfront. The lifeblood of the Skagway economy, tourism nonetheless produces a solid wave of humanity as the tourists disembark for a day of fun and (hopefully) spending money.