Day 4 (May 23, 2019) - Skagway
I skipped the gym Thursday because All Ashore for Skagway, our first port, was 7:15am, and we wanted to get an early start on our day. We watched “Good Morning Disney Wonder” in the room while getting ready, which had become a routine. Today our cruise director, Ashley, pointed out that Alaska is “the last frontier,” not to be confused with “the final frontier,” which is Star Trek (“and we don’t own that” she added).
We ate breakfast in Cabanas, but this time inside. In a fun nod to yesterday’s morning entertainment at Cabanas, the song “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” was playing while we were eating. It was the Hawaiian version, which is one of my favorite songs.
I learned that it’s wise to avoid leaving the ship during a massive excursion group! There had been no line at first, but then I went to the room to grab something and when I came back the line (which began in the atrium) was backed up all the way to the After Hours section. The line moved pretty quickly, though, and we were off the ship by about 8:40am.
We walked to DIY Jeep Tours where we had a Jeep reserved for the day, so we could explore on our own. When it was time to pick out our Jeep, we selected a red one, basically because I knew it would photograph well. We had been concerned when planning the trip about whether the boys would have enough room in the back seat of the Jeep. Another option would have been renting a minivan, but we thought the Jeep would be fun and liked that it would include a binder and audio to guide us as we toured. It ended up working out very well! The boys were comfortable, and it was a fantastic day.
We followed a route that was recommended in the binder DIY Jeep Tours provided, largely following along the South Klondike Highway. We crossed over into Canada early in the drive, and then from British Columbia into the Yukon Territory.
The sights were amazing all along the drive. Our first lengthy stop was Tutshi Sled Dog Summer Tours, located at km 78.5 of South Klondike Highway. There’s a sign on the right indicating where to turn off the main road. Michelle Philips, Iditarod and Yukon Quest veteran, warmly greeted us when we arrived. We paid for everyone in the family to do the Summer Cart Tour. It was $45 each and included an exciting 1.3 mile ride in a 4-wheeled UTV along a trail pulled by a team of her dogs, a musher’s talk and gear demonstration (by Michelle), and an opportunity to see the camp and the puppies. No reservation was needed in advance. While we waited for our ride, we explored the camp and got to visit with the adorable puppies.
During our ride, Jeff and I sat in the back, the boys all stood behind us, and in the front of the UTV was Michelle and one of her dogs. He kept picking up a big rock and dropping it back by our feet, and then eagerly waiting for us to return it to him, and the cycle would repeat. It was an unusual game, but a sweet one. It really was a fun time, with amazing glacier-capped mountains in our sights most of the zippy ride.
At one point when the dogs stopped for a water break, Michelle offered to take a photo of us with them.
We enjoyed our time at Tutshi Sled Dog Summer Tours. We learned a lot about what it is like for participants in these big sled dog races. Michelle described in detail how she cares for her dogs and showed us various supplies and equipment from past races as she went through her talk.
I was impressed with procedures that are in place to ensure that the dogs are well cared for along these lengthy races. It was easy to see how much she cared about the dogs, and similarly how much they enjoyed running. The barking of the dog teams as we were waiting for the team that would pull us to be hitched up was SO loud and eager, as if they were all begging, “Pick me!!”