Day 1 in Skagway

I was planning to write about our visits to Skagway in one post but after nearly completing the first section, it was getting far too long. Thus, I've chosen to split it into two parts with some teasers to keep you interested.

As was to hold true for most of voyage, the weather in Skagway was lovely! Warm enough for a light jacket and with lots to see and do.

Skagway's main source of income is tourism and it shows. The historic buildings on the main street (Broadway if memory serves) are fronted with clapboard painted various colors with white trim. The sidewalks are built up with boardwalks in the areas where tourists would visit. I did get off the beaten track to find the library and in those parts of town the sidewalks were regular old pavement. In the census of 2020 the population of Skagway was around 1200 and this number doubles during the tourist season. And when a ship or three dock (as happened when we were there) the population explodes.

From the ship to town was a little over a 1/4 mile walk. There are shuttles that run between the docks and the town, but I wanted the fresh air and exercise. On this first visit, I just wandered and did a little browsing and a wee bit of shopping before heading to the library with its free WIFI.

My first stop was the old train station building. This beautiful building still serves as the depot for the White Pass and Yukon Route narrow gauge rail. One can purchase tickets for the same excursion I did through Princess (and I would have saved a few dollars had I realized this). Also in the building is a small coffee shop and a retail store selling branded clothing, trinkets, as well as books and few toys. I did pick up a t-shirt on my second stop with the White Pass logo.

I'm not sure why, but cruise ship ports tend to attract jewelers. This was true in Skagway as well - and probably makes more sense than some of the Caribbean islands. Many of these shops attempted to entice tourists into their stores by offering free cruise charms. Several years ago, on one of my first cruises, I made an effort to collect the charms.  If I were to look hard enough I could find that bracelet but I never wore it. As a result I bypass these stores, as I neither want nor need jewelry.

There were other shops as well, many selling local art. My favorite piece was a hand carved bench with a beautiful handwoven seat cover. I think it was $600 USD...well out of my budget. I should have taken a photo - it was simply gorgeous! I wasn't able to find the yarn shop in my travels even though I asked several people - it seemed to have moved a couple of times based on the signs on windows but it proved to be illusive. I did pick up a book for Eli at the combination local newspaper print shop and book store. The staff there were kind enough to provide the directions to the library - over one block and up to the corner of 8th and Slate.

On my way over to the shops I stopped at this display. When gold was discovered in 1896 in the Klondike region of the Canada's Yukon Territory, Skagway became the starting point for American prospectors to make their way over the mountain pass to the Klondike. This was an arduous task, not only due to the terrain, but the Canadian government not wanting people to starve over the winter, required that each individual bring 1 ton (909 kg) of supplies.

Obviously, carrying a ton of supplies over a narrow pass couldn't be done by a single person in one trip (and adding another person to help meant another ton of goods). Thus it good take a dozen trips or more to reach the summit of the pass (carrying an 80 pound pack). Once beyond the mountains there was still another lengthy trek to the gold fields. As the above photo states, "How far would you go to fulfill a dream?" 

By May 1898, the White Pass and Yukon Railroad company was formed and work began on the narrow gauge railroad. The route climbs nearly 3000 feet in just 20 miles and features steep grades and tight curves. As you can imagine it was a challenge building a railroad, including tunnels and trestles, some of which were built in the dead of winter. The construction reached the Summit of White Pass in February 1899, with more work yet to come to complete river and lake route. By the time the railroad was fully complete in 1900, the gold rush was almost over. The railroad continued to carry ore and other supplies until 1982 when world metal prices plummeted, mining operations were closed, and the railroad shut down.

Then in 1989, the company reinvented itself to become a tourist attraction. More on that in the next post. Instead, here are a few more interesting places in Skagway.

One of the shops I stopped in at was the Alaskan Fry Bread store. If you haven't tasted fry bread or bannock, you're missing out on a real treat. (Unless you're gluten intolerant, sorry). The pieces of fry bread at this store were larger than a dinner plate, deep-fried until gold brown and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. I did hear someone ask for a hold on the cinnamon and sugar. It was a popular stop and a piece of fry bread was $7.35 USD. Considering volume I'm sure they did very well that day! I was unable to finish my piece and happily shared it with the crows that congregated on the street in front of the store.

This log building is part of the Moore homestead in Skagway. It was the first building built in the town about a decade before the gold rush. That makes it over 135 years old! The Moore homestead was settled by Captain William Moore and his son J. Bernard (Ben) Moore. The Captain was a man of vision; he was certain it was matter of time before gold was discovered and, in preparation, he built a sawmill, a wharf, and blazed a trail to the White Pass Summit. That trail would later become the pass so many would travel in their quest to gold, before the railroad was built.

The family built another grander home just a few yards beyond the cabin. I've no photos of that building, lovely though it was, because I was fascinated by this one. You see, when I was a child we had a log building on our farm, similar to this one. It certainly wasn't as old but had been lived in by the original owner of the property. After my Dad bought the quarter section, the building was used for a variety of uses, as a chicken coop, a playhouse (I assume mom must have done some major cleaning), and later for storage. Several years ago, the building was moved to the museum site in my hometown and has been dressed up as a trapper's cabin, complete with taps, pelts, and old blankets and such.

I was able to the tour the larger home, but this building was locked up. Apparently it is only used for storage now too.

This was the town museum. Sadly it wasn't open so I turned around and headed to the library. I knew my daughter would be getting anxious having not heard from me for several days. I was right and we chatted for about a half-hour catching up on my vacation and the goings-on in her life.

On my way back to the ship, I heard singing and looked up to see this young woman (and another on the other side of the bay woman). I don't recall what song they were singing but both had lovely voices. 

As I don't have my notes, I don't recall if I spent time at the Wakeview bar that afternoon, but do recall I had a specialty restaurant booking that evening. My lovely travel agent L, gifted me this experience and it truly was fantastic. The dinner was at the Bistro Sur le Mer, with a land and sea menu, and I was treated to four courses. Hors d'ouevres included polenta with two sauces, and goat cheese olives. The latter were actually goat cheese covered with colored gelatin, one green, one purple to look like olives. For my appetizer I chose smoked salmon. It was my first time to try it, and it will definitely be a choice I'd make again in the future.

For my entree I went with the filet mignon with steak frites. The steak was fork tender and delicious. The three frites :) were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside and incredibly hot! My mouth waters just looking at the photo...it was that good.

I had asked the waiter to hold off serving the entree and did so again before dessert. That's a lot of food! But I did have dessert about a half hour later, a lemon-line custard with creme Anglais. It was so good, that had I not been polite, I would have licked the plate. 

I know for certain I did some serious walking on the ship post dinner and was at the aft for sail away that evening. I captured this photo of the Norwegian ship leaving ahead of us. It truly was a wonderful day in Skagway...and the second one was even better.  

Next up - Day 2 in Skagway

Happy Birthday Dad

Today would have been Dad's 110th birthday.  He always said he wanted to live to 120 but that wasn't to be. The photo was taken on his 97th birthday, surrounded by friends he was a little embarrassed to be the center of attention but I know he enjoyed himself. 

His 98th birthday was much quieter, with my cousins Marie and Morley there to celebrate the day.  My brother, niece, nephew, and I had visited the week prior.  It was less than 4 weeks later when he passed away.

Sometime around the year 2000, Dad wrote out his family history for the McCord history book.  I thought I would share a bit of that with you today. I've made a few edits but this is much as my Dad had written:

My parents were married Mar 1, 1899 and lived in Quebec until 1904, when a large number of people were moving west, and they decided to move too. 

They settled on a farm at Mortlach, Saskatchewan, farming there until 1911, when they decided to move further south to were McCord is now. I was only a baby, but was told that they moved on a rock wagon, covered with a canvas.  It was about one hundred miles, so must have taken 4 or 5 days.

Dad acquired three quarters of land (480 acres).  They settled on the east quarter and built a house where we lived until 1914.  A new house was built on higher land about 1/2 mile of the other one.  A barn, 60 feet square was also built.

Dad bought a small ranch about 1917, 24 miles south east of our farm.  We had about 100 head of cattle at that time so needed more pasture for the summer. We really enjoyed the ranch with its hills and trees, riding horses and herding cattle. 

Dad died in the spring of 1925 just after his 54th birthday.  Mother was on a visit to Ontario and Quebec to see her parents and other relatives at the time, so it was quite a shock to her.  I was fourteen years old then, so finished Grade 8 in school, and then stayed home to help farm.

We sold the ranch in 1929, the year the drought started.  The next two years were worse still and we had nothing to harvest in 1931. I can still remember the dust storms that lasted sometimes for three days.  It would calm down at night, and start again in the morning.The dust came in through the windows and doors, and settled on everything.

When you got up in the morning, you could see the spot on the pillow where your head had been.  The table was set with plates upside down, until you were ready to eat.

In 1931, my sister Rita's husband Tom, my brother Wilf, and several other men, drove north to Nipawin.  Except for Tom, the others filed homesteads north east of the town of White Fox.  We left McCord on August 23, 1931, my 21st birthday. The government of Saskatchewan allotted each family two rail box-cars, one for livestock, one for machinery and furniture. We had to bring feed for the horses and cattle, as it took two days to make the trip. Four of us road with the freight train to feed and water the livestock.  

When we arrived in Nipawin the next evening, our families were there to meet us and had found places to live. Two families including ours lived in a two bedroom house for the winter. (That house still stood until sometime in the 1990's when it burned - it was small!) We built a house in Nipawin, and we (Wilf, Bob, and I) found work anywhere we could, hauling wood, working at sawmills, etc.

Wilf and I rented three quarters of land in 1935 and he farmed with me until he joined the army.  Both Wilf and Bob served, until 1945 when they ended up in a hospital in Regina together. Bob had contracted tuberculosis and Wilf had been struck by one of their own trucks, suffering a broken leg and collar bone. (Letters between the two brothers caught up to them in the hospital, neither knowing the other was there). Wilf farmed with me for a couple of years, before moving to B.C. Bob purchased a quarter of land and we farmed together until he retired.

My sister Mae, and Mother lived together in a house on land I rented, until Mother's death in 1968.  

I married Betty in November, 1954 and raised our four children on a quarter section of land that I had purchased. (Although he doesn't mention it, Dad farmed the three quarters for 49 years. He and mom were kept busy with farming, gardening, and running us to our various activities. Dad coached hockey in the winter, and Mom spent time as a cook at the camp we attended in the summer.  They both curled in the winter too, and Dad even made the ice at the local rink for several years.) Betty and I moved off the farm, into Nipawin in 1990.  I started doing volunteer work, and am still able to curl in the winter with the seniors.

Dad had a brain bleed in December, 2003 and just two weeks later Mom passed away due to cancer.  Dad had his first stroke in January, 2004 but was able to stay in their home with the assistance of home care until August of 2006.  He had a bad fall, injuring his arm, with a resulting infection that caused his mental abilities to be impaired.  As result he was moved to a nursing home in another town, but within a few weeks he was transferred back to Nipawin, where he spent the rest of his life.  After the infection had cleared, he was angry with me but we all felt, had he stayed at home, the next fall might have been deadly.  Just six months after his move to the home, he did fall, and was in a wheelchair permanently.

He did eventually come to enjoy his time in the home, greeting his guests and the staff with a big grin.  My brothers R, M, and I were able to be with him on the day before he passed.  R and I stayed the night, and Dad passed away quietly just before dawn. I had been sleeping in a chair beside his bed and something woke me.  I like to think it was Dad's spirit letting me know he was ready to go.  I had reached out, placing my hand on his chest, and felt those last few heart beats.  

Dad was my hero, my champion, and a steadfast supporter.  He was a simple man, who cared deeply for his family and friends, never needing or wanting much, and always content whatever life's circumstances.  And what a life he lived!

In remembrance

This is a photo of a framed photo that hangs in my bedroom.  This my mom with her siblings; from left to right, Aunt Anne, Aunt Enid, mom (Betty), and Uncle Bob.  Based on my estimate that mom was about 15 in the photo, I'm guessing it was taken around 1943. 

Mom passed away sixteen years ago yesterday.  She would have been 75 just nine days later on Christmas day.  I still remember that day and the hours that my brother and I spent with her before she passed. She had been ill for some time, pain a constant companion,  and while I would never have been entirely ready for her passing, it was a relief when she took her last breath.  

A memory showed up in my Facebook feed and while I wrote in in 2014, I mean every word as much today as I did then.

No matter that we didn't always see eye-to-eye, I miss her. I miss the Sunday afternoon telephone conversations, catching up on the news (or maybe it was gossip). I miss visiting while we (or who I am kidding, while she) cooked a holiday meal. I miss her acerbic wit (even when it was directed at me), her toughness in the face of the pain that her constant companion, and her spirit. She may not have been perfect but she was pretty damn special.
There isn't a week that goes by that I don't think of something she said or did. When I travel as I did yesterday, I imagine her in the passenger seat of my car, keeping me safe.
We may grow old, but I don't think we ever grow up to the point where we no longer miss our parents.
Love you mom!

Every Christmas dinner with my children we share memories of the times we spent with mom/grandma.  There are the funny stories - the time she substituted salt for sugar in the brownies.  There are the sad/funny stories - the time she had her first stroke on Christmas Eve and how I messed up the dressing by putting too much sage in it and the gravy had dumplings in it courtesy of my older brother.  (I did say she did the cooking, after that year I paid much more attention).  There are the stories that I share from when I was a child - all the years that a neighbour couple came to the house on Christmas morning to have coffee and present a card with 4 quarters in it for her birthday.  Oh, and the time mom mentioned she wanted liqueur glasses for Christmas.  I proudly went to the local department store and purchased 6 shot glasses.  Oops...

I was an adult before I truly realized how short changed she was having to share her birthday with the celebration of Christmas.  The last few years we would set aside her birthday gifts for after dinner so that the attention was all hers...at least for a few minutes.  

This Christmas we'll continue our tradition of remembrance of mom/grandma.  There were be laughter, and perhaps a few tears.  But as my daughter said to me yesterday, "Grandma is always watching and paying attention".  I'm sure she is.

New Orleans - final thoughts

We dropped our car off at the car rental outlet, and walked to Roosevelt Hotel to see the Christmas decorations.  We had heard the hotel was a Christmas wonderland and we weren't disappointed.

The only problem was that the halls were filled with people and it was impossible to get photos without some photo-bombing the shot. (I'm sure they thought the same about us!)

On our way back to our hotel we stopped in at Cafe Beignet for a snack since we had not yet had lunch, more beignets!!

Later we went out for dinner at the Oceana Grill, a local restaurant just two doors down from our hotel.  Afterwards, we said we were glad we hadn't found it first or we would never have tried to eat anywhere else!

We shared an appetizer of crab cakes.  I'd never tried them before, because well, I'm a little hesitant to eat shellfish.  Not because of an allergy but because I imagine those little beady eyes of crawfish, crabs, and lobsters...they creep me out even if they aren't part of the meal.  After a bite or two, I realized how tasty crab meat is, more like a strong tasting version of tuna, and I forgot all about my fears.

I did stick with chicken though for my entree.  This is blackened chicken po-boy.  Mostly definitely a good choice, with lots of chicken and nice bit of heat to it.

It had been a long day, so after a short walk on Bourbon Street, (we are nothing if not consistent) it was time to head back to the hotel for the night.

Wednesday December 19 was our last full day in New Orleans.  It was also shopping day!!!  We had spotted various shops we wanted to attend to, a visit to the French Market, a final visit to Cafe du Monde and little more sight-seeing within the French Quarter...and one last meal at Oceana Grill.

Our walk took us past Jackson Square (originally called Place d'Armes), and for the first time the gates were open, so we took a walk about.  There were a couple of groups meeting for a tour in the center of the park, and it was raining so we didn't stop very long.  

Directly across the street from the park is the St. Louis Cathedral.  The first day we were there, a market was set up in the street.  Vendors were selling their artwork, and musicians were busking.

Nightmare before Christmas (perhaps?)

We made a stop at a nearby toy store, where I found a book for Eli "A Pirate's 12 days of Christmas).  K and J picked up a few things for her niece and nephew as well.  Then it was off the French Market.  Within the market are various selling food, clothing, jewellery, bags, Christmas ornaments, hand carved items, and the like.  We wandered up and down the aisles, and we each picked up a few t-shirts.  I bought one for Eli, and one for myself which I wore for my travel day the following day.

Next up...Cafe du Monde.  This picture says it all! I needed multiple napkins to keep the mounds of icing sugar off my t-shirt, jacket and jeans.  These didn't quite do the trick but I need keep most of it off.  

It seems most of our lunches comprised of beignets.  You would think with all that sugar I would have gained a bazillion pounds but we did enough walking I did not.  Unfortunately my right foot did act up on me and I wasn't able to walk as far as I would have liked. Between blisters and excruciating cramping in the ball of my foot, I was a bit of drag I'm sure.  

We stopped at a couple of other stores to pick up postcards and a few other items (including beignet mix!).  Then it was back to the hotel to start packing up our purchases and ensure the carry-on only had what was allowed to be carried.  A bit of a rest and then it was time for dinner.

We chose to have our last dinner at the Ocean Grill again.  That night I chose red beans and rice with andouille sausage for my final meal in New Orleans.  It was served differently than the bowl I'd had at Mulates, but was soooo good.  It was fitting end to our trip and was followed by one final walk on Bourbon Street.

I really enjoyed our time in New Orleans.  As I've mentioned before, I'm not a big city person but perhaps it was the neighbourhood of the French Quarter and the proximity to nearby restaurants and shops, along with the history of the area that really drew me in.  I would definitely return for another visit, probably in the spring when the weather was warmer.  Regardless of the weather it was truly a memorable visit.

The following was a travel day for all of us.  Checking in at the airport was quick and easy, but our flights were delayed.  I was heading back to Regina, while K and J were off to Fort Lauderdale for a Christmas/New Year's cruise.  Their flights were more problematic as there was storm bearing on the east coast but other than a delay all went well.  My flight to Toronto landed an hour late, but I had a layover of 5 hours so wasn't concerned.  Going through Customs was the easiest I've ever seen it, and I was at my original gate with more than 3.5 hours to spare.  Boring!  Except my flight was further delayed, and my gate was changed twice. By 1 a.m. I was tucked up in my bed at home with two very happy cats.  

Thanks for joining me as I've re-lived my trip.  It's always fun to look back and bring back the memories as I look at the photos and share the stories.  Perhaps on my cruise I'll do a better job of taking down notes.  

Day 2 - Boston, Mass

We had a late arrival into Boston at about 11 a.m. Several of us had met for breakfast at the Horizon Court earlier in that morning, but it was a lazy start to the day.

Boston was cool, cloudy and threatening rain the entire time we there.  A half-dozen of us took the ship's shuttle from the port to the downtown area.

We were dropped off near Quincy Market and I split off from the group as I wanted to wander at my own pace.  Across from the market is Faneuil Hall.  The hall was opened in 1742 as a market place.  The space was soon not sufficient to meet the needs of residents and longshoremen, and Quincy Hall was opened in 1826.

I was most impressed with Faneuil Hall.  The first floor holds numerous vendors, the second floor is the Grand Hall, and the 4th floor holds a museum to military history.  I wasn't able to visit the Grand Hall as a Boston council meeting was underway, no idea what was on third floor - I assume offices, and the 4th floor was very interesting.  I took no photos but my favorite by far was the picture of George Washington crossing the Delaware.

From Faneuil Hall, I walked part of the Freedom Trail.

Old State House was built in 1713 and is the oldest surviving building in Boston (courtesy Wikipedia).  I didn't realize it was a museum or I might have entered in. 

What did strike me was the age of the building in comparison to the others surrounding it.  It is truly a testament to the original builders.

I had to backtrack once as I got off the trail, and came to this memorial to the Irish Famine Survivors.  My great-grandparents came to Canada in the 1860's shortly after the famine ended. However there are many families with the same last name in the U.S.  

The bravery of our ancestors is beyond words, to leave all they know behind to go to a place they no nothing about.  Today we can search on-line, get information from travel agencies and so forth.  In those days it was on blind faith alone.

Old City Hall is simply a gorgeous building (or maybe it is just me)  

I found, however, the critter below a little too much like a certain POTUS who will remain unnamed. 

(I sure hope the donkey doesn't mind being compared to the Orange Guy)ioooooooooooooooooooooggfv  That's what Sheldon thinks of my comment. :)

My final stop on the trail was King's Chapel (at least that's when I lost sight of the red bricks).

  It was starting to rain a bit more (hence the moisture on the lens), so I ducked inside for a look around.

Originally an Anglican church, the building was under construction from 1749 to 1754, and is currently an Unitarian church (Wikipedia).

The interior was lovely with box seating and a huge organ.

 The pews were originally rented by member families who could decorate them as they chose.  Since the 1920's the decorations have been uniform.

I'm thinking, having attended church as a child, that these box pews would have been warmer and act as a containment for small children.  Not a bad idea! 


The pipe organ was massive, though I later read it is smaller than most in European churches.The church is not large, so I can only imagine how it would sound echoing off the stone walls.

Next door to the church was a burial ground.  I had assumed it was part of the church but apparently not.  It was founded in 1630 as the first burial ground in Boston (Wikipedia).

I wandered around the stones, the oldest I was able to read was from 1704, the newest was from 2003.  Most of the stones were in poor repair and leaning, or broken the writing most often illegible.

At this point, I decided to make back to Quincy Market to grab a bite to eat and browse some of the shops.  I must have been hungry as I didn't get a photo of the exterior of the building.  This is the ceiling in the center rotunda where I ate my slice of pizza.

I made my way back to the shuttle to the ship and was on-board by 3 p.m. I spent a little time in the hot tub before heading down to the International Cafe for a cup of Chai Tea.  I ran into the five women from the morning - they had decided to do the amphibian tour.  It sounded like fun but I'm glad I did my own walk-about.  

Later I went up to deck 16/17 for a few more photos before we left Boston.

You can see how foggy and cloudy it was...  Those downtown buildings are almost obscured.

Despite the cooler temperatures and a bit of rain, it was a nice day in Boston.

The following day we were meant to be in Bar Harbor, Maine but alas that was not to be.  There was an announcement at 7 a.m. that due to 9-10 foot swells and 40 knot winds the Captain was abandoning any attempt to anchor outside Bar Harbor.  As the port is either two small, or isn't deep enough, we would have been placed on lifeboats (they hold about 100-150 people so they aren't small) to tender in.  

As a result we had a sea day, which I didn't mind but some of my fellow travellers found boring.  I always say if you're bored on a cruise ship, you're trying to hard!  I slept in a bit, had a relaxing breakfast, sat and read my book, checked the Internet, grabbed a Chai tea and read some more.  I planned on taking in a movie at about 2 in the theatre but decided to lay down for a few minutes at 1:30 and woke up just before 4 p.m.  I did another wander before showering and changing for dinner at 6 p.m.  After dinner, Conna, Valerie, and I went to the Club Fusion for music trivia.  We made a reasonable attempt but without Conna we would have been lost.  Most of the music was from the 50's and 60's.  I was only 10 years in 1969...and never a music buff.

We finally sailed out of the clouds on our way to Saint John, New Brunswick.  More on that tomorrow (or the next day as I'm suffering from a wicked cold and having trouble focusing my attention on anything for very long.  Started this post about 8:30 this morning, it's now 12:50!)