Even in the divided political climates we face in the United States and the United Kingdom, there are two things we can all agree on: 1) cruising is life and 2) dogs are better than cats. What? You disagree? Then what are you doing here? OH, you disagree with the dogs part. I clearly misjudged the intelligence and sophistication of my audience. But even you have to admit that this is adorable:
And that when you add a vivid adirondack chair and a sweet, shaggy-haired miniature cruiser to the frame, you end up with a photo to grow the heart of the Grinch himself:
To recreate this photo with your own wee lad or perhaps something more similar to this one with your older, chin-challenged self…
…you’ll need to book the Sled Dog Adventure and Pan for Gold in the Yukon excursion from Skagway on your cruise to Alaska.
You get to play with puppies on this excursion and that’s basically all you need to know. But here’s some additional information for those oriented toward pesky details:
| Adult | Youth 7-12 | Child 3-6 | Infant 0-2 |
| $139 | $129 | $50 | Free |
4.5 hours
You’ll watch as many of your ship-mates will be crammed into full-sized buses like the mountains of fall yard debris your husband is determined to fit into the 3 leaf bags he got for free from the city: “no Daryl, I will not hold the sides open while you jump from the roof to force out remaining air pockets to make room for at least 5 more shovels full.” Instead, because you avoided a cruise line excursion and booked this tour on your own, you’ll board a comfortable mini bus right from the cruise pier with a small group of fellow passengers (there were 10 total in ours) allowing greater opportunity to interact with your guide, enjoy the sights, and take photos without battling crowds.
On your 1 hour drive up the Klondike Highway to the mushers camp, you’ll learn about the history of the Klondike Gold Rush and what it’s like to live in Skagway today.
If Jack, our local tour guide, had told us the story of how he and his wife got stranded on the Klondike Highway behind an overturned oil tanker in the middle of the winter after venturing two hours into Canada to see a movie before he told us about prospectors who battled mud, ice, snow, and raging river rapids all while hauling a year’s worth of supplies only to not find gold or, you know, die, we may have felt more sorry for him. Still, it was a good story.
Your drive will also include some spectacular sights, like azure glaciers, alpine valleys, and mountain lakes…
…waterfalls…
…and many glimpses of the White Pass and Yukon Route railway for anyone who agonized between the puppies or the train (go here for my review of the train before deciding).
You’ll even catch a glimpse of the Washington Monument. Remember though, when phoning your grown children to update them on how your trip is going, make sure to specify that it was a miniature replica of the Washington Monument so they don’t conspire to, “have mom evaluated.”
Your guide will pull over several times on both legs of the journey, out and back, to allow you to exit the bus for a better view and to take some photos. Because our group was so small, he was also kind enough to take family pictures for everyone. No selfie sticks required.
Explore the grounds of the Tutshi summer mushers camp run by veteran Iditarod and Yukon Quest mushers Michelle Phillips and Ed Hopkins. Taunt your over-height husband as you walk fully upright through the doors of the staff quarters, “you could never be a musher – where would you bunk in the summer?,” before he gently points out that those are dog houses.
Then pretend you “knew that!” as you mount the tire swing and proceed to ignore the protests of your spawn and a lengthening line of his contemporaries for the next 45 minutes: “give someone else a turn, mom!”
And yes, you can hold the adorable Alaskan husky babies and play with them and snug them and kiss them. It’s critical that these future Iditarod athletes be well socialized, so gentle interactions with them are encouraged. At the time of our visit there were two tiny black puppies and a half dozen or so larger puppies (like the one pictured in the circular photo below).
But no, you can’t sneak them out in your backpack. In my defense, one hopped into mine without my knowledge after I told him about the carving station at the Lido buffet.
If the thought of racing a team of dogs nearly 1,000 miles through sub-zero temperatures and blizzard conditions doesn’t appeal (wimp), you’ll appreciate this comfortable 20 minute summer ride on a scenic trail winding through stunning mountain vistas on a UTV partially pulled by a team of eager canine athletes in training.
Your driver will even stop half way through and take a photo for you as the dogs rest and hydrate.
Following your cart ride, you’ll convene to watch and listen to a gear demonstration and Q and A session with a legit Iditarod musher. While this would be really interesting in the absence of puppies, no one will blame you if you quietly wish she’d hurry up so you can get back to the furry little guy you named Lenny Kravitz after your celebrity crush and who’s causing a bit of tension in your relationship because, “I didn’t take you on this cruise to watch you make out with a dog after turning me down for the past 3 nights because you felt too fat from the buffet.”
Your 6 year-old will have to drag you away from the puppies again to try your hand at gold panning (located right within the Tutshi summer mushers camp). While finding gold will come much easier than it did 124 years ago during the Klondike Gold Rush, don’t count on it being enough for the custom gold bald eagle pendant you planned for your wife’s Christmas gift unless you also include a magnifying glass. It will be enough to make a nice pair of earrings for Barbie though.
1. Bring your passport.
Even if you’re on a sailing that doesn’t require you bring a passport, you’ll need one for this excursion as you’ll be passing through customs as you enter into Canada and back into the United States.
2. Pack snacks, water, and something to entertain young kids.
With two hours of travel time (out and back) and 4.5 hours in total duration, consider packing a few snacks, water, and a tablet or other entertainment suitable for any young kids you have with you. While you’ll be captivated by the scenery, your “H” (my faithful teaching/travel assistant and son) might prefer his snow capped mountains and alpine valleys with a background score heard through his JBuddies because you insist that “not everyone on our bus shares your appreciation of the subtle comedy of Captain Underpants.”
3. Book the 9am time slot and have your driver drop you off in downtown Skagway after your tour.
If this is your first trip to Skagway, you’ll want to consider walking around the charming and historic downtown area following your tour. Lucky for you, your guide will offer to drop you off downtown instead of back at the ship (don’t worry, you can easily walk back to your ship from downtown). I’d also recommend booking the 9am time slot to give yourself a large buffer of time to make it back to the ship before sail away.
I booked through Viator (owned by Trip Advisor) here.
Having been to Skagway many times, both with and without a child, this tour tied for my favorite (the other being the White Pass scenic railway) and ranks as #1 for family friendly excursions in Skagway. Book for the puppies and feast on a gravy of spectacular scenery, fascinating history, an exciting ride, and gold. And with that…
Class Dismissed.
Homework (10 points): Check out my other Alaska port posts here. And don’t forget to subscribe to the blog and follow Prof. Cruise on social media:
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