The last port of call on our Alaska cruise brings us to Skagway, a small town most known for its Gold Rush history.
Skagway has been having landslides on the mountainside located near their main cruise dock, so I wasn't sure what the dock/tender situation would be this morning.
Radiance of the Seas docked in the port furthest away from the mountainside. A Princess ship was docked far back on the pier affected by landslides and they were tendering guests from the ship to port instead of walking on the pier.
A Holland America ship was also in port with us today, so it definitely felt crowded in town early in the day!
We disembarked around 9:30AM and started exploring Skagway. The town has historic gold-rush era architecture throughout downtown, and it almost feels like you're stepping back in time.
One of the most popular activities to try in Skagway is a ride on the White Pass & Yukon Railroad, which follows the trail of the gold rush into the Yukon Territory of Canada. I went on the railway last year and loved it, but we did not book any excursions for today in Skagway.
Related: My experience on the White Pass & Yukon Railroad in Skagway
I planned to spend most of the day walking around town and visiting local businesses. When I was here in October last year, it was so frigid and rainy that I didn't spend much time at all in town.
We started the day by walking into a few souvenir shops and mailed postcards to friends and family back home.
Next up was a trip to one of my favorite places I discovered last year in Skagway: Klondike Doughboy.
Klondike Doughboy specializes in Alaskan Fry Bread. Similar to an elephant ear, fry bread is a large piece of fried dough tossed in cinnamon sugar.
Not much hits the spot more than a warm, sweet serving of fried dough on a chilly day in Alaska!
Speaking of the weather, today was definitely the best weather we encountered on our cruise. It didn't rain once (that I noticed anyway), and while windy, the temperature felt comfortable. Never follow the weather forecast too strictly on an Alaska cruise!
An Egyptian afternoon
Our day took a fun, interesting turn this afternoon in Skagway.
As I mentioned in my live blog preview, I'm traveling to Alaska this week with my good friend Reeham from Egypt.
While window shopping on Skagway's main street, Reeham noticed a jewelry store with Egyptian decor and souvenirs. She called me over to show me the shop, and the shop's owner waved and invited us inside.
Mohamed is the owner of Klondike Gold Rush Jewels, and he is also from Egypt! Reeham and Mohamed spent some time talking with each other and we were curious how someone from Egypt ended up owning a jewelry store in Skagway, Alaska.
If there's anything I learned from my trip to Egypt last year, it's that Egyptian people are extremely friendly and generous, and this was definitely the case today in Skagway. We sat down and chatted in the shop with a coffee and ended up staying for a few hours!
I think one of the best parts of traveling is getting to know the locals, and it was interesting to learn more about local life in Skagway and what it's like to operate a jewelry business in a busy cruise port.
Mohamed also treated us to lunch from Northern Lights Pizzeria. The pasta with salmon, fish n' chips, and salad were excellent!
Additionally, Mohamed gave us two cute necklaces in the shape of a whale's tail. He said we were his "lucky charms" for the day because he made a lot of sales while we were in the shop. It was a super fun afternoon!
If you're looking to buy jewelry in Skagway, be sure to head to Klondike Gold Rush Jewels. There are a lot of cool Egyptian souvenirs available, too.
Related: Top 10 things to do in Skagway, Alaska
We also stopped by Kone Kompany for some ice cream, and it was the perfect way to end our day in Skagway.
Today was a good example of why I often like to travel without a plan. While I enjoy organized excursions and tours, it's always fun to see where the day can take you!
We were so busy chatting in the jewelry shop that we didn't get back onboard until 15 minutes before all-aboard time.
Back onboard
Tonight is the second formal night of our cruise, so we got ready in our stateroom and headed upstairs to the Viking Crown Lounge to watch sailaway from Skagway.
One unique feature of Radiance Class ships is the rotating bar in the Viking Crown Lounge. I asked the bartender to turn it on and it was pretty cool, although probably not best for those prone to motion sickness.
Skagway's sailaway was gorgeous! The Inside Passage to and from Skagway is relatively narrow, so the mountains on both sides of the ship were closer than in other ports. We could even spot small glaciers on top of several of the peaks.
I think Caribbean cruises are going to feel "boring" when at sea in comparison to the beautiful views of Alaska!
Before dinner, we checked out the The Colony Club, a lounge in the aft of Radiance of the Seas. It had amazing views of the Inside Passage! We also listened to some live music in the Centrum.
We dined in the Main Dining Room for formal night tonight. My favorite was the molten chocolate cake for dessert and Reeham loved the lobster tail.
Following dinner was a brief visit to the pub before heading to bed to catch some sleep before waking up early tomorrow.
Tomorrow we are set to visit Hubbard Glacier in the morning as a scenic cruising day, and I cannot wait to view this huge glacier up close!
