Today has been a very laid back kind of day here in Skagway, Alaska. Doing a sea and land tour of Alaska is turning into a real adventure. Today has been a free day for our tour group and it’s been nice to be able to take advantage of the opportunity to be extra lazy. Not many shops open today which is a rare thing with it being tourist season. Mr. Gossett and I spoke with a gentleman who worked with an information center and we found out that there were no cruise ships docked today so, they had a day to regroup. Typically, when tourist season begins here in Alaska, it’s a 24/7 endeavor. They stay busy all season long. Skagway does have a housing problem though. There are lots of places that want to hire seasonal workers and there are seasonal workers that want jobs but…..there’s not enough places for all of them to stay for the season. Many of the businesses are under staffed and the folks who are here for the season are working more than one job. A person could make a decent living during tourist season if they play their cards right.
Tomorrow, Mr. Gossett and I will leave Skagway, get on an train and travel into Dawson City. I like the idea of doing train travel because we’re going to be able to see parts of Alaska that cruise ship passengers typically won’t see. The last three days of our trip we’ll spend in Denali National Park. Those days are a check off item on my bucket list. I’ve wanted to do this ever since our last Alaskan Cruise more than 10 years ago. I’m excited about that venture.
So, as we board the train for Dawson City, my mind will be thinking about two of the greatest men in my life who spent their lives working on the railroad, my father, Charles Fuller and my grandfather Sloan Fuller. They both were engineers for Norfolk Southern Railway. It was Southern Railway when they both began working for the company. By the time my father retired, Norfolk Railroad had merged with Southern and became Norfolk Southern. They might not be with us physically but they are with us in spirit. I think they’d like the idea of us traveling via their magic carpet made of steel – as Arlo Gurthie said it so graciously in his song, “The City of New Orleans.” Needless to say, I’m excited. It is in their memory, I take on this adventure. I know it will be a trip well worth the time and effort.
God Bless and Happy Travels!
Charlene
