Skagway Journals

Skagway or Skaguay?

A June 2007 trip to Skagway by weeblewobble46

Entrance to Liarsville Photo - Liarsville Gold Camp, Skagway, Alaska

Quote: This town is the official beginning of the trail that took the 49ers to the Yukon Territory.

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Skagway or Skaguay?

Overview

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Skagway (or Skaguay, if you prefer) is a sheltered town and harbor in the Inner Passage region of Alaska. It is on the itinerary of the cruise lines and the town comes to life every May through September. It is at the northern end of the temperate rainforest ecosystem, so it is not quite as misty or rainy as Ketchikan or Juneau.The town is small. You can see the whole thing from the observation deck of your ship. The one thing that makes Skagway different from the other ports-of-call is that it is accessible by road from the AL-Can (Alaskan-Canadian Highway). Therefore, you will see travel trailers on the roads and in the local travel parks. The White Pass and Yukon railroad ...Read More

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Liarsville Gold Camp

Attraction

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The bus to Liarsville picked us up on the pier. We climbed aboard and were issued a sticker and garter. The sticker allowed us entrance into Liarsville, and the garter allowed us entrance into the Salmon Bake.

Liarsville was originally a settlement of newspaper folk. They found that the Chilkoot Trail was extremely hard to navigate and so they camped out where they could interview the miners and locals without stress or strain. Sometimes they "EMBELLISHED" their stories a bit so that the readers would be more excited and want more information. The more papers their stories sold, the better was their job security. Therefore, "Liarsville" became the name of the camp.

There is a gold-panning area at the back of the camp. You are guaranteed to find gold in your pan. The trick is to stick around long enough to actually FIND the gold. Most of the panners around me gave up and I wound up finding gold flakes in their leftover pans. Not enough to pay for my cruise, but enough to say "I found gold!"

The "show" that is presented is in a sheltered area. It consists of several songs and Robert Service poems recited by a cast of four actors. You get the idea of the extent the locals used to go to in order to have entertainment. The story (poem) told was illustrated by the actors and they truly enjoy their jobs.

The Salmon Bake is held across the road. Sanitizing hand cleaner is available upon entry. Be sure your kids use it since they have been playing in the water (panning for gold) and probably petting the local Malamute. The salmon was cooked nicely - not dry at all. Beans and slaw accompany the salmon and chicken (which was also moist and tasty). You are welcome to have seconds and thirds. One of the children in our group even went up for a fourth piece of chicken (he didn't like the salmon).

The $57 fee includes the bus, feed, panning, and show. The General Store has "Liarsville" trinkets for sale along with other items that you might like as souvenirs.

All in all it is a fun time for the whole family! Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on June 29, 2007

Liarsville Gold Camp
Skagway, Ak
Skagway