Taking the bus and train to Skagway, Alaska

One thing we hadn't done was take a train ride. So with extra days in Whitehorse we thought a nice trip on the train was in order. We left at 8:30 with the bus picking us up at the campground and headed to Skagway. We stopped at Carcross Yukon, which was Caribou Crossing until there was some mail mix up and then changed the name. The modern village began in 1896, during the  Klondike Gold Rush. At the time, Caribou Crossing was a popular stopping place for prospectors going to and from the gold fields of Dawson City. Just before entering the town you get to see the Carcross desert, the worlds smallest desert. Sorry no pictures:(  Carcross is a tourist town now and depends on the tour buses and White Pass railway. Only a few shops to look at back on the bus to Fraser, B.C. and catching the train. On this trip you have to cross the Canadian border and US border because you go back into Alaska and then back into Canada, you need your passports or else. The train to Skagway gives you awesome views of the terrain and goes from almost 3,000 feet at the summit  to sea level in just 20 miles. The ride on the train was something we are glad we did not miss and everyone should do at least train ride when visiting Alaska and Canada. We made it to Skagway and had about 2 hours to visit the town before boarding a bus for the trip back to Whitehorse. Skagway is a small town that flourishes during the summer months when cruise ships can sometimes add 10,000 people to the population of around 800 year around residents for the day. Skagway is located at the northern tip of Alaska's Inside Passage and is a restored gold rush town and the headquarters of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park. Skagway is an important port and one of things exported is copper to China to make our electrical wiring.  The town really caters to the cruise ships and most of the stores, high end jewelery, are owned by the cruise and tour companies.
The trip back on the bus was very nice and we saw some beautiful scenery. Overall a very nice day and now it is on to Watson Lake, Fort Nelson and Dawson Creek with our main destination Vancouver.