Skagway and Victoria

Thursday we spent the day in Skagway, the gateway to the gold rush. We visited the Klondike Summit and suspension bridge. There were a lot of cool views and we learned about the gold rush. We were very surprised to learn that gold miners lived by a strict moral code, so they would tell their fellow miners where the gold could be found. The White Pass train leading to the summit was meant to aid miners during the gold rush but it took three years to build and the gold rush was over by then! In fact the gold rush was actually so fast that people say "it was over before it began." Prior to the gold rush, gold had only been measured in ounces, but after it was measured in tons! We also learned that by 1900, $22 million of gold had been found, but only around 1,000 people actually profited from gold itself. Most made money as merchants, or the packers who provided miners with their supplies, which took place mainly in Skagway. We also had a salmon bake (and yes, we both tried it!). The highlight of our day, however, was that once again WE SAW BEARS. PLURAL! We saw a mama black bear and her two cubs eating on the side of the road. They were so close! We have been very lucky with wildlife this trip. Last night we visited Victoria, BC, which is basically just a dreary port town with neat looking buildings. We saw the parliament and the famous Empress hotel. Our cruise was amazing, and although we are not too happy to be back in the car, we are excited to be heading to Yellowstone!