Thank you so much for the kind comments...I really appreciate it. I spent about 18 years in radio, so it's nice to see that I've retained some of those skills. Also, THANK YOU for suscribing! I hava a lot of fun stuff coming up in the weeks and months ahead and it's nice to have you along.

I was going to mention this same exact comment! Thank you! And I also was going to say that he does have a great voice for radio! After seeing your comment @backroadtourist, it makes perfect sense 😂. Can’t wait for our tour in a few days!

Fantastic! This video was shot in mid-May, so it's probably a pretty good representation of what you'll see. Have a wonderful time!

So glad you liked it, Jennifer. Thanks for watching!

It's a wonderful trip. You'll have a blast!

My wife and I have been on this trip twice and both times were in May. The weather was pretty good both times. I hope it's great for you, too! Enjoy your trip, Alaska is amazing!

Me too

Me too

Us as well:)

I'm going on the Ruby Princess 5/17 out of SF. This is one of the excursions I have booked.

Glad it was helpful! Thank you so much for watching and enjoy your cruise (and train ride).

You're so welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed both the excursion and my video!

Knowing what the gold seekers went through really adds another level of appreciation to the ride. The story of the building of the railroad is fascinating, too! Have a great time!

I'm glad it helped! Enjoy your trip!

You're so welcome. Thanks for watching and enjoy the beauty overload on the ride!

Did you see Sasquatch in your ride?? We saw a little sasquatch at the entrance of one of the tunnels. It was not very big but I immediately noticed it since I was standing outside the train enjoying the view! My husband missed it but went and lookednon his go pro and realized he had caught it on video.😅 I suppose someone placed it there as a joke.

I noticed it as I was standing outside the train taking pictures! I was very surprised. When I told my husband he didn't believe it. Later, he looked on his go pro and realized he had caught it on video.😄

Darn it...now I'm going to have to ride the train AGAIN the next time I go! No, I've never noticed the Bigfoot statue. Thanks for the heads up and thanks for watching Backroads Tourist.

Thanks r g! I never knew about the Luxury Car. I guess you learn something new every day. I might have to put that on my "to do" list if I ever get that way again.

Although the luxury coach was being sold for 2022, it was cancelled without explanation by either the railway or the cruise line. A friend who was travelling with us had booked that coach and enquired at the ticket office in Skagway. There was an issue with catering so that service was cancelled for the season. It is expected back in 2023. I am considering booking it for our Cunard cruise next June. The cost is US$340 and is already almost sold out.

@@davidthomas2761 Thanks for the update. Strange that "catering" was the cause. Honestly, or me, they could have served McDonald's McMuffin or burgers and coffee, because for me the real benefit was to have the comfortable seats for my back, large viewing windows, the guide, and of course the big unobstructed platform at the rear of the coach. Interesting that it is almost booked up for 2023, I must not be the only one who wants to have that experience. Good Luck on your trip. The $340 is a little costly, but I guess the gourmet food will be back. For me it was a once in a lifetime experience so money was not an issue....you can't take it with you!

We rode the luxury car in May 2022. Was fantastic and worth the extra money.

What was the cost of the luxury car?

That's a good question. I've never taken the 8 hour trip, so I can't speak specifically about it. However, I know that for me, 8 hours on a train might be a little long. But, if someone is really into trains, I bet it would be a wonderful excursion. For us, the shorter trip was perfect. Whichever you decide to do, I hope you have a wonderful time! Thanks for watching.

Hi Jacquelyn. Those are VERY good questions and I'm afraid I don't know the answers. I'd recommend contacting the railway and getting the answers directly from them. Their website is wpyr.com and their email is info@wypr.com. Thanks for watching.

You're so welcome. Thanks for watching! I hope you enjoyed the video.

Your cruise is coming up fast! I bet you're excited. You're going to love the train ride. My wife and I enjoyed wandering down Broadway Street and checking out the shops. There's everything from tacky touristy stuff to fine art. A few blocks up on your left will be a gift shop that has a really neat museum in the back. The last time we were there, my wife got a big surprise. Over a hundred years ago, one of her distant relatives won the Great Alaska Sweepstakes, which was a dog sled race that preceded the Iditerod. She found a portrait of her relative carved onto a walrus tusk! How's THAT for a cool story??? Right across the street is the Bonanza Bar & Grill. We didn't have the salmon, so I can't vouch for it. If you're into history, Skagway is where legendary con artist Soapy Smith was shot and killed at the pier. There's also a tour of the Red Onion, which used to be a house of ill repute back in the day, if you're into that sorta thing. I'm sure you and your husband will have a great time in Skagway after your cruise. Enjoy!

I've never sailed on the Grand Princess. We were there in May on the Crown Princess and had a wonderful time. The casino was VERY nice to us that trip. (I have a video on that, too). In May, the crowds weren't too bad for us. I'm glad you had a wonderful time!

No thanks. Even restored it isnt prime structural engineering for a train, passengers and carriages. If they wanted a money maker it would be scarier than a bungee jump if you walked it

There are two books that I read and really enjoyed. "Klondike...The Last Great Gold Rush 1896-1899" by Pierre Berton not only tells the stories of the gold rush, but also highlights some of the wild characters in that area. It's a fun read. I also liked "The Klondike Stampede" by Tappan Adney. He was actually there and wrote his book in 1900, so it's a genuine firsthand account. I also read Jack London's "White Fang" and "Call of the Wild". Although these are fictional stories, they really capture the flavor of that time frame because Jack London was a part of the gold rush. Thanks for watching and thanks for the question.

A couple of the old Alco retired locomotives from the WP&Y were sold off and shipped to the Durango & Silverton Railroad in Colorado, where they can still be seen in operation today.

I think it depends on the trip you book. Some go one-way into Canada and then you take a bus back (or take a bus to Canada and take the train back) and others are round trip when you come back the same way you went up. If that's the case, you stay on the same side, but just get a different view on the way back. Although I haven't experienced it myself, I'VE HEARD, there are some trips where the engine moves from the front to the back at the end of the trip up to bring you back and that the seats in the train car somehow convert to facing the opposite way so that you're not riding down backwards. I'm sorry if that part confuses you even more. If you're doing a round trip ride, my advice is to get a seat on the left as you're facing toward the front. I hope that helps and thanks for watching.

Good question! I can only speak to what I've done in the past and that is to get the ticket through the cruise line. I just haven't checked into any other option, so I'm afraid I can't give any firsthand advice here. We booked through our cruise line because it was convenient and just one less thing for us to worry about.

The train rides appear to be offered online/in person based on their website, but they have a note stating that the cruise line offered rides will depart/arrive dockside instead of the main station. Also, remember, cruise booked excursions come with "guarantees" (like making it back to the ship) that aren't available with your own bookings.

Good questions! We've ridden the train twice and they didn't stop anywhere to give us a chance to take pictures. However, the first time we rode it, we got off in Carcross and could take a few pictures of the train there. The second time we rode it, Canada was still shut down due to Covid and it was strictly a round trip without getting off anywhere. As far as the difference in prices, the railway has different routes that cover different distances, so that may account for this. My advice is to check their website, wpyr.com and check the prices there against the cruise ship excursion prices. Just make sure you're comparing prices on the same route. Thanks for watching.

Although I've been on this trip twice, I'm not an expert. But I'll tell you what I experienced. The first time we went, we took the train to Carcross and then got on a tour bus to bring us back, so I don't know what the train did as far as turning around goes. On our last trip about a year ago, Canada was still shut down, so the train went into sort of a roundabout to turn around and come back. Maybe someone else on here who's had different experiences can help answer this question.

Videos I’ve seen said they move the driver’s engine car to the back and it becomes the front. Seats are adjusted so you are facing the other direction. When you get to the top, you must switch to the other side for the way back.

We just returned in Sept 2 -2023. The train we were on the seats were facing one way. We sat on the side that faced the scenery, and we stayed in the same seat and came back facing the mountainside. So the train does a loop, so whichever side you are sitting on, you will get both views.

Thanks for the question. It varies a bit depending on which trip you choose. I just checked the Prices on Princess and they range anywhere from about $155 to $500. Thanks for watching.

That's a good question, and the answer is "Yes and No." Here's what I found on skagwayalaskatours.com "While there are some Skagway train tours that don’t require passports, all of the tours that extend past the White Pass Summit require it. Some of Skagway’s most popular train tours are excursions to Fraser and Bennett, British Columbia, and with good reason. These Skagway tours feature some of the most breathtaking scenery in the region, but bringing a passport is a must." Hope that helps answer your question. Thanks for watching!

Ok, thanks, now I do have a passport card would that work? Or do you have to have the book.

@@geroldwilliams265 Hmmm...I'm really not sure. I don't want to tell you one thing and then get blamed when the Mounties politely arrest you. lol. I'd recommend you ask the experts at the railway. Their email is info@wpyr.com.

The last time we rode it was last May and it wasn't going into Canada yet...or it may have just barely gone into Canada to turn around, but nobody could get off, so there was no passport needed. However, if my memory serves me right, we did need one when we did the train/bus tour into the Yukon Territory. That was back in 2015. Just to play it safe, you may want to visit their website and see what it says there. Have fun!

I believe you do.

We just returned from there and I do not recall them asking for passports. We took the ride that barely crossed into Canada, then loops around and comes right back. We were told we would only need it if we took the other tour that goes into canada more, and you can get off to walk across a suspension bridge and walk around.