This morning on our schedule we have a visit to Skagway and Haines. We began the morning disembarking in Skagway which was the gateway to the Gold Rish back in the 1800s. It was a bit like stepping back in time in this quaint little town. We were met at the docks by our drivers and guides in their supped up 1800s vans.
The tour through Skagway was quick and interesting to see Sarah Palin's original home while growing up. Our guide had a great sense of humor about being a woman in Alaska. She had just saved up enough to get her own fourwheeler for running into town or down to the local bar. She joked about the dating scene in Skagway for women say, "The odds are good, but the goods are odd."
Next we hopped into large bus and headed up the pass with another guide and driver to catch the train back down to Skagway. You actually cross into Canada for a brief jaunt while you're at the top of the White Pass. It's all tourists for the most part and we took a moment to dash into the only building at the station to stamp our passports. Then we were off down the mountain on the Yukon Rail. You can go outside if you choose to on the back of the train car. It was freezing in the wind but a great opportunity to take some photos as we descended along the valley back to Skagway. The way back to town we descended nearly 3000 feet down along trestles, bridges and tunnels. They have the conductor announcing the history of the White Pass and Yukon Rail as you go down. It was interesting but I kept being distracting by the landscape and running outside to catch another photo of the experience.
After our Skagway experience, we climbed back on board and cruised onward to Haines. We spent the afternoon walking around Haines and learning about the Chilkat Indians. The common buildings in the town were beautifully decorated with native art. The entire town was very walkable and we took moments looking at the native artwork on canoes and woodcarvings in front lawns of the homes. Our last stop was to the Hammer Museum. Apparently they hold the world's largest collection of hammer's. They recently had another visit from the Smithsonian. The expert had requested the help of the shop owner to detail the history and use of a new piece being displayed. You could see the owner's chest puff in pride as they explained how they have helped out much larger and well-funded organizations in the past.
The agent had great response to questions and coordinated well to create an itinerary that met our expectations.
Bob Sunshine
1 day ago
Very responsive to all questions
Teresa Cardoso
2 days ago
Kelly and Rhenee were excellent to work with on planning our trip. The logistics all worked smoothly and everyone was friendly and on time. Our accommodations were very good, particularly the incredible Patagonia Camp in Torres del Paine! Our guides on every excursion were outstanding and made the hikes memorable! Overall we had a wonderful trip with incredible memories!
Scott Gibson
2 days ago
Adventure Life is definitely a first-class safari tour company, and our representative was Franny Friesz. First of all, she responded immediately after we contacted Adventure Life. We told Franny that we had never been on a safari, and she was more than eager to offer a mountain of information about the trip. She informed us fully about all the ups, downs, and all arounds! She even prepared a number of packages for us to review -- even after we made changes to the areas we wanted to explore. Friendly, helpful, professional, and extremely knowledgeable -- these words describe Franny, and what a wonderful trip she prepared! We couldn't have asked for better service than Franny of Adventure Life. We HIGHLY recommend her and her outstanding company! Bon Voyage!
Prima Burke
3 days ago
The staff at Adventure Life made planning my family's trip to the Galapagos Islands as easy as possible. They listened to what we were hoping to experience and made thoughtful suggestions about how to accomplish our vacation goals while meeting the needs of travelers ages 17-76! They patiently answered questions and follow up questions in the months leading up to the trip. They helped us trouble shoot and customize the trip in every way possible. The logistics involved in traveling from Boston to the Galapagos are innumerable. The Adventure Life staff helped us arrange every detail and the team they assembled in the Galapagos was tremendous. I have never done a trip this big before and after working with Adventure Life this time--would not hesitate one second in working with them again.