Skagway - September 2nd

We went gold-panning today. It was fun and the guide, Skagway Sonny, (also known as Sticky Fingers) taught us to pan gold. A little more work than we thought but I now have gold flakes for my beaded jewelry. We also learned how they used a "dredge" and pulled up huge bucketfuls of dirt from the river floor and caused environmental damage. The town of Skagway was originally founded by Captain Moore who saw this as the entrance to the Yukon Territory. However, when the first prospectors arrived, they took his land and founded the town of Skagway that was full of criminals and prostitutes. The town looks poverty stricken but the land is outrageously expensive, with small two bedroom ranch homes going for $400,000 and up. There is no more available land in the town so it is increasing in value.
Believe it or not there is a Sarah Palin store here. It was empty of customers. We also stepped into the Red Onion, a former brothel and bar. This state is really still a frontier in many ways. These towns are extremely isolated in the winter and pregnant woman must leave the town in their 6 month of pregnancy due to the lack of medical services and availability. The people who live in the bush (no roads) are even more isolated and must be independent throughout the winter.
Tomorrow, Juneau.