(or, "The Last Great Gold Rush") Bonjour, mes amis! Despite the recent budget crisis and sequestration, Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Site has managed to squeeze through and hire some summer seasonal staff, including "moi"! I'll be returning to Alaska in April to begin as a Park Ranger and - as you may have gathered - French interpreter! (Yes, I do know French. This seems to be everybody's first question. Et très bien, merci!)
With a few hundred dollars lost and one virtual airline ticket confirmation gained (well, three of them I guess) - I'll fly from Cleveland to Detroit, to Seattle, then up to Bellingham, WA (a city 90 miles north of Seattle), where I'll catch a ferry that will take me the rest of the way to Skagway!
The ferry leaves Bellingham at 6:00 pm and arrives in Skagway three days and 1,800 miles later. Because I flew into Skagway last year, I thought the ferry would be a great way to experience the land from a new perspective. The trip will be a new experience in more ways than one - although sleeping cabins are available, they cost roughly double the price of a regular ticket (which already hurt to buy); so I'll be joining my shipmates in sleeping bags and tents scattered throughout the ship. (I've been assured it's safe, and chances are I'll meet coworkers along the way.)
 |
| At this point my feelings include all of the following: excitement ('cause it's Alaska), nervousness (a 5-hour flight, turbulence, camping out on a ferry), and horror (where'd my money go?!). |
 |
| A picture from the ferry's website. I'm sure this happens all the time. |
I would also like to extend an invitation to any family and friends who have always dreamed of going to Alaska to take this opportunity to stay with me (some restrictions may apply) and/or take advantage of my free tour guide services of Skagway and surrounding areas! And I wonder if there are any fishermen out there *cough cough* who would like to know that July and August is salmon season?
Would you like to know more about the impact the sequester will have on America's National Parks? See what the director, Jon Jarvis, has to say here:
For National Parks, Sequester Could Mean Cancelled Parades, Dirty Bathrooms
