ten loves

TOP TEN THINGS I LOVE ABOUT SKAGWAY, ALASKA

10. cute cute cute boys

9. my adorable cabin in the woods. it's getting dark earlier in the evening nowadays, so i need to let out a little yelp to ward off the bears. but the sound of the skagway river and my little loft bedroom make me feel cozy and safe from predators.

8. my job. i am the "head madam" at the red onion saloon and brothel museum. which means that i coordinate tours of the red onion brothel and skagway historic red light district. all this time dressing up and hanging out with the most amazing women i've ever known.

7. the restaurants. the food in skagway is phenomenal. granted there aren't that many choices, but what is available is always stellar. i have come to love all kinds of spicy fish and delicious curry. mmm

6. no worries. in skagway, everyone is here to make money, go hiking, and sleep really well after a hard day at work.

5. meeting people from all over the world. working in tourism makes it so i don't have to travel to meet new people. they all come to me. every morning at 8am thousands of people flood our tiny town then they all leave 12 hours later. harrison ford and calista flockhart even came into town on a particularly busy day. i stalked them a bit (of course), but they blended into the tourist crowd just like everyone else.

4. the phone numbers. every home phone number in skagway begins with 983, so when we need to relay or remember phone numbers we just say the last 4 digits. my phone number is just ALLI. 983-ALLI.

3. the history. i feel so blessed to work at a job where i get to talk about the klondike gold rush all day long. sometimes, i stop and think about all those people that were just barely here in 1898 and i get a little chill. this town is so creepy and haunted and filled with spirits and energies of all the people that have passed through here. there are buildings that have been boarded up for nearly a hundred years, and i get so antsy to explore what's inside.

2. whitehorse, yukon. ok, i know it's not technically skagway, but it's our very own big city. just two short hours on the klondike highway, with some of the most incredible scenery i've ever encountered is whitehorse. aka-the pale pony. you must reserve a day and a tank of gas for a journey into canada, but the wal-mart, stop lights, swimming pool, two movie theatres, thrift store, car dealerships, fast food joints, and "big city atmosphere" are all definately worth the trek.

1. the beginning of the season excitement in april, the mid season lull, and the end of september sadness that all of the fun will soon be over. . . .will you be back next year?? i hope so. I WILL.