This is a review of Holland America's Alaska Cruisetour #Y4C, 11 Night Yukon & Double Denali.

TODAY WE PLAYED WITH PUPPIES!! Alaskan Husky puppies, to be exact. But I'm getting ahead of myself...

We disembarked the ship in Skagway and walked the short distance into town. It's a quaint frontier town, with many of the same buildings that were here during the gold rush. We had breakfast at the Sweet Tooth Cafe and then met up with our tour guide, Brian.

We began the 2 hour bus ride into the Yukon, stopping several times along the way for photo ops. We were fortunate enough to see two bears on the side of the road, who didn't seem bothered at all by the bus. We were also able to spot a moose and some mountain goats. All along the way Brian kept us entertained with facts and anecdotes about the the area and his time there as a tour guide.

We arrived at the Caribou Crossing mushing camp and had the included BBQ chicken lunch (really nothing to write home about, but adequate), and finally got down to what we were really there for - the sled dogs.

There were over 100 dogs at the camp, some owned by the Iditarod-racer that runs the camp, and some boarding for the summer. We had more than enough time to play with the adult dogs as well as the puppies, and we were the only tour on the property when we went. It felt very private and we weren't standing in line or competing for the dogs' attention.

After about an hour or so at the camp, it was time to say good-bye. We boarded the bus for the ride back to Skagway. We're overnighting at the Westmark, and I expected a much more rustic experience. It's actually quite a nice hotel and we're pleased with the room. One note - there is no AC, which is only really a problem because of the warmer-than-usual temperatures we've had here. Great for touring, not so great for being indoors. There is free WiFi, but it only works in the lobby; the connection doesn't work in the guest rooms.

For now, we're going to walk the town, cool off, and find some dinner. Tomorrow we board the White Pass Railroad for Fraser, and then on to Whitehorse.

Click here to read Day 5 - Whitehorse

About Jen Kleinberg, Cruise & Travel Writer

--