| A Path Away From the Crowds Skagway, Alaska | | | | created forthe tourists. The best experiences often |
| Copyright © 2005 Theresa Gabriel | | | | take a little effortto discover. When visiting someplace |
| Women Summit LLC | | | | new, remember what broughtyou there in the first |
| I was hanging out in Downtown Skagway waiting to | | | | place: the mountains, the ocean, theriver, the ancient |
| fly over themountain to our next stop, Gustavus. The | | | | sights, the fall colors, or the whales. |
| fog was low and thickin both towns, temporarily | | | | Paths began to beckon Theresa when she was 12, |
| grounding all flights. | | | | visiting the |
| There isn't much to the downtown except tourist | | | | Bridger Wilderness in Wyoming. Walking, dancing, and |
| shops andtourists. Some of the shops are interesting | | | | movementare a part of her, nourished by John |
| and even havereasonable prices. The tourists, | | | | Denver's musical challengefor her to "fly." She has |
| however, have a tendency tocrowd the sidewalks and | | | | walked up mountains and throughforests in Wyoming, |
| pour into the streets, seldom watchingfor traffic. I | | | | Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. She'slived in |
| acted the same way the first time I walked down | | | | Germany and has traveled extensively in Europe, |
| State Street, but after four days I saw the | | | | evenleading a pilgrimage. Her recent walks in the |
| "Disneylandatmosphere" clearly. The locals say their | | | | Grand Canyon and |
| daily forecasts havenothing to do with the weather, | | | | Alaska inspired her to begin her dream business of |
| but with the number of cruiseships scheduled to dock. | | | | "walking withwomen." Learn more about Theresa |
| Our hostess remarked one morning "I'vegot to get to | | | | Gabriel and her Life Discovery |
| the store early, it's a four-boat day." | | | | Tours at her web site. Women Summit LLC |
| During our stay in Skagway we spent most of our | | | | --- END ARTICLE --- |
| time away fromdowntown. We visited Dyea and the | | | | ..................................... |
| start of the Chilkoot Trail,getting a tour from nationally | | | | TERMS OF REPRINT - Publication Rules |
| known "Dyea Dave." We did somehalf-serious hiking, | | | | (Last Updated: April 7, 2005) |
| took the train to Lake Bennett and listenedto our share | | | | Our TERMS OF REPRINT are fully enforcable under |
| of stories from the locals. | | | | the terms of: |
| Today I was stuck downtown, not able to venture | | | | The Digital Millennium Copyright Act |
| very far becauseit was necessary to check in with | | | | ..................................... |
| the pilot every hour or so. | | | | *** Digital Reprint Rights *** |
| I noticed a trail on the town map that crossed the | | | | * If you publish this article in a website/forum/blog, |
| Skagway Riverjust past the airstrips and went around | | | | You Must Set All URL's or Mailto Addresses in the |
| Yakutania Point. Since | | | | bodyof the article AND in the Author's Resource Box |
| I needed a little peace and quiet anyway, I ditched my | | | | as |
| travelcompanions and took off into the fog. The trail | | | | Hyperlinks (clickable links). |
| was just akid's bike path. | | | | * Links must remain in the form that we published |
| The noise of the town soon disappeared behind me. | | | | them. |
| The foglimited my visibility. I entered a new world, | | | | Clean links must point to the Author's links |
| hearing whaleseven before I arrived at the point of | | | | withoutredirects having been inserted into the copy. |
| boulders. This world wascool and misty. I climbed out | | | | * You are not allowed to Change or Delete any |
| on the boulders separating twoinlets, one busy and | | | | Words or |
| noisy, and one removed and full of wildthings. I sat | | | | Links in the Article or Resource Box. Paragraph |
| down on a cold stone and attuned by senses. Icouldn't | | | | breaksmust be retained where the author has placed |
| see the whale; but its breathing seemed so close. Isat | | | | them. |
| quietly. I heard the whales breathe repeatedly, | | | | * Email Distribution of this article Must be done through |
| justacross the small inlet leading to Dyea. I sat in blind | | | | Opt-in Email Only. No Unsolicited Commercial Email. |
| silenceand listened. Blow. Silence. Blow. Silence. Two | | | | * You Are Allowed to format the layout of the article |
| dolphinsswam by below me. Silence. Blow. Silence. | | | | forproper display of the article in your website or in |
| That is where I met Alaska that day. The experience | | | | yourezine, so long as the words, links and paragraph |
| was simple,yet overwhelming. | | | | breaksare not changed or deleted. |
| The easy sights aren't always the best sights, often | | | | |