Skagway, Gateway to the Yukon, conjures up the names of Jack London and the notorious outlaw "Soapy" Smith. It sprang to life in 1897 when gold panners began streaming into the Yukon territory for the Klondike Gold Rush. Prior to this the Skagway Valley had been homesteaded by the Moore family, the only inhabitants of the area for 40 years until news of the gold reached Seattle and San Francisco. Within months the valley was flooded with men who took the Moore's 160 acres without regard for laws or property rights. Within a year Skagway was the busiest town in Alaska with stores, banks, restaurants, hotels, dance halls and saloons. Skagway is also the home of the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad. Today Skagway's beauty is unchanged. It is a quiet, peaceful town surrounded by monuments and glaciers and is still the best approach to the Yukon. Skagway is probably Barbara's and my favorite Alaskan destination.