16 June 2013; From Juneau to Skagway --
The Alaska Marine Highway is a ferry system that carries passengers -- with or without their automobile, truck and/or travel trailer/fifth wheel -- between various coastal Alaskan cities. There are cabins for the accommodation of those passengers who choose to reserve them. [Grumpy believes that those who bring their travel trailers or campers onboard, are not permitted to occupy or sleep in them!] We did not choose to have cabins on this short leg of our journey; we did make reservations for the four-day and three-night passage from Skagway to Bellingham, however.
On the sightseeing tour, hosted by "Charity", a vivacious former dance-troupe member from New York, we saw many of the historic places and heard tales and legends that are born out of the bawdiness and lawlessness of boom towns such as Skagway once was during the Gold Rush to the Klondike in 1898-9.
For example, we saw the grave-site of William Jefferson "Soapy" Smith; Soapy was, for awhile, highly-respected and admired by a majority of the citizens of Skagway. When the truth became known of his illegal past and fraudulent presence in Skagway, the town turned against him, he was shot and killed by the "new" town hero (Frank Reid), and buried three feet outside the consecrated area of the city's cemetery.
On the other hand, Frank Reid (the new town hero) was memorialized with the tallest and most elegant grave-site marker of all! Later information revealed that Frank had a shady past as well, but Skagwegians apparently either disbelieved the evidence or chose to ignore it; he continued to be revered in post mortem by the townsfolk.
Our final foray into the shady past of Skagway happened following our thoughtful discussions about whether or not to eat our "evening*" meal at a place called the "Red Onion Saloon". Adventure and anticipation soon replaced temerity and good judgement, however, and enter we did with the eye-popping enjoyment of the scenery.
Signs inside invited male customers to "enjoy" the night (or day) "relaxing" with one of the shady ladies "for $10 per 20 minutes". Grumpy assumed that these were historic and not contemporary invitations. [Although it may be misleading to make such an assumption in a town such as Skagway still may be!] 
Grumpy was especially attracted by this array of old-fashioned China bedpans and urinals, hung high up on one wall up near the ceiling. How they fit into the overall decor of this historic saloon/brothel, Grumpy could not decipher.
* "Evening" took on a new meaning in Alaska as the sunset, to which we were all accustomed as the boding of the night, did not take place until about 10:30 p..m. (Skagway), or 12:00 p.m/ (Fairbanks). Dinner time here in Skagway felt more like a mid-afternoon snack for the "Sedate Seven".
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