Dateline: Skagway, Alaska. Three ports in three days. Tuesday, Ketchikan. Known as Alaska's first city. Not because of anything spectacular it has done, but because it is the first city you come to. Rainest city you will ever see. Monument to "Liquid Sunshine" greets you as you go ashore. Did not rain while we were here this time. Juneau: Capital city. We have been in both Ketchikan and Juneau on all seven of our Alaska cruises. Yesterday, after we had walked the city and gone back onboard ship, I went back and took a leisurely stroll past familiar stores and landmarks. Felt very akin to poet who said "I shall not pass this way again". Soaked up all of Juneau that I could and told it goodby. Not likely to return again. Skagway: 37 degrees this morning. Would like to have some gulf coast warmth. Skagway was jumping off point for would be gold miners when gold was discovered in the Klondike. White Pass trail to Canada and gold fields became famous and now the White Pass railroad follows the trail into the edge of Canada. During the gold rush days, population swelled to over 10,000, making it Alaska's largest city in 1898. Today the permanent population is 863. City is four blocks wide and 20 blocks long. Cruise passenges greatly outnumber residents. Looking forward to returning to beauty of gulf coast. Alaska beautiful, but no sugar white beaches here and no warm shunshine!!