While we were on our Alaskan Cruise (you can read about it here: http://www.foodlovergirl.com/princess-cruise/ ), we took a few excursions to take advantage of the local tour and yes, feast! This one in Skagway was the last excursions that we did during our cruise. Everyone opted for this excursion met at a meeting spot near the cruise ship. 

We met with our tour guide, a lovely lady who knew so much about Skagway. She told us that she came to Skagway about 20 years ago, fell in love with the place, and has been living here ever since. How awesome! We took a quick boat ride across the Lynn Canal to the other side. The weather was not so great on this day, a bit rainy and cold…but we were not going to let this weather ruin our fun day!

The Lodge was located right off the dock, really cute and welcoming. It was large and I liked how it was a wooden cabin. They had a row of chairs right out side, I bet it would’ve been a great spot to chill out and relax on a nice sunny day.

They had an outhouse right off the lodge…which scared me at first, but then our tour guide told us that they do have regular bathrooms in the inside as well. Thank goodness! They had a quite spacious land around the lodge, and even thought it was grey and misty out, we could still see across the water and a few cruise ships.

As soon as we entered the lodge, it was so warm and welcoming, it was great! Almost like visiting a relative’s lodge somewhere in the wild. It was so nice in here, surrounded by rich wood from top to bottom, with beautiful greenery looking back at you through the windows.

The item that made this place extra homey and cozy was this huge fireplace in the corner. It was a bit chilly on this day with the rain, so we all took our wet jackets off and hang them right next to the fireplace.

And this beautiful antique-style sound system! This thing looked awesome, and guess what? It was blue-tooth speaker! I know! I wish if I had a place to put this speaker in my small backpack… The lodge had a nice open space with the ceiling going up to the second floor ceiling. The fireplace was doing a great job heating up the entire space.

While we were all getting comfortable, we were offered mimosa, and of course, we didn’t say no. This excursion was getting better and better by the minute! They also had other drinks like Alaskan Beer, which my hubby also had in addition to the mimosa. Hey we are on vacation, why not?

In the kitchen, one of the staffs were busy preparing for our feast. I saw him baking some kind of chocolate-y dessert with an old-fashion wood oven. Pretty cool!

After a nice mimosa, the “naturalist” staff took us for a quick walk outside. The Burro Creek Lodge is privately owned, and is a 120-acre rustic resort. mostly nature and nature and nature. We walked by hatchery buildings and caretaker’s cabins, pretty adorable in the misty rain.

Then, we followed the guide and the wooden signs towards the waterfall. It was not very far, and we could hear the gushing water from nearby distance.

Once we arrived at the Waterfall Grotto, it was so powerful and strong, it reminded me of a Seinfeld Show when George (a.k.a. Marine Biologist) said “The sea was angry that day my friends”…LOL. Even our guide was amazed at its powerful flow, he said that it is normally more calm, but with the rain, it has become a monster.

We all got to take a fun photo in front of the angry waterfall.

After a nice little walk to the waterfall, we headed back towards the lodge. We saw a wooden footbridge over the angry water by the lodge. We were told that we could see a magnificent views of the harbor and fjord from there, but none of us was brave enough… He also told us that they usually have drinks hanging under the bridge to keep them cool. Well, not this day, unless they want all the drinks disappear into the fjord…

After a really cool Burro Creek Lodge’s hydroelectric system demonstration, we walked over to the picnic area. Some of us got a re-fill of the drinks, or got a different kind of drinks. There was another antique-looking woodstove right outside, and had a nice fire going there as well. At this point, the guide told us that we can either stay by the fire, or go back inside the lodge, or go on a rainforest hike.

The half of us decided to stay, while the other half of us wanted to go hiking. My hubby and I were ready for some rainforest hike, especially since it looked like it was going to be a real hike instead of the “easiest hike you’ll ever do” kind of hiking that we took in Ketchikan (you can read about it here: https://www.foodlovergirl.com/alaskan-lodge-adventure-seafeast/).

The guide who was the naturalist was quite fast on this uphill hike. It was basically his huge backyard, so he was an expert! We climbed up along the 1,400 feet of really thick and durable pipeline that feeds Burro Creek Lodge’s hydroelectric system.

The ground was very soft, to the point it was kind of bouncy or mushy. We asked the guide about it, and he told us that the ground is mostly made of thick moss, which gives that soft texture. They indeed had moss everywhere, different kinds everywhere. And of course, all sorts of plants, trees, and yes, super fresh air. I especially liked this small, round, puffy one on the ground.

Once we got to the top of the hill, we got to see another waterfall, also powerful and beautiful. The view from up here was really nice, nothing but nature. We made sure to breathe in the clean, crisp air while enjoying the dazzling view.

After the hike, we returned to the lodge, and it was time for Dungeness crab and shrimp boil! The staff had it all cooked up in one pot, and was just getting them onto a HUGE bowl. I was so excited, and all ready to dig in! We were offered all sorts of drinks, but when I heard something like coffee with Khalua or Baileys, my heart sang. So, I had spiked coffee which was great on a cold day, after the rainforest hike! 

The jewels of the sea was brought to the table, and everyone was in awe. This sumptuous treasure included Dungeness crab, shrimp, andouille sausage, corn on the cob and potatoes all served with melted butter and oven fired bread. We also got cheese biscuits too, which was beyond tasty, I believe it can bring unicorns out of hiding.

We sat around the tables and started to pick through the enormous pot of deliciousness. The crab pieces were huge, and oh so juicy and yummy! Everything in the pot was amazing, all soaked up the flavors from each other, having that deep, earthy flavor that makes your face and tummy smile. We all kept digging in more and more until the pot was almost empty, which didn’t take that long. It was soooo delicious, we all kind of got quiet and enjoyed the scrumptious meal from the first bite to the last.

After the oh-so-good-for-your-soul food, it was time for dessert. They brought out this tray full of goodies. We knew it was going to be fun when we saw the skewers!

They had big marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate, calling out for S’more lovers. It also came with loads of other items in jars. The main item was the homemade rhubarb raspberry compote.

They had some crushed nuts, dried fruits, and yes, Chambord Liqueur! These toppings can be added on top of their wood stove-baked chocolate brownies in a jar! This is what the staff was baking when we first walked in to the lodge.

They said that on a nice day they go outside and roast marshmallows over the campfire. But, on a cold, rainy day like this, we had to do this with creative mind. We used the fireplace as our campfire, and roasted marshmallows a couple of us at a time. It was actually quite fun! I got all sorts of toppings, Chambord, and (a bit too) roasted marshmallow on the brownie. This decadent double chocolate brownies baked in the woodstove got upgraded to even more decadent, deluxe brownie. It was super yummy! The brownie was still nice and moist in the inside, and very chocolate-y.

After that, I had to get my S’mores! I roasted the marshmallow again, I think I did it better this time around, and got graham cracker and chocolate. I gave it a nice squeeze while the stone owl kept a watchful eye. It was so good, exactly what I wanted.

After the feast, we explored the lodge a bit more. We went up to the second floor loft, which had a beautiful view of the canal, rainforest and yes, the warm living/dining space below. What a great, warm, welcoming space to escape to, especially if you live in a busy city like NYC.

While we were there, the staffs told us to check out the wallpaper in the second floor bathroom. I went back up the stairs, and went to the bathroom to see the wall paper. It was so cute and funny! They told us that it is actually the original wallpaper! How fun!

We were having such a nice time, we didn’t want to leave… But it was time to go back to the boat and back to our cruise ship …

We learned a lot about the rich history about Burro Creek, and the beautiful nature surrounding the area. We took in lots of fresh air and delicious food, and had loads of fun! This was THE best excursion that we took during our Alaskan Cruise. The staffs were all super nice, friendly and knowledgeable. They showed us a great time, and gave us memorable time here at Burro Creek. Thanks a million!   

 

Burro Creek Lodge and Waterfall Retreat – Skagway, Alaska 99840