Riverboat Discovery

Today we took a real tourist-type trip. We went on the Sternwheeler Riverboat Discovery this morning with all the bused in groups from the cruise ships and other tours. They all had their name tags. I almost felt like I needed to get one. 

The tour was well scripted and very entertaining, partly because of how well it was done! The announcer - and I call him that because he also does radio and sounded like it - told good stories and nice family friendly jokes. The one about static electricity was as racy as he got. 

The young people at the simulated Native village were friendly and had their parts down so well that if you walked between presentations too quickly you heard exactly the same sentences. All of them had Alaska Native backgrounds, which helped to make them credible. 

This is not to say that it was a bad experience. It wasn't, but it definitely was not real Alaska. The gift shop at the entrance was the largest one I have seen so far in Alaska. I saw one of everything there. I even bought something - as was expected.