June 01-07 - Whitehorse, YT
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We left for Whitehorse just after 8 a.m. It was a nice sunny day; good for a drive. A couple of pictures along the way.
We arrived in Whitehorse around noon and set up camp at Hi Country RV Park. Our site is very nice, nestled in the pines. Everything is close by.
We spent a lovely week in Whitehorse. The weather varied from cool (10C) and rainy to 29C and sunny.
So on the rainy couple of days we visited the Transportation Museum, the Yukon Brewery, went grocery shopping, and visited the coffee shops. On the nicer days, we did the waterfront walk, the waterfront trolley, the S.S.Klondike paddlewheeler, Miles Canyon, and the Copper Belt Railway and Mining Museum.
Not in any particular order (the week went by quickly):
The Transportation Museum. Located at the airport on the plateau above town, this was certainly a highlight. The displays relating to the building of the Alaska Highway were extremely interesting. I still find it amazing that the Alaska Hwy was built so quickly in such dreadful conditions. On an upper level is a diorama of Whitehorse when the White Pass and Yukon railway ran into town. Unfortunately the staff couldn't get the small elevator to work, so I did a couple of videos for Jen. There was a gallery of incredible pictures of the gold-rush era. Hard to imagine that each stampeder had to travel to the goldfields with at least one ton of supplies, often piled onto a raft or into a small boat. The picture below left is what the Alaska Hwy looked like when it was finished in 1942.
You may not know this but the White Pass & Yukon Railway started the container shipping revolution many years ago.
Here is the weathervane in front of the Transportation Museum - an old Canadian Pacific DC-3.
What can I say about the Yukon Brewery. Perhaps their slogan: "Beer worth freezing for." It was excellent. We tasted several of their award-winning beers. The Brown Ale was really nice so I retrieved our "Growler" (from the Quesnel Brewery) and had it filled. The brewery is worth a visit. OK, yes, we did visit the brewery for a second time!
We visited Miles Canyon on a sunny morning. This was just a short drive from the RV park. Don't go here if you are afraid of falling off lava cliffs into the fast-flowing Yukon River below – there are NO safety railings on either side. Well worth the visit!
Also on the waterfront, at one end of the trolley line is the S.S. Klondike paddlewheeler. Run by Parks Canada, I expected to pay an entry fee. Nope, going on the boat was free. However, if you wanted to do a self-guided tour, the pamphlet cost a toonie! But talk about a tremendous display. All they need are a few wax figures, like Tussauds, and you would instantly be transported back 150 years. Don't miss the S.S. Klondike if you are ever in Whitehorse!!
The Yukon river flows past the Whitehorse waterfront in one heck of a hurry! Jen and I walked along the riverfront park and found a gravel beach where some folk were loading open canoes. We'd neglected to bring water along for Mattie, so I led her to the water's edge. She promptly waded in and had a drink. Later on, I hopped on the trolley and rode it to the end of the line and back. It's an old electric trolley (no wires) so it has a generator trailer that provides the power.
Did you know that there were 250 paddlewheelers on the Yukon river for almost 100 years? I was amazed that there were so many for so long. But the Klondike, when fully loaded with 30 tons of supplies drew only 4' of water. So these things were very efficient!!
