Dawson City Bunkhouse

... go. The growing season is so short that they really make the best of their flowers. We have also seen rhubarb growing.

Sunday we learnt that this week is not meant to be a restful holiday. Our luggage had to be out by 6.30 and we left the hotel at 7.45am. There are several bus loads. We have 38 on our bus. It is certainly a big business (all run by Holland America). We went on the White Pass Yukon Railway. This had been built during the gold rush in the 1890’s and it ...

Sunday, July 19 - Dawson City, YT - Day 1 of 4

We left the Alaska Highway behind as we took the Klondike Highway to Dawson City. (Highways in the Northwest are named and most locals know them by the name instead of by the Route number.) Traveling was harsh, to say the least. The highway is in horrible shape with gigantic frost heaves, loose gravel and construction. Much of the more than 300 ...

... flows into Lake Laberge. All of the Robert W. Service fans will recognize this to be pronounced Labarge, where Sam McGee was cremated. There were no convenient pull-outs, so we did not get any pictures of this famous lake. It is still disconcerting for St. Louisans to follow a northbound river downstream.

The Klondike Highway is quite scenic as you follow different rivers and creeks of ...

... apple pie (John).

Shortly after leaving Chicken...named Chicken because the miners who named it couldn't spell Ptarmigan (the state bird)...we left Taylor Highway to wend our way to Eagle. We had taken bets just as we left Chicken as to how many vehicles we would pass coming toward us on the ...

... of pics. Chicken is an interesting community. According to things I've read, it has no flush toilets, no electricity service (the stores all use generators), the water has to be hauled in, only satellite phone service, mail flown in and out twice a week, and a permanent population of 21 in the summer and 6 in the winter. Once the snow flies and the Taylor Highway closes the only ways into Chicken are by snow machine or ...

... my replacement Visa card, did some grocery shopping, mailed a letter, and bought some paint brushes, edging tape, and more caulking. I've attached a few more pictures of some other buildings in town as well as a picture of the ferry that crosses the Yukon River. There was a lot of action along the river bank as the ferry was in motion, canoeing tours arrived, and the paddle wheeler was at the dock. I then rode up the Dome Road and came across a bear that was ...

... to see if a new replacement Visa card had arrived. Not yet. As we went about town I took the opportunity to snap some shots of the buildings. Enjoy. We also visited a friend of my daughters and I was overwhelmed by the beautiful garden she had. Then to my daughter's partner's parents place where an extraordinary vegetable garden is well on its way to harvesting. In fact the tomatoes are due to be picked next week ...

Day 63 Chicken to Dawson City. Well with a little trepidation we left Chicken after a walk around an old bucket line gold dredge they intend to restore, it worked the area from 1959 to 1967, it appears the restoration is not happening in a big rush. Then again we doubt anything happens in Chicken in a big rush. Climb in the castle and away we roll, looking up and forward we notice the ribbon of dirt road climbing along the ridges of the mountains, call us ...

... flare for his "clientele." Odd mix of locals, drunks, tourists. Lots of guys on motorcycle tours. We departed Dawson City at 9pm, followed the Klondike Highway and landed Whitehorse at midnight. Contacted approach 30 miles out, got "report Lake Laberge south". At Laberge south, received a 20 mile straight in clearance to land into Whitehorse. Dave actually caught the sunset after we landed.