Whitehorse is the capital of the Yukon Territory and was built on the west bank of the upper reaches of the mighty Yukon river. The city is a wonderful mix of pioneer spirit and urban sophistication. Even the modern dweller has to have a little pioneer blood to withstand the winter temperatures which have hit a record -62 degrees!
After getting settled in at The Hi Country RV Park, David and I walked into town. We had to walk part of the way along the main highway into town, named "Robert Service Way". Then we took the paved walkway along the Yukon River.
There are informational displays along the walkway which help bring the local history to life. I learned that the Yukon River is 2000 miles long! It flows northwest from its headwaters near the Yukon Territory-British Columbia border to the Bering Sea. One source said that some 50,000 prospectors followed the Yukon River from Lake Bennett to Dawson City during the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898-1899.
For the most part, a skilled boatsman can navigate the Yukon River relatively easily. However, the river flows through Miles Canyon and there the turbulent waters and the rapids below proved to be the major obstacles on the river. The foaming waves reminded early travelers of tossing horse manes, and hence the name White Horse Rapids, and later, Whitehorse City.
The river walkway ended up at the Klondike paddle wheeler. This is one of the three sternwheelers left from the 250 that served travelers between 1860 until the mid 1950's. The Klondike was the largest of the paddlewheel steamers designed to carry more cargo up and down the Yukon. Usually it made 10-14 trips each summer, and on its last trip upriver it brought winter supplies. The Klondike overwintered in Whitehorse with the other ships. They were frozen in by mid-October and stayed that way for seven months!
David and I wandered around town. We visited a bookstore, took a picture of Starbucks, bought tickets for The Frantic Follies vaudeville show, and checked out the bus station so we could catch a ride back to the RV park after the show. It was fun to be in a busy town for awhile, and take in the sights.
For supper we went to The Klondike Rib and Salmon BBQ. It is such a popular restaurant that there are benches along two sides of the building where people can sit and wait for their names to be called. We split a dinner of baby back ribs and washed it down with some locally brewed Yukon Red beer....advertised as "the only beer worth freezing for".
And, for desert we splurged on the house specialty, bumbleberry pie a' al mode. Actually this seems to be a Yukon specialty that mixes together blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and rhubarb. It's yummy.
We stayed in Whitehorse for five days so we both could get our Blogs set up on the computer. That proved to be challenging for both of us. However, it will add another dimension to our travels and we think it will enrich our experiences as we go along.
For another perspective on our travels check out David's Blog at:
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