TRAVELOGUES – DAY EIGHT – JULY 7th – DAWSON CITY TO TOK
HOLLAND AMERICA MS VOLENDAM
13 DAY CRUISE/TOUR
“NORTH TO ALASKA”
The Holland America motor coaches have all been designed to carry only 44 passengers now as opposed to a standard motor coach that carriers 52. This is definitely the difference between flying coach and first class as far as space in your seat and leg room. These coaches have all leather interiors and are extremely comfortable.
This definitely was a nice feature on today’s long ride to the interior of Alaska from Dawson City to Tok. Our day actually started, however, on a catamaran ride on the Yukon Queen II on the Yukon River. We boarded our boat early in the morning before 9:00 a.m. for a three hour ride up the Yukon River. We passed the paddle wheel graveyard where several turn of the century paddle wheel boats were broken up in the swirling currents of the Yukon and went aground; we passed the Athabascan native village of Moose Hide; the mouth of the Forty Mile River; Old Lady Rock and Shipwreck Rock.
As with all of the other scenery we have passed in Alaska so far, this was no less spectacular and majestic than any other. There were small rivers and tributaries around every turn in the river. The banks of the river were dramatic granite cliffs and then meadows of beautiful green. We did see one moose along the river bank near the home of a year round resident on the river; but the noise of the boat engine scared it off and it quickly ran into the woods. Many of us stayed out on the back deck in hopes of catching a glimpse of more wildlife; but that was all we saw.
The crew of the Yukon Queen served us a nice sandwich for lunch along with tea or coffee to drink before we reached our destination on the river of Eagle, Alaska. Eagle is a small town on the river where we were able to get out and walk around for about an hour as our luggage was transferred from the boat to our new motor ¬coach. The Eagle “Mall” was a series of banquet size plastic tables set up under tarps alongside the dirt road; and the local women were selling their jewelry and handmade items to those who wanted something “authentic” Alaskan. In the small white Court House, the school children put on a mock trial; and some of our passengers played roles of the villain and the judge.
We walked down to the Visitors Center and around the town to take it some local flavor and get a feel of what life in Eagle is like. It seems to be a simple life. One elderly resident was sitting on the front porch of his cabin as we were all walking around. We waved to him as we walked by and he waved back while rocking in his chair. He looked much like Santa Claus with a big round belly and a beard of white.
The most intensive driving of our trip started in Eagle as we began an eight hour trek across the Wrangle, St. Elias Mountain Range to Tok, Alaska. We passed mile after mile of burnt forest with breathtaking patches of brilliant magenta fireweed being the first thing to grow back after the devastation. It was a surreal landscape to see. Tree trunks that resembled black pipe cleaners stuck out of the ground every few feet, charred black from the fire. But on the ground was green grass growing and the breathtaking Alaska fireweed. I cannot tell you how many miles of forest we passed that was like this, but it went on for hours.
At times we paralleled the Tenana River and the American River. The road was rough as it was not paved at all and full of large potholes in many spots. We had to have a pilot truck ahead of us about ¼ mile with a sign on the front telling oncoming motorists that the pilot truck was being followed by two motor coaches. We bounced and were jostled about for about 8 hours.
We did have a couple of stops along our long journey into Alaska. One of the funniest was “Chicken”. Yes, there is a town called “Chicken” in Alaska. It was actually a large gold mining area and the remnants of the old gold dredge are still there on site. Along with the dredge however, we three buildings for tourists – a gift shop, a bar and a bakery. We were told that the chili and the homemade chicken noodle soup were the best – so we opted for a cup of chili before we got back on the road for another three hours. As we left town, the tour guide made sure we all used the restroom facilities – better known in Chicken as the “Chicken Poop”. They have a university here called Kluck U; and their airport is known as the Chicken Strip.
It was a very long day to say the least. The skies were blue with a few spotted clouds and the temperature was beginning to rise the further north we traveled. We eventually found the end of the Taylor Highway and began driving on pavement when we reached the Alkan Highway.
We finally arrived in Tok after 8:00 last night and everyone headed over to the hotel restaurant because we heard they had some delicious Mexican food and margaritas. And after that day of travel, we all really could quench our thirst on a delicious Margarita. After dinner we headed back to our room and organized our luggage a little, took a shower and hit the hay. It had been a long day. And, tomorrow we still have more motor coach travel from Tok to Fairbanks – although it will not be as much! Yeah!
Till then…
Showing posts with label Dawson City. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dawson City. Show all posts
Friday, July 9, 2010
DAY SEVEN - TRAVELOGUES NORTH TO ALASKA - DAWSON CITY
TRAVELOGUES – DAY SEVEN – JULY 6TH – DAWSON CITY
HOLLAND AMERICA MS VOLENDAM
13 DAY CRUISE/TOUR
“NORTH TO ALASKA”
With unpaved streets and wood sidewalks, Dawson City is definitely going to make you feel like you are back in the Gold Rush in 1898. Many of the original buildings from that time are still standing and part of the Unesco Heritage Site. They each have a green steel plaque on the front telling about the building which makes them easy to identify.
Dawson City “proper” is actually about 12 miles from Bonanza Creek and the original Discovery Claim when George Carmack found gold.
We have had perfect weather except for one downpour here in Dawson City when we arrived here. This morning we enjoyed a leisurely morning and enjoyed being able to sleep in a bit. There was a small coffee pot in our room which was nice and convenient to help start our day.
When we left the hotel, we walked down the dirt road about 5 blocks down to the Klondike Trail along the waters’ edge of the Yukon River and the Klondike River. The two rivers meet here and merge to become the Yukon. The waters of the Yukon are brown and cloudy (almost muddy looking) with glacial silt. The Klondike River is fresh water that started from the top of the Olgilvie Mountain Range. When the two waters meet, there is a definite distinction when looking at the river once it has merged; and it is not until about a half a mile downstream when they waters have finally merged that they actually become one.
Along the river, there is a beautiful wooden sidewalk with wildflowers and the beautiful Alaska fireweed on both side of the sidewalk. Further down the sidewalk and down about six steps made of railroad ties that are grey with weather, we found a bronze memorial statue dedicated to the miners. There were also three huge quartz boulders over three feet in diameter with bronze plaques dedicated to George Dawson, Mr. Olgivie and Mr. McQueston who were the surveyors during the turn of the century.
At 12:30, we met our group of fellow river floaters for our journey down the Klondike River. We put our red safety vests on and then did the “sit and spin” to get into our yellow and grey raft. The Klondike River meanders and winds through pile after pile of “tailings” (huge piles of rocks that have gone through the gold dredge and been sifted from one end and out the other in hopes of finding gold). There are tailing piles for miles and miles and miles. What is interesting is that because this is now a Unesco Heritage Site, no one can touch the tailings to look for more gold, even though they are sure it is there. The gold dredges would throw out anything larger than the size of a quarter – so the chances of some pretty good sized nuggets still being buried in those piles is very good.
There were 9 passengers on our raft and Mike L. as our guide. He was from Quebec and is a hospitality and tourism major. He had a very lean build with light brown hair as long as his neck but covered neatly under his wide brimmed hat. He looked as if he had not shaved for a day or so and had the beginnings of a scruffy beard and mustache. He was a very good looking young man with a beautiful smile. He spoke with a heavy ?French accent.
We slowly floated down river in the Class 1 rapids (not rapids – more like ripples). We were greeted by several young eagles as they stood on the driftwood at the edge of the river and watched us pass. They will be continue to have all brown feathers for four years until they reach maturity and will shed those feathers and they will then graduate proudly with their white heads.
We passed by Bonanza Creek where the gold was discovered some 10 miles up river from where it meets the Klondike.
This float trip took us out to the mouth of the Klondike River where it meets the Yukon. We passed by several old relic gold dredge buckets that were just laying on the shore of the river rusting away. They will stay there as no one can remove them now. We also passed a river house that is owned by a Canadian gentleman who rents it out for the summer. The shack is so small, you cannot imagine anyone living in there for the summer. It appears to only be about 6 ft. by 6 ft. It has a very small deck on the back of it.
The Yukon River completely freezes over in the winter; and the local residents here just drive on it to get from point A to point B in the snowmobiles.
Tonight for dinner we had the best dinner of our trip. We ate at the Drunken Goat. As odd as it sounds, it is a fabulous Greek restaurant on Main Street in Dawson City. We enjoyed dinner with two other couples from the group. We each enjoyed the combination plate that included grilled shrimp, lamb chops, chicken and ribs along with rice pilaf, spanikopita and tatioli (which was a five cheese filo dough pastry), along with pita bread. It was the most delicious dinner we’ve had on the trip so far. It would be hard to beat this. Good food and good company. A fabulous way to end another day of our adventure.
Tomorrow we are off to Tok and further into the interior. Till then…
HOLLAND AMERICA MS VOLENDAM
13 DAY CRUISE/TOUR
“NORTH TO ALASKA”
With unpaved streets and wood sidewalks, Dawson City is definitely going to make you feel like you are back in the Gold Rush in 1898. Many of the original buildings from that time are still standing and part of the Unesco Heritage Site. They each have a green steel plaque on the front telling about the building which makes them easy to identify.
Dawson City “proper” is actually about 12 miles from Bonanza Creek and the original Discovery Claim when George Carmack found gold.
We have had perfect weather except for one downpour here in Dawson City when we arrived here. This morning we enjoyed a leisurely morning and enjoyed being able to sleep in a bit. There was a small coffee pot in our room which was nice and convenient to help start our day.
When we left the hotel, we walked down the dirt road about 5 blocks down to the Klondike Trail along the waters’ edge of the Yukon River and the Klondike River. The two rivers meet here and merge to become the Yukon. The waters of the Yukon are brown and cloudy (almost muddy looking) with glacial silt. The Klondike River is fresh water that started from the top of the Olgilvie Mountain Range. When the two waters meet, there is a definite distinction when looking at the river once it has merged; and it is not until about a half a mile downstream when they waters have finally merged that they actually become one.
Along the river, there is a beautiful wooden sidewalk with wildflowers and the beautiful Alaska fireweed on both side of the sidewalk. Further down the sidewalk and down about six steps made of railroad ties that are grey with weather, we found a bronze memorial statue dedicated to the miners. There were also three huge quartz boulders over three feet in diameter with bronze plaques dedicated to George Dawson, Mr. Olgivie and Mr. McQueston who were the surveyors during the turn of the century.
At 12:30, we met our group of fellow river floaters for our journey down the Klondike River. We put our red safety vests on and then did the “sit and spin” to get into our yellow and grey raft. The Klondike River meanders and winds through pile after pile of “tailings” (huge piles of rocks that have gone through the gold dredge and been sifted from one end and out the other in hopes of finding gold). There are tailing piles for miles and miles and miles. What is interesting is that because this is now a Unesco Heritage Site, no one can touch the tailings to look for more gold, even though they are sure it is there. The gold dredges would throw out anything larger than the size of a quarter – so the chances of some pretty good sized nuggets still being buried in those piles is very good.
There were 9 passengers on our raft and Mike L. as our guide. He was from Quebec and is a hospitality and tourism major. He had a very lean build with light brown hair as long as his neck but covered neatly under his wide brimmed hat. He looked as if he had not shaved for a day or so and had the beginnings of a scruffy beard and mustache. He was a very good looking young man with a beautiful smile. He spoke with a heavy ?French accent.
We slowly floated down river in the Class 1 rapids (not rapids – more like ripples). We were greeted by several young eagles as they stood on the driftwood at the edge of the river and watched us pass. They will be continue to have all brown feathers for four years until they reach maturity and will shed those feathers and they will then graduate proudly with their white heads.
We passed by Bonanza Creek where the gold was discovered some 10 miles up river from where it meets the Klondike.
This float trip took us out to the mouth of the Klondike River where it meets the Yukon. We passed by several old relic gold dredge buckets that were just laying on the shore of the river rusting away. They will stay there as no one can remove them now. We also passed a river house that is owned by a Canadian gentleman who rents it out for the summer. The shack is so small, you cannot imagine anyone living in there for the summer. It appears to only be about 6 ft. by 6 ft. It has a very small deck on the back of it.
The Yukon River completely freezes over in the winter; and the local residents here just drive on it to get from point A to point B in the snowmobiles.
Tonight for dinner we had the best dinner of our trip. We ate at the Drunken Goat. As odd as it sounds, it is a fabulous Greek restaurant on Main Street in Dawson City. We enjoyed dinner with two other couples from the group. We each enjoyed the combination plate that included grilled shrimp, lamb chops, chicken and ribs along with rice pilaf, spanikopita and tatioli (which was a five cheese filo dough pastry), along with pita bread. It was the most delicious dinner we’ve had on the trip so far. It would be hard to beat this. Good food and good company. A fabulous way to end another day of our adventure.
Tomorrow we are off to Tok and further into the interior. Till then…
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
DAY SIX - TRAVELOGUES NORTH TO ALASKA - HAPPY 4TH OF JULY - WHITE HORSE TO DAWSON CITY
TRAVELOGUES – DAY SIX – JULY 5TH – WHITE HORSE TO DAWSON CITY
HOLLAND AMERICA MS VOLENDAM
13 DAY CRUISE/TOUR
“NORTH TO ALASKA”
Another early morning for us from White Horse. We had to board our motor coach at 8:00 a.m. so before we did that we walked down two blocks to a Tom Horton’s to grab some breakfast and then went across the street to Starbucks for that first cup of coffee of the day to get us going. White Horse has a population of 23,000 people and is the capital of the Yukon Territory. White Horse was a big port in “the day”.
When gold was discovered in Dawson City by George Carmack news quickly flew about Gold! Gold! Gold! And the rush was on.
We departed from the hotel on the plush motor coach furnished by Holland America and passed the large white paddle wheeler, The Klondike. This was one of the only ways to get from Skagway to Whitehorse back in the Gold Rush Days. The Klondike was built in 1898 and is now a museum. We traveled along the Alaska Highway for about 20 miles to the intersection of the Klondike Highway. The Yukon River is 2,200 miles long and flows south to north and empties into the Bering Sea. The Raven is the territorial bird of the Yukon. In White Horse, they experience 6-7 hours of daylight in the winter months and 21 hours of daylight on the longest day of the year, June 21st.
Skagway was the gateway to the Klondike. The trek from Skagway began with your first destination of Whitehorse and then ultimately to Dawson City. By the time the prospectors and hopeful gold miners finally had traveled all of the trails, they would have traveled over 600 miles in all.
100,000 came through Skagway – men and women alike. Their either climbed up the Chilkoot Trail or the White Pass Trail. They say that no matter which one you decided to take, you always wished you had taken the other trail. The “Chilkoot” means the “meanest trail”. Schools do not have snow days but they have “bear” days. When the grizzlies decide to come visit, the parents keep the kids home.
We crossed the Tahini River which was very reminiscent of driving through the mountains in northern California with a two lane road with gravel and dirt shoulders and about 209 feet off the road begins the forest. We learned that when there happens to be a forest fire up here, they let it burn They do not fight it unless it is threatening homes.
This has been the first time that we have seen the famous Alaska fireweed. It is about two feet tall with delicate magenta colored flowers at the top. It is fully edible and the first flower to grow back after a fire. Then the birch, aspen and cottonwoods return and then the pine trees.
We stopped at the Braeburn Lodge for the largest cinnamon rolls made in the Yukon Territory. These humongous rolls are at least 2-3” tall and are at least 8 or more inches in diameter. The Braeburn Lodge is a small log cabin wit a large front deck with hanging baskets full of purple and pink petunias and small pansies.
Animals that you will find in the Yukon include elk, moose, raven, black bear and grizzly bears. Polar Bears are only about 100 miles north of Dawson City and are the most violent.
Holland America is not letting us go hungry by any means. We have a stop every two hours. Today’s lunch stop was at Carmacks – another small village along the highway We had lunch at the Hotel Carmacks – a rich tomato base, turkey vegetable rice soup with our choice of sandwich. I opted for the veggie wrap which was in a green tortilla with only lettuce and cucumber inside – not the best choice taste wise. I would have enjoyed a salad more.
The Hotel is a wooden structure painted in a light blue base with white trim. There was actually a little mini-mart near the front where they had a good supply of goods offered for the travelers that stop by.
After our tummies were all full, we headed out again down the highway and across a new steel bridge over the Yukon River.
We had a picture stop at Five Finger Rapids about half an hour after lunch. Originally there were four islands in this very narrow channel which made navigating through the rapids quite a challenge in the old paddle wheel boats and other boats the prospectors had built for the journey. Now, there are only two islands and three fingers of the river – but it is still a dangerous area to pass through and quite a challenge in any boat.
Looking across the valley out the window of our motor coach I saw a beautiful forest that appeared to look much like a gorgeous green patchwork quilt of every color of green against the rolling hills. The groves of birch trees or cedar trees stood out against the darker pines and so thick that it looked smooth as if sewn together like a quilt.
The Yukon River meandered through the low meadows. As we continued on, every once in a while we would see more evidence of forest fires. Though there was much evidence of mew growth on the forest floor, the evidence of the fires was obvious with the dark, burned barren tree trunks standing tall but with no branches – just like sticks stuck in the ground. There were also many areas where the trees had fallen and the trunks were laying on the floor of the forest next to each other, grey from the weather.
All along the highway there are signs for campgrounds for those being adventurous and driving through this magnificent area. There are small road stops with a one-pump gas station if you are in need of gasoline. Gasoline is quite expensive here at about $1.18 per liter which computes into about $5.00 per gallon in the US. Ouch!
The closer we got to Dawson City, I noticed yet another change in the landscape. The thick forest changed to groves of birch and cedar trees with their branches gently moving in the wind. Their white trunks are straight and tall and they have an umbrella of leaves on their top branches of a light grayish green color.
Dawson City was where the original gold was found that started the stampede to the Yukon in 1898. George Carmack staked his claim on August 16, 1898 at “Discovery Claim” in the Klondike River Valley. As soon as news spread about the gold discovery, Dawson City saw an influx of thousands. The Gold Rush lasted only a couple of years, but the legend will live forever. It is said that there is still a lot of gold in them thar’ hills. Of the 100,000 who trekked over the mountains, only about 30,000 actually made it to Dawson City.
Our afternoon stop about 2:30 was at Moose Creek Lodge – just a little roadside log cabin painted red. Their claim to fame is their homemade tarts. We tasted a raspberry one – and they ARE very tart.
Tintina Trench was our final picture stop of the day. It is a fault line in a glorious valley of spectacular panoramic views of the majestic mountains and valleys of the Yukon Territory. It is 45 miles from here to Dawson City.
The forest has now changed once again to pines that are only one straight truck up standing tall with no branches. The highway is lined with patches of bright pink wild sweet peas that grow to about 6 inches tall and are not edible. The landscape seems to change at almost every turn, and it is more beautiful than the last one. The sky is so blue it is incredible. The skies have cleared with only a few puffy white clouds dotting it making it look even much deeper blue.
One of the other things that we have been able to experience first-hand on this trip is the infamous Alaska mosquito. They are about ½ inch long and unfortunately several have decided my forehead is a nice place to have a little snack. They are pesky little creatures.
We enjoyed dinner last night a Sourdough Joe’s for fish and chips. I had grilled salmon and Jim had the cod. We ate with two other couples from our group and enjoyed getting to know everyone a little more.
After that, Jim decided to partake in the infamous “Sour Toe” drink at the Gold Rush Hotel. Honestly, I thought it was gross and disgusting – but there were actually seven people from our group that got in on the festivities. They have this big ceremony and if you put this frost bitten toe in your shot of Yukon Jack you have to drink it and the toe has to touch your lips. Jim has his certificate along with the others.
Once that was over, we walked outside and the sun was shining high in the sky, not a cloud in the sky and it was 10:30 p.m.!! Such is the land of the midnight sun! Tomorrow we actually get to sleep in and we will enjoy that! We have a small coffee pot in our room – which we will also enjoy while we are getting ready. There are “black out” curtains on our windows, so when we shut them, literally no light comes through and it is easy to get to sleep.
Talk to you tomorrow!
HOLLAND AMERICA MS VOLENDAM
13 DAY CRUISE/TOUR
“NORTH TO ALASKA”
Another early morning for us from White Horse. We had to board our motor coach at 8:00 a.m. so before we did that we walked down two blocks to a Tom Horton’s to grab some breakfast and then went across the street to Starbucks for that first cup of coffee of the day to get us going. White Horse has a population of 23,000 people and is the capital of the Yukon Territory. White Horse was a big port in “the day”.
When gold was discovered in Dawson City by George Carmack news quickly flew about Gold! Gold! Gold! And the rush was on.
We departed from the hotel on the plush motor coach furnished by Holland America and passed the large white paddle wheeler, The Klondike. This was one of the only ways to get from Skagway to Whitehorse back in the Gold Rush Days. The Klondike was built in 1898 and is now a museum. We traveled along the Alaska Highway for about 20 miles to the intersection of the Klondike Highway. The Yukon River is 2,200 miles long and flows south to north and empties into the Bering Sea. The Raven is the territorial bird of the Yukon. In White Horse, they experience 6-7 hours of daylight in the winter months and 21 hours of daylight on the longest day of the year, June 21st.
Skagway was the gateway to the Klondike. The trek from Skagway began with your first destination of Whitehorse and then ultimately to Dawson City. By the time the prospectors and hopeful gold miners finally had traveled all of the trails, they would have traveled over 600 miles in all.
100,000 came through Skagway – men and women alike. Their either climbed up the Chilkoot Trail or the White Pass Trail. They say that no matter which one you decided to take, you always wished you had taken the other trail. The “Chilkoot” means the “meanest trail”. Schools do not have snow days but they have “bear” days. When the grizzlies decide to come visit, the parents keep the kids home.
We crossed the Tahini River which was very reminiscent of driving through the mountains in northern California with a two lane road with gravel and dirt shoulders and about 209 feet off the road begins the forest. We learned that when there happens to be a forest fire up here, they let it burn They do not fight it unless it is threatening homes.
This has been the first time that we have seen the famous Alaska fireweed. It is about two feet tall with delicate magenta colored flowers at the top. It is fully edible and the first flower to grow back after a fire. Then the birch, aspen and cottonwoods return and then the pine trees.
We stopped at the Braeburn Lodge for the largest cinnamon rolls made in the Yukon Territory. These humongous rolls are at least 2-3” tall and are at least 8 or more inches in diameter. The Braeburn Lodge is a small log cabin wit a large front deck with hanging baskets full of purple and pink petunias and small pansies.
Animals that you will find in the Yukon include elk, moose, raven, black bear and grizzly bears. Polar Bears are only about 100 miles north of Dawson City and are the most violent.
Holland America is not letting us go hungry by any means. We have a stop every two hours. Today’s lunch stop was at Carmacks – another small village along the highway We had lunch at the Hotel Carmacks – a rich tomato base, turkey vegetable rice soup with our choice of sandwich. I opted for the veggie wrap which was in a green tortilla with only lettuce and cucumber inside – not the best choice taste wise. I would have enjoyed a salad more.
The Hotel is a wooden structure painted in a light blue base with white trim. There was actually a little mini-mart near the front where they had a good supply of goods offered for the travelers that stop by.
After our tummies were all full, we headed out again down the highway and across a new steel bridge over the Yukon River.
We had a picture stop at Five Finger Rapids about half an hour after lunch. Originally there were four islands in this very narrow channel which made navigating through the rapids quite a challenge in the old paddle wheel boats and other boats the prospectors had built for the journey. Now, there are only two islands and three fingers of the river – but it is still a dangerous area to pass through and quite a challenge in any boat.
Looking across the valley out the window of our motor coach I saw a beautiful forest that appeared to look much like a gorgeous green patchwork quilt of every color of green against the rolling hills. The groves of birch trees or cedar trees stood out against the darker pines and so thick that it looked smooth as if sewn together like a quilt.
The Yukon River meandered through the low meadows. As we continued on, every once in a while we would see more evidence of forest fires. Though there was much evidence of mew growth on the forest floor, the evidence of the fires was obvious with the dark, burned barren tree trunks standing tall but with no branches – just like sticks stuck in the ground. There were also many areas where the trees had fallen and the trunks were laying on the floor of the forest next to each other, grey from the weather.
All along the highway there are signs for campgrounds for those being adventurous and driving through this magnificent area. There are small road stops with a one-pump gas station if you are in need of gasoline. Gasoline is quite expensive here at about $1.18 per liter which computes into about $5.00 per gallon in the US. Ouch!
The closer we got to Dawson City, I noticed yet another change in the landscape. The thick forest changed to groves of birch and cedar trees with their branches gently moving in the wind. Their white trunks are straight and tall and they have an umbrella of leaves on their top branches of a light grayish green color.
Dawson City was where the original gold was found that started the stampede to the Yukon in 1898. George Carmack staked his claim on August 16, 1898 at “Discovery Claim” in the Klondike River Valley. As soon as news spread about the gold discovery, Dawson City saw an influx of thousands. The Gold Rush lasted only a couple of years, but the legend will live forever. It is said that there is still a lot of gold in them thar’ hills. Of the 100,000 who trekked over the mountains, only about 30,000 actually made it to Dawson City.
Our afternoon stop about 2:30 was at Moose Creek Lodge – just a little roadside log cabin painted red. Their claim to fame is their homemade tarts. We tasted a raspberry one – and they ARE very tart.
Tintina Trench was our final picture stop of the day. It is a fault line in a glorious valley of spectacular panoramic views of the majestic mountains and valleys of the Yukon Territory. It is 45 miles from here to Dawson City.
The forest has now changed once again to pines that are only one straight truck up standing tall with no branches. The highway is lined with patches of bright pink wild sweet peas that grow to about 6 inches tall and are not edible. The landscape seems to change at almost every turn, and it is more beautiful than the last one. The sky is so blue it is incredible. The skies have cleared with only a few puffy white clouds dotting it making it look even much deeper blue.
One of the other things that we have been able to experience first-hand on this trip is the infamous Alaska mosquito. They are about ½ inch long and unfortunately several have decided my forehead is a nice place to have a little snack. They are pesky little creatures.
We enjoyed dinner last night a Sourdough Joe’s for fish and chips. I had grilled salmon and Jim had the cod. We ate with two other couples from our group and enjoyed getting to know everyone a little more.
After that, Jim decided to partake in the infamous “Sour Toe” drink at the Gold Rush Hotel. Honestly, I thought it was gross and disgusting – but there were actually seven people from our group that got in on the festivities. They have this big ceremony and if you put this frost bitten toe in your shot of Yukon Jack you have to drink it and the toe has to touch your lips. Jim has his certificate along with the others.
Once that was over, we walked outside and the sun was shining high in the sky, not a cloud in the sky and it was 10:30 p.m.!! Such is the land of the midnight sun! Tomorrow we actually get to sleep in and we will enjoy that! We have a small coffee pot in our room – which we will also enjoy while we are getting ready. There are “black out” curtains on our windows, so when we shut them, literally no light comes through and it is easy to get to sleep.
Talk to you tomorrow!
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