WHITEHORSE, YUKON TERRITORY, CANADA – Cell Phones, Internet & Skype here we come!!

We woke up in Teslin with a beautiful view of the bridge, lake and mountains.  Our campsite was right on the shore.  One of the places we marked that we would stay at again if we make a trip back on our own.  The weather was a little clearer, still not very warm but the sun was trying to come out.  We were not the last ones to leave (there was one other still there) but as we had to stop and get gas we still were the last of our rigs on the road.  LOL

Okay, I have heard so much about the “cinnamon rolls” up here.  Everyone has been raving about them.  Bill told me all about them months ago.  No one could remember “the” place where they were the best but it was out there.  The first one the Wagon Master’s wife told us about (Shepherd’s Inn) on the first or second day, we missed somehow.  Oh well.  So several more days go by and no cinnamon rolls.  But as I’m reading the “Milepost” (that’s my job to know what’s coming up) it says “Best Cinnamon Rolls in the World” at the campground ahead.  So….here we go stopping just minutes after we got started.  They were pretty great --- in fact after we ate those we bought two more for the next morning.  Only problem is they had a million raisins in them. (I picked them out).  But I hear there is another “World’s Best” coming up in the next couple days.  I love cinnamon rolls.

We arrived in Whitehorse in time to set up, get organized and meet the group for a “4^th of July “ barbecue in an enclosed building on the campground.  They served steak, potatoes, salad, bread and dessert.  We were expecting hot dogs and hamburgers but steak was ok!! We met back at 7:30 to take a bus to the “Frantic Follies”, a combination of vaudeville slapstick humor, music and can-can girls.  I really didn’t enjoy it much but maybe I was just too tired because several of the group commented on what a great show it was.  I just kept thinking how good it was going to be to get back and crash!!

 The next morning we were to meet at 8:40 AM to catch the bus for a tour of Whitehorse.  We were taken around the outskirts of the city for some views, to the SS Klondike (a steamboat from the early to mid 1900’s which carried everything, including passengers in and out of the area – the only means of transport at that time in this area), the Fish Ladder and Dam (the longest wooden fish ladder in the world for the spawning of the Chinook Salmon) the visitor center for a movie about the area and a tour of downtown Whitehorse and it’s residential areas.  It really was a great tour, we enjoyed the driver and his humorous commentary.

SS KLONDIKE was built in 1929, was the largest vessel on theYukon River and could carry more than 300 tons.  It carried mail, general supplies, passengers and silver lead ore along the 460 mile route between Whitehorse & Dawson City.  It took a whole cord (4' by 4' by 8') of wood an hour to power the engines.  That's a lot of wood!
Incredible technology for back then.  First Class passengers paid $35 one way, Second Class $25.

FIRST CLASS DINING ON THE SS KLONDIKE

SECOND CLASS DINING ON THE SS KLONDIKE















YUKON ENERGY CORPORATION HYDROELECTRIC DAM















THE FISH LADDER BUILT IN 1959 TO PROVIDE ACCESS FOR CHINOOK (KING) SALMON AND OTHER SPECIES ABOVE THE DAM.  LONGEST WOODEN FISH LADDER IN THE WORLD



































The rest of the day was our own.  We had a quick lunch and decided to catch up on laundry.  Not sure if I mentioned but they have $1& $2 coins called Loonies & Toonies.  We never have enough loonies.  The Laundromats and shopping carts (like Aldis, except they only need a quarter) all take loonies.  I like the names, Bill likes the coins.  Anyway we get a better internet signal at the Laundromat so we tried to I-chat (like skype) with Kyle, Megan & Jackson.  It wasn’t a good connection but was still good to see them …. Jackson is learning new things each day, like 1, 2, ahah and punching his fist into his baseball mitt!!  Cute!!  Our time difference did not work with Grayden, Blair & Brynn.

We headed out to do a little souvenir shopping (that didn’t go well..lights went out on this side of the street, but Bill liked the Moose Mountie...didn't get to shop there) then went over to the “Transportation Museum”.  I was sure it would interest Bill and it did, we spent over 1 hour there.  There were all kinds of machines, old vehicles, displays and interesting artifacts and pictures about the conditions of roads and transportation during the mid 1900’s, during the building of the Alcan Highway, the Goldrush, etc.  They had remarkable documentation of the steps in progress from early time to now.  Quite the exhibit.

THIS AIRPLANE DISPLAY OUTSIDE OF THE TRANSPORTATION MUSEUM IS THE LARGEST WEATHERVANE IN THE WORLD. IT ACTUALLY DID A 180 TURN FROM MORNING TO LATE AFTERNOON.  COOL!

After picking up a few groceries to tide us over to the next decent sized town we took a side trip to the Schwatka Lake Miles Canyon and the pedestrian suspension bridge at the bottom of the dam.  You would not believe how incredible a view and the greenish color of the water.  It was freezing cold out there but well worth the extra time and effort in finding it.  Yes, I was nervous on that bridge, it really sways when you walk across it.  Oh yeah, did I mention that here on July 5^th, the high today was in the mid 50’s and really, really windy.  But I prefer this over the 90’s report we are getting from back home.

That's me on the bridge waving to Bill..he said I had to do it to show Jennifer that even though it was "nervousing" I still did it!!

Close up of the above --- Bill wanted to prove it was really me!!

MORE FUN AND BEAUTIFUL SCENES ALONG THE WAY!!!

WE ALSO SAW ALOT OF PEOPLE RIDING BIKES UP AND DOWN THESE ROADS -- I DON'T THINK I WAS THAT TOUGH IN MY 20'S.  ACTUALLY I'M SURE I WASN'T.  I GIVE THEM PROPS!!

Tomorrow is another day of travel, 160 miles to Minto Resorts on the Klondike Highway.  We leave the Alcan Highway for a little while.  But before we leave Whitehorse we need to get an oil change on the Motorhome --- traveled over 5,000 miles on this one!

Pray all of you are doing great!  We are!  We do miss all of you though!!