August 28 We were up early to make the drive to Dawson City, Yukon. It has sprinkled some during the night. The temperature was in the mid-40ºs. As we were hitching up the trailer to the pickup it started to sprinkle again. It would rain on us all the way to Chicken.
We left Tok and the Tok Cutoff Highway and proceeded east about 12 miles where we turned onto the Taylor Highway which is a new road to us. It is an asphalt road in reasonably good shape. It took us in a generally northerly direction to the old town of Chicken, reputably so named because the early settlers did not know how to spell ptarmigan (believe it or not).
As typical the road had its potholes and frost heaves as attested too by the firewood that must have been pitched off the carrier on the back of an motorhome that we had met earlier. We saw logs on the road for quite a long stretch. However, we made it to Chicken without any mention of incidents.
Always heeding the fill up your tank when you have the opportunity I did so while Peggy scouted the gift store. After getting fuel we walked the town to other shops, taking pictures of some of the local “art projects” and a mining dredge. We made a few purchases, and then went back up the hill to the cafe where we had parked as they advertised cinnamon rolls. I got white frosting and Peggy had caramel frosting. And as we have come to expect in these northlands, the rolls were huge. We ate about half and took the rest for tomorrow.
We decided that so far of the northland cinnamon rolls we’ve had that the Shepard’s Inn rolls we had back in was it British Columbia on the way up are the best so far. But maybe it was because we had the cutest waitress there??
We continued now in a more northeasterly direction on a road now made up of hard packed gravel with some intermittent re-graveling and grading . Eventually we came to a fork in the road- go left and the Taylor takes you up to Eagle, AK. Go right and you are now on the Top of the World Highway to Dawson, YK. We stayed to the the right.
The first leg of the gravel Top of the World is under construction. New rock and gravel is being laid down to improve and widen the road. The worst parts were where they had put down what looked to be 2” sized rushed rock. The rock was loose and forced to you go about 10 MPH or risk beating your vehicles to death. However, we were in no hurry and construction during the summer is a way of life here as they have such a short season to get the work done.
We then came to the US/Canada border. The Canadian border guard came out to “greet us”. It was either a bad day for him, or he is totally bored with his job as he spoke in a monotone voice and made little eye contact. After the “got a gun”, “where you going”, “why”, and “for how long” questions, he returned our passports and waved us on. Never asked about how much alcohol we had or if we had more than $10,000 cash with us. We were now in the Pacific Daylight Saving time zone.
The Top of the World now is asphalt in the Yukon for much of its length to Dawson. There are sections that are gravel but all in all the road is in fairly good shape considering it is a unique highway that follows mountain ridges. And the views are fantastic. You truly are on top of the world. Every direction you look you can see other mountains and mountain ranges. I only wish it would have been a clear day as the views would not have had that hazy look. And it was off and on raining for about half the drive towards Dawson.
We did find a pull off to stop and walk, stretch, and take some photos. After spending some time relaxing and using the onboard facilities it was time to get back on the road. However, this “pull out” I had selected was nothing more than a small area for dry camping. So I had to back our trailer out and back onto the highway. It’s always an adventure!
The rest of the drive to Dawson was quite scenic as we had found it to be previously. The traffic was very sparce unlike the Taylor where we met large tour buses gingerly trying to make there way around narrow curves cut into the side of the mountains.
I knew we were nearing Dawson as there were small billboards advertising various places. We came around a bend and below us was the Yukon River. But the narrow road did not allow for stopping for a photo. As we neared the Yukon we came to the Yukon River Provincial Campground. We found a nice pull through camping site right on the river. It was about 3:45 PM.
There is no bridge over the Yukon River going across to Dawson. But they do have a free, 24 hour a day, ferry! You get in a vehicle line for the ferry by small vehicles, truck and buses, and RVs. Since we left the trailer at the campground we were a small vehicle. We were fourth in our line, with 2 tour buses next to us, and a small motorhome only in the third line.
We the ferry docked those cars drove off and through the use of handheld signs, the ferry workers signal who then drives onboard. The three cars in front of us got on, then one of the buses. The ferry is full and off it goes.
It takes about 15 minutes to go across the river, unload, and then take on new vehicles. But we’d be next in line and the time went quickly. We were loaded and taken across to the to the historic town of Dawson, Yukon!
The look of all the buildings give it a late 1890’s or early 1900’s look. Our first stop is the Dawson’s Visitors Center operated by the Yukon Province. They had good displays of artifacts and relics of the bygone days of the gold rush. I was immediately impressed by the notion that we are at the terminus of the Klondike gold rush. That all those stampeders who made there way through trial and tribulation were coming here! And, we had had the opportunity to see Skagway and Dyea, AK, and the start of the trails leading up to the Chilkoot and White Passes heading north to Dawson.
After we got information and signed up for a walking tour of Dawson, we had the time to walk the streets of Dawson. We took some photos and then happened upon a store we were on a mission to find- the Dawson Hardware Store. Our host and friend in Wasilla, Grant, had been to Dawson on their vacation while we took care of their property. He had found wooden matches that were unique to him, but he hadn’t bought them. So, when he found we were headed to Dawson, he asked if we would get them for him. And we did!!
By this time I had acquired a thirst, and we came to the Jack London Bar and Grill. I wasn’t interested in grill, but the bar was a must. I ordered a pint of a local brew Yukon Gold. That first sip is always tasty. As we sat and took in the surroundings, we decided to get an appetizer plate to tide us over until dinner. Of course that took a second Yukon Gold!
We had signed up at the Visitors Center to take a guided walking tour of Dawson. We would be informed about some of the history of the town and be able to enter several of the old, historic buildings.
We met at the Center and we introduced to Sue, our guide. She was donned in period clothing and did a fantastic job! She was easy to hear, which for me is a giant plus, and kept her conversations lively and funny. We walked from building to building getting insights on the who, how, and why. We even saw “cribs”, small cabins where ladies of the evening stayed when they weren’t on the job. The tour lasted just over 90 minutes.
Peggy had planned for us to go to Diamond Tooth Gerties, a place that has a can-can girls show, Canada’s first casino, and supposedly good food. But the show started at 8:30, and being we were late getting away from the walking tour, postponed going to Gerties until tomorrow night.
We did find a restaurant, Klondike Kate’s, where we ate dinner. The food was good as was the Yukon Gold. After finishing we walked by to our pickup, boarded the ferry and made the very short drive back to the campground were we immediately went to sleep tired but very satisfied at the day’s events.
We had heard from the guide, Sue, that she’d seen Northern Lights the night before. But, as luck would have it, it was overcast when we got back to our campsite.
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