cabackroads destination--Dawson City, Yukon, Canada

cabackroads destination--Dawson City, Yukon, Canada

Augusst 18, 2016

I am not sure where Sgt. Preston and his dog were stationed but it might have been Dawson City!

Dawson City was on the list for this trip.

The Yukon resonated with American's in the early 1900's. Between 1896 and 1899 100,000 people migrated to the Kondike to find their fame and fortune. I suspect it was the poems of Robert Service and the books by Jack London that forever made Dawson City part of America as well as Canada folklore. I did enjoy the Call of the Wild in high school English class.  In the 1950's Sgt. Preston was on the radio and TV screens. Even on the country and western charts the song Saginaw, Michigan by Lefty Frizzell had the Klondyke as a major theme.

The good news was that Dawson City, Yukon lived up to all the hype. Half the town is run by Parks Canada and the other half is still a working, living town. A great place to spend a couple of days. Bicycles are perfect for getting around town as most of the town is mostly flat.

So with the pictures....the question is Parks Canada or current Dawson City?? This is  neat Camera Obscura since you walk in for the view. More info here.....http://kiac.ca/cameraobscura. This one goes to Parks Canada.

CIBC bank centre. Yeah, I know Canadians cannot spell. This was my bank when I lived in Canada. The choices were between the Bank of Nova Scotia and CIBC. Back in the 70's CIBC was rather proud of their IMPERIAL past. So on my checks it was the Canadian IMPERIAL Bank of Commerce. As a UC Berkeley grad I could not pass the opportunity to use a IMPERIAL bank to impress my friends. Yeah, I banked with Wells Fargo in the 70's for the same reason. These days it is ALL credit unions. So this is working, living town.

The next one is easy. But I loved the false front. Working, living town.

I assume this is Parks Canada. Hopefully in the near future it will be "square".

An easy one. Living and working town. Notice the ads for Carthart and Leatherman.

Robert Service interpretative sign and cabin. Parks Canada. Notice the caribou rack on top of the cabin. A "required" decorating item throughout the Yukon and Alaska. I do believe the local HOA's insist on the caribou rack. Parks Canada.

Next picture....well this is easy. Working and living town grocery store.

and then.................

Then that fellow Jack London's digs. We are also back to Parks Canada.

Finally right on the shore of the Yukon River...Parks Canada. Next to the ship is a memorial to the sinking of the Princess Sophia. Here is the complete story that you can read: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0912006501/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=yukonalaskacom&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=0912006501

The memorial lists all the dead including their purchased ticket....first class or second class. Imagine you decide to save some money on a trip and purchase a second class ticket. Then for the rest of time along the banks of the Yukon a memorial with your name and the fact you purchased a "second class" ticket. It was interesting reading the names and determining the social structure in Dawson City, 1918.

Canada these days is a much more civilized country. So much so that the citizens ask for their property back from thieves.

Here is the RV campground in town. I stayed on the "other" side of the river in a Yukon Campground. I would stay in town next time. As noted earlier, bring you bicycle for around town exploring.

The Yukon River and Dawson City are linked forever. Dawson City a great stop along the Canadian backroads. Well worth the day's drive from Whitehorse or approach from the Top of the World Highway. A high point along the 6750 mile trip.

usbackroads destination--Top of the World Highway, Chicken, Alaska

usbackroads destination--Top of the World Highway, Chicken, Alaska

travel date--August 17th, 2016

The Dead Dog Pull-Out was a great spot that just happened. I was sure that the stretch of road to Chicken, Alaska and then beyond to the Top of World Highway would be the icing on the cake. There were long stretches of road on the map with little in map detail.
I was thinking that the road would be great and Chicken was just a bump in the road.

Chicken, Alaska is really cool. The road there, no so much. As you can see by the picture it is pleasant, but very similar mile after mile. For some reason the Bureau of Land Management decided that this part of Alaska was prone to overuse and limits overnight camping to designated campgrounds. Really?? You really need to invite friends for the trip for company!!

Chicken, Alaska was really cool. Yeah, there is a big chicken in town. These might not be SST toilets, but they were clean and get the job done.

There is a huge dredge right in the middle of town. A relic from the mining days. There are a few stores in town, two fuel pumps and a great bakery bookstore.

Chicken, Alaska is a great place. And it is a very hard place to ruffle anybodies feathers in town, particularly the Chickens!

The road from Chicken to the Top of the World highway is primarily dirt and wanders for hours. It is not that long in miles, but takes forever it seems. I got paid for driving roads like this. It was ok, on vacation, but I was not thrilled. Here is the cut-off to Eagle. You can see the condition of the road.  Pretty good, but mostly dirt. I drove it in dry weather under almost perfect conditions. It would be less fun if it was raining.

The road in Canada is much better and the road pulls out of the river valleys and up on the ridge.

The views go on and on, but no jagged or snow-capped peaks to grab your attention.

If you are into natural resource management the area is part of one of the most famous Caribou herds in the world. Click on the photo to enlarge and read the text.

There are pull-outs along the route. The Ram and Casita look pretty comfortable particularly next to the motocycles.

It was a long drive. Would I do it again?? Probably not. There are more scenic and interesting places to spend your time. Dawson City for one. That is the subject of the next posting.