North to Alaska: Whitehorse, Yukon to Haines, AK

From Atlin, BC we went back up Rte 7 to the Alcan and to Whitehorse, Yukon.  We figured we no longer needed a RV dealership, that we would order a toilet to be picked up in Anchorage and that the battery problem could be addressed later.  We now knew for certain that the drain on the batteries was the CPAP but haven't figured out yet how to deal with that problem except for starting up the engine on Maxine to charge the batteries before leaving a place.  So, on we go!

We drove into Whitehorse at the Visitor's Center where we could park Maxine and walked a beautiful path by the Yukon to the downtown.

The Yukon

Totem pole at downtown Whitehorse

The old train station-no longer in operation except for the trolley

Today's trolley

 We took turns having halibut fish and chips at this downtown tavern, The Dirty Northern
Bastard.  Who could resist a place with a name like that?!

They didn't allow dogs on their patio😢

Whitehorse is an old railway town, which now serves as the capitol of the Yukon Territories.  It has a few cute shops and is a good place to get major supplies, but it was not a place we needed to spend alot of time.  We were going to go to a museum downtown but it was raining and we needed to get ourselves and Boo back to Maxine.  We did a little grocery shopping and got in a good walk, then left for The Kluane National Park and camped at Kathleen Lake Provincial Park.  This park was pretty full when we got there.  We got a place within walking distance of the lake and hurried down for a quick walk before it started pouring again.

We decided to head on to Haines the next morning, knowing we would be back again to the Kluane, which is so incredibly beautiful.

The highway to Haines is just breathtaking.  We were oohing and aahing the whole way to Haines.  The Tatshenshini River, which used to be a main trading route between the Tlingits and the Tutshone First Nations is now one of the wildest wilderness trips available.  We saw groups of people getting into rafts to make the 10 day trip through rugged canyons and glacial mountainsides down to the Gulf of Alaska.

This was a very shallow freshwater lake known for their lake trout.

We are seeing so many mountains and glaciers that it is impossible to
keep their names straight.  

Wildflowers are abundant everywhere!

The scenery changes all the time as the clouds and the sun come and go.
We've been lucky so far to have wonderful weather!

We stopped at the Tlingit Cultural Center/Bald Eagle Preserve on the way into Haines.  It was right along the Chilkat River and was a very interesting look at their local artifacts (no pictures allowed).  It wasn't the season (fall for the late salmon run) for the large concentration of bald eagles but we have seen many, many of them on this trip, including in Haines, later on.

Another border crossing outside of Haines-you tend to forget
where you are as you go in and out of AK, BC and the Yukon.

The Chilkat at the Cultural Center

Entrance to the Tlingit Cultural Center

We had a spot picked out to camp, but, even though it was described lovingly in the camp book, it was not for us: just a bunch of RVs lined up in a circle around a manicured lawn with a view of the car wash.  So, we headed straight for the water and ended up at Oceanside RV Park.  It was good for what we needed:  great views, easy access to downtown and other sites, a laundromat and showers.  If I was to do this again, I would camp next time at Chilkat or Chilkoot Rec Areas, preferably Chilkat.

This was our spot.  There were other RVs here but most opted for full
hookups, in the back row.  We opted for dry camping right at the water.

This is a stop on the Alaska Marine Highway Inner Passage.  Alot of Haines
is not happy with the cruise ships, as they change the feel of the small town
dynamic here.  They have certain regulations about what size ship can come
in (not too big) and how often they can come into port (twice a week).

This is the small local harbor.  Check out the gigundo cruise ship in back.

We are decked out for the fourth of July and are having our coffee before
heading up town to the parade.

Everyone in town and almost everyone on the ship was at the parade.  Our campsite was down the road on the left at the
water's edge.

Our little neck of the woods....

Doesn't this little kid look responsible?!

The hammer museum is a big deal in this
town.  We decided to be content seeing the
big hammer and saving the $14.

Dinner was take out from Big Al's.

These ravens woke us up most morning, walking around on our roof and
squawking up a storm.  We couldn't figure out what they were doing here,
but they stayed squaking away right here for about a half an hour!

 That afternoon we drove up along the Chilkat to the lake at the end.  It was so peaceful and beautiful.  The color of the water and the sights just filled my senses.

Dolly Vardens (Dollies) were in season today.

We took a nice walk through the woods before leaving.

A bunch of kids were racing styrofoam kayaks down the river from the lake.

There was a pot luck crab leg dinner at the park.

Met two wonderful young men from Australia and a great lady who I will
call when I get home (from Nederland, of all places)!

The fireworks shows was the longest we've
ever been to.

This is midnight and still a bit light.