Me and You and a Dog Named Boo: Alaska to Colorado: Dawson City, Yukon

The Yukon truly is "larger than life", as they proclaim in most of their handouts. The extent of the wilderness is mind-boggling. As you can see in the pictures below, there is nothing but Mother Nature in all her forms, and this is only a small part of the Yukon. It seems that every route is a "scenic route". Almost 80% of the Yukon is pristine wilderness: boreal forests, wild rivers and gorgeous lakes! To drive this at the start of fall was a particular treat.

The Last Miles of the Top of the World Highway

The Ferry

I was a little nervous about the ferry and this man made me feel more at ease.
He said that the ferry would be dry docked for the winter in a few days.
Amazingly, the Yukon is already freezing!

The other side-Dawson City

We drove into the mountains above town on the advice of our ferry driver. There was a gorgeous cemetery on top with various areas for town folk, firemen and members of the local government.

The View from the Top-The Dome

I loved this picture of townfolk in the early part of the 1900s who came to the dome for the Solstice!

Danoja Zho Cultural Center

The people of the town seem to be very aware of the importance of keeping the stories, arts and culture of their native people, the Tr'ondek Hwech'n. They lived in this area for thousands of years before the "newcomers came. Their chief, Isaac, lessened the impact on their culture by moving the native people downriver to Moosehide where they can safeguard their culture.

Downtown Dawson City, Yukon

Dawson City seems to have one foot in the past and one in the present. The town has some lovely new buildings which look almost like the Holiday neighborhood in Boulder and some older buildings which are either falling apart or are being refurbished. Thousands of recession-stricken adventurers came here starting the gold rush of '98. Many perished along the way or turned back due to the weather and the wild landscapes. For a brief time, Dawson City was as wild as the landscape and at one time had a population of over 30,000. Brothels, gambling halls and elaborate hotels existed to entertain the fevered explorers, prospectors and entrepreneurs. Today, a little over 2000 people live here. There is a grand European style theatre and dance hall here today named the Palace Grand and many cute shops along the waterfront. The streets are all dirt and are lined with boardwalks.