Whitehorse Capital of Yukon

We spent the day exploring Whitehorse, the capital of the Yukon Territory, founded during the Klondike gold rush We took a tour of one of the famed river steamboats (stern-wheelers or paddleboats) that carried freight and passengers on the Yukon River between Whitehorse and Dawson City to the north. It would take 36 hrs to go down river to Dawson and 80 hrs to go back up to Whitehorse. They burned wood for the stream engine. BIG WOOD. Burning over a cord an hr. there was wood piles along the river were they stooped to reload. 800 pound wheel barrel loads time. Tough guys and strong backs. The infamous Five Fingers Rapids gave even the most experienced captain a run for his money. A very informative film and knowledgeable guide gave us an appreciation for the vigor of these northern people and the history of the SS Klondike and other flat-bottomed riverboats of the time.




The Beringia museum has displays covering the ice age area when this particular area was ice free and home to woolly mammoths and other giant creatures. This is the area where a land bridge connected Alaska and Russia at one time. Hard to believe but very cool to see. My nephews would have a blast here.



All that sight-seeing can make you thirsty, so a visit to the small microbrewery, the Yukon Brewing Company seemed like the thing to do. It is owned and operated by two guys, who do most of the work themselves. They even hand-fill and cap each bottle and can. We tried 5 different varieties of the smoothest beer we’ve ever tasted, served up by a very entertaining young Canadian, “eh?” Too bad they don’t ship to the states.

There are many other sites to see here, but our destination is Alaska, so we’ll catch the rest on our way back if we have the time.