I promise this is my last post about our Yukon trip – you must be getting tired of reading about it by now! I just wanted to share about some of the other experiences we had while up north.
Canoeing on the Yukon River
Aside from seeing the Northern Lights, I would say the next highlight of our trip was canoeing on the Yukon River. It turns out that a lot of the outdoor activities for tourists start to wind down before Labour Day weekend, which was unfortunate for us because we were in the Yukon from September 2nd to 6th! I started looking into booking this excursion probably about a week in advance, and really struggled to find a company that could take us on a guided canoe trip. Luckily, Kanoe People came through, and we had the opportunity to paddle over 15kms from downtown White Horse to the mouth of the Takhini River. One thing I have to be totally honest about is that I was so busy taking pictures, I did not do much paddling – but, documenting the experience is an important job, right? Fortunately for me, Justin and our tour guide, Jim, managed to keep the boat afloat. Overall, it was a wonderful experience!
Food & Drink Establishments
Here is a quick list of food and drink establishments we checked out and enjoyed while in Whitehorse:
- The Kind Cafe – the turmeric cauliflower bowl was delicious, and so was the turtle bar!
- Alpine Bakery – everything at this bakery was either vegan or vegetarian; loved all the options and would definitely recommend the cinnamon bun!
- Baked Cafe
- Bean North
- Winterlong Brewing – the Stout was delicious!
- Yukon Brewing
- Woodcutter’s Blanket – Bar & Brewery
S.S. Klondike
Unfortunately, the S.S. Klondike was closed for renovations while we were in Whitehorse, but we still got some nice photos of the ship and were able to read (well, Justin was able to read) the information signs outside.
Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs
We took a couple of hours to relax at the Hot Springs while on our trip. If you know me, you will know that I am always on the go and hardly ever relax, but I definitely welcomed this opportunity after being up late chasing the Northern Lights the night before.
The Hot Springs were still under construction during our visit – only a couple of pools were open. The landscapers were actually working while we were there! Regardless, the craftsmanship of the Hot Springs did not go unnoticed. The main pool was not your typical boring tiling – the edge was entirely constructed with rocks! The pools and facility in general were very clean, and there is even a small cafe to grab a snack afterwards – I was thankful the cafe had plant-based options, including vanilla bean ice cream ツ.
It appears that the Hot Springs plan to develop a complete resort over the next few years – I am sure this will be a wonderful place to stay once it is complete!
Yukon Wildlife Preserve
There was one mission to accomplish at the Yukon Wildlife Preserve: to see a moose.
We decided to sign-up for the guided tour, as we felt we would learn more through this option, and I definitely think it was worth it. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable about the animals in general, including personal stories of how some of them ended up at the Preserve.
We got to see bison, deer, elk, caribou, thin-horned sheep, mountain goats, muskox (from a distance), and a couple of people on the tour even caught a quick glimpse of a lynx! However, some of the animals such as the foxes, and yes – the moose – were too shy to make an appearance, and I was devastated. I guess this means that I will have to go back to Whitehorse for another opportunity to see the moose!
Skagway, Alaska
I already wrote a separate post about all the stops we made on our way to Alaska, but I also wanted to write a little bit about the actual town of Skagway.
When we first arrived, there were three cruise ships parked in the port. Needless to say, it was incredibly busy, especially in all the gift shops! We decided to escape the crowds and did the Yakutania Point and Smugglers Cove trail. This was an easy walk/hike along the coast line, but it provided some pretty spectacular views of the surrounding mountains.
By the time we got back, two of the cruise ships had already left, and the passengers of the third had boarded. Skagway turned into a ghost town!
We decided to check out the Klondike Brewing Company before starting the trip back, and the server joked about how all the workers let out a sigh of relief once the cruise ships leave.
Skagway is not a big town (only about 1500 people live there, and we learned that most of the workers only come to Skagway during the tourist season before leaving for another city or state) and what made it an even smaller town was the fact that the gas station was selling Ruffles for $7.00 USD – it was the most expensive bag of chips I have ever eaten in my life!
Always grateful,
Michelle
Exploring With Gratitude 