Adventures with Yogi and Boone

Whitehorse Wonders and a Familiar Face

We promised a surprise in Whitehorse-

To our delight, we crossed paths with our friends Krysi, Ryan and their adventurous son, Sawyer. They are on a journey of their own this summer, trekking even farther north than we are, all the way to Tuktoyaktuk (or "Tuk" for short) with dreams of paddling in the Arctic Ocean. While they were always a few days ahead f us, the stars aligned on their return trip, and we landed in Whitehorse on the very same day.

Seeing a familiar face after so many days on the road was a gift. And oh, the hugs from Sawyer - what balm for this Nana's heart. I'm missing my grandchildren something fierce, so getting those sweet hugs from such a special kid meant the world to me. (Thanks Sawyer!)

We had a beautiful evening together at Caribou Campground. There was great food, live music, and the kind of laughter that only comes when you're with good friends. It felt like magic, sitting on the deck surrounded by music and mountains-though I can't quite say it was "under the starts," because up here, the sun never really sets. I don't think I have seen a sky dark enough to allow for stars to show up. Still, it was a perfect northern night.

The evening before, we treated ourselves to a the Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs, just outside of Whitehorse. It's modeled after traditional Japanese Onsens, and it was absolute heaven. We purchased a day pass and soaked twice - once in the afternoon and again in the evening. The pools varied in temperature and were so soothing they warmed us right to the bone. After weeks on the road, it was the kind of relaxation we didn't know we needed. We both slept like babies that night.

Whitehorse was good to us. We refueled-both in groceries and in spirit-and then set off again.

Our next night was spent wild camping next to a quiet little lake (Rock Lake). That afternoon we had the whole place to ourselves as we paddled, sharing the water only with a curious family of beavers. They swam circles around us, slapping their tails and checking us out. We kept a respectful distance, suspecting that there might be little ones tucked away in their den. Still, they didn't seem to mind us too much-it was like they were as curious about us as we were about them.

The following morning, we packed up and began our drive toward Dawson City. Wildlife has been a bit scarce recently, but we were treated to an incredible sight: a mama bear with two tiny cubs crossing the road in front of us. One cub matched her dark coat, while the other had a cinnamon hue. I don't think I've ever seen cubs that young in the wild before-absolutely precious.

Dawson City was a real highlight. It's the town of Jack London, the author of Call of the Wild, as well as some well known poetry. We made sure to visit his museum. One of the docents recited one of his poems-she had it memorized- it struck such a deep chord with us. We both got a bit teary eyed. I'll be sharing that poem here on the blog because it truly speaks to the heart of why we travel and live this way. I hope it touches you as much as it did us.

That evening, we headed to Bombay Peggy's a quirky little spot with a storied past. Originally an old brothel, (ran by Peggy) It is now part bar, part boutique hotel, with the former rooms lovingly restored into guest suites. The history alone was fascinating, but we were there for a drink and some live music-and it did not disappoint. The musician that night was incredibly talented, playing both harmonica and guitar while singing his heart out. Blues and folk music. He did a great job with Bob Dillon's songs! We even got the chance to chat with him between sets. It was one of those unexpected gems of a night, made even cozier by the steady rain outside. The whole town felt steeped in history and charm, and that little bar was the perfect place to soak it all in.

This morning, after hot showers and a good breakfast, we found ourselves lined up for the next leg of the journey-a ferry ride across the Yukon River, headed for Chicken, Alaska....Because, if you are going to Alaska is there any better place to cross the border than "Chicken Alaska?"