While Chris was showering, I sat in the sunshine on the swing near the garden and read. Lovely!
I guess the UNESCO World Heritage Site is a pretty big deal. It is the largest internationally protected land mass on earth. It was a nice viewpoint but I honestly don't remember anything about it.
It didn't take long to reach Haines Junction or to spot "The Muffin" (aka The Village Monument or "The Animal Cupcake")...
I liked that it is kind of quirky but it is apparently an embarrassment to many in Haines Junction, but from what I saw of Haines Junction they need something for tourists to take pictures of. You know, something that stands out and makes them unique. I think this fits the bill...
Our Lady of the Way Catholic Mission is the most photographed church in Yukon. It was constructed in 1953 from an old WWII era Quonset hut. Several of the towns along the way had a Quonset hut church...
The Da Ku Cultural/Visitor's Center was brand new and had many interesting exhibits (and free good wifi)...
As always, the views along the road were spectacular!
Once we got to Kluane Lake, we turned off to find the ruins of Silver City. It was a trading post, roadhouse and RCMP barracks to keep law and order during the Kluane Gold Rush.
It was the best ghost town on the entire trip. It was fantastic! There were both big buildings and small buildings everywhere on both sides of the road. Just when you thought there weren't any more, you'd keep walking through the woods and stumble on another one. You could totally picture in your mind the bustling community is must have been at one time...
Kluane Lake (clue-aw-nee) is the largest lake in Yukon and covers about 154 square miles. When a glacier closed its drainage outlet about 300-400 years ago, it no longer drains to the Pacific but goes ten times further to the Bering Sea.
While we hadn't seen any "big game", there were tons of ground squirrels everywhere and lots of swans in all of the little lakes on the side of the highway.
Lunch time meant a stop at Congdon Creek Government Campground. They had already shut down tent camping due to bears, but we didn't see one. But I was able to get a picture of the camera shy Arctic ground squirrel...
What is this view of exactly???
Burwash Landing is one of the oldest settlements in Yukon and home to the World's Largest Gold Pan!
Dust was a frequent issue. Sometimes you couldn't see the car in front of you. Thank goodness for the recirculating air button! (This isn't even that bad)
This was by far the coolest border crossing I'd ever seen! The boundary went as far as you could see in both directions. It is part of the 20-foot swath that was cut by surveyors from 1904 to 1920 along the 141st meridian to mark the border between Canada and Alaska. Portions of the swath are occasionally cleared by the International Border Commission...
Then we were back in Alaska again... and a new time zone.
The Testlin National Wildlife Visitor's Center was a place that we were really disappointed wasn't open. They gave out audio tours on cd to listen to for free and return to the visitor's center in Tok. Thank goodness we had The Milepost! :)
The Tanana (TAN-uh-naw) River signaled that we were getting close to Tok.
For the first time, we knew exactly what campground we were staying in... Sourdough Campground.
No sooner had we set up camp then it was time for the pancake toss and a chance to win a free breakfast. But first we had to introduce ourselves to the group. It was so fun to hear where everyone was from, where they'd been and what they'd seen.
We met people from all over North America and beyond (Germany and Scotland). Driving to Alaska is like being on a pilgrimage. Everyone is going the same places and have stories and tips to share.
Turns out that 20 years of tossing pancakes onto plates at the breakfast table paid off. The trick was to find the pancake that was the same size and weight that I was accustomed to. I made the first shot, but the second bounced out, to make it into the winners' circle and a free breakfast!
It was such a lovely, bug-free evening that I was able to do the journal and trip plans outside while enjoying my Wunderbar...
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