Our stay at Moose Creek last night was quiet. We had all intentions to get up and depart early but that didn’t happen. But that’s okay because we are not on a schedule.
Next stop … Dawson City, Yukon. We drove through a lot more construction. The Airstream got another layer of dirt. Arriving not too late into Dawson City we drove through town. At the far end the road ends and becomes the ferry system to cross. So I had another first today … driving the Airstream onto a ferry. A small ferry. A small ferry that crosses the mighty Yukon River. A small ferry with other vehicles already on it. Tim asked if he wanted me to let him do it … no. I got this! It was a squeeze. I did so good! And the ferry crew lady even gave me a high five.
The key, which is scary, is to not look at the trailer in the side mirrors but to put faith in the ladies directing me onto the ferry. Thank goodness for the lift kit we did on the Airstream or I know we would have scraped the rear end coming off the ferry.
Just past the ferry drop off is the Yukon River Campground. There we found a great campsite right on the river. Beautiful. Peaceful. Rugged. No services. It’s so close that most people staying in the campground walk or bike back to visit Dawson City. We drove back and took Jett with us.
Fascinating cultural history not only of the First Nations people but also of the Klondike Gold Rush. From 1896-1899 $29 million in gold was pulled from the ground around Dawson City. Our drive around town was to see where everything was. We stopped at the Visitor Information Centre. Walked around town and did some shopping. Many fun and interesting stores to go into.
On our way back to the truck we were stopped by a nice gentleman, who happens to be the fire chief, who saw Tim’s fire department shirt. What a great conversation we had with him. Tomorrow we will stop by the fire hall and museum. That was already on our list do!
After getting back to the truck we decided to drive up to Midnight Dome Viewpoint. WOW! It’s an incredible vantage point above Dawson City with a panoramic view of the area. From here you can see where the gold rush all began and all of the dredging of the gold fields below.
It is called the Midnight Dome because for decades people have gathered on the top of the hill to watch the midnight sun and the changing colors of the night sky. The first recorded group to gather on the Midnight Dome to watch the midnight sun was in 1899. The occasion was a catered event with entertainment. There were candies, cigars and drinks. Unfortunately, the groups timing was off as the sun set 1/2 an hour before midnight - only to rise again 2 hours later.
After checking things out today there are lots of things we hope to see in town tomorrow. It will be a full day for sure!
Sunset: 12:36 am
Sunrise: 3:57 am
Elevation: 1,080’
Miles from home:
6,988 km
4,342.1 miles
Wildlife viewings:
Dog
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