whitehorse

Here we are, in the capital of the Yukon: little Whitehorse. We’ve checked in at a neato campground just outside the city along the Yukon River. This place reminds me of a hostel with its funky signage, espresso bar, and internet center in the office.

I think the population of this city must double in the summer with the influx of foreign summer labor. KT and I have been walking around for two days and all we run into are tourists or very young workers who are “just here for the summer.” I guess I can understand. With the twenty-two hours of daylight and beautiful landscape, why wouldn’t this be a summer paradise?

Much of the place is tourist-focused with gold-rush themed shops and souvenir outlets. But the town has a hip scene all of its own away from the mainstream bustle. Coffee shops, new age health centers, and spiffy little shops are tucked away on every block. Bike travel is big here and a walking/biking path lines the Yukon as it passes through town. There’s even a recording studio here, which puts out albums by artists from all over the territory. While KT and I were looking for some home-grown tunes to sample, we were introduced to songwriters who were also Whitehorse teachers, or who drove a bus in the town’s transit system!

The town definitely capitalizes on its history. Museums cover topics from the First Nation groups that live in the area, to transportation, to life in historical Whitehorse. The S.S. Klondike, a paddlewheeler, is beached on the gravel shore of the Yukon and is viewable daily. There are even two vaudeville/cabaret musical numbers that run nightly. We asked if they were geared more to the tourist set, but were assured that the locals get their kicks there, too. Of course, just how local are the locals when they’re all actually from Ontario?

Hot town! Maybe I’ll wend my way back up here someday for a summer job spot. I sure love the sun, and wouldn’t it be worth something to tell people I lived in the Yukon?