Doing Dawson

Finally summer has arrived!  We booked into the campsite in the middle of Dawson City, and are finally using the tent.  Temps yesterday and today mid 20's (Celsius), and a bit cool at night, but comfortable enough with a hot wife and a couple of sleeping bags.  This is our opportunity to play tourist, so that's what we've been doing.  Yesterday morning (Thursday) first thing on the agenda was to get an oil and filter change on the car, which was done by 0900.  Then we parked the car at the tent, and walked the town.

Our Campsite in Dawson - the Moosehide Slide in the background has been a mark of the area for centuries.

 The Klondike Gold Rush is really what made this town, and there is a lot of history surrounding that time.  Parks Canada is restoring many buildings here, and offer talks and tours in many of them.  We visited the cabin where Robert Service lived, and were given an interesting talk about his life and his poetry, with many of his poems being read by our host Ranger.  Then down to the imposing Commissioner's Residence for a tour by costumed Rangers, and a cup of tea with one of them.  We also visited the information centres for both the Northwest Territories (lots of info for our trip north on the Dempsteer Hwy.) and also the Dawson City Info Centre for even more brochures and information.  The streets are a treat to walk, with informational stories and historical buildings throughout.  We did a tour at the Native Cultural Centre, as well as attend a talk while touring a river paddlewheeler..  We purchased a few groceries at a local grocery store, and were surprised to learn that many things - vegetables and fruit, even - were pretty much the same, or close to the same, prices as at home.  Back to the camp to cook up a nice stir-fry, and then back into town for a guided tour of the town by a costumed Ranger.  Ranger Janice gave a great tour, entitled "Strange Things Done".....a natural for me writing this Blog.....and she showed us some alleyways and buildings with some unusual stories behind them.  Then back to the tent, and bed.

Ranger Janice guiding us in the Red Feather Saloon

Linda smiling after visiting Robert Service Cabin

Paddlewheeler "Keno" - there used to be hundreds of these plying the Yukon river

Typical Downtown Dawson City

This morning we got off to a late start....but it was again a fine day.....sunny and warm.  That turns out to be a mixed blessing - until now, it's been relatively cool and damp - but now that it's warmer, the bugs have awakened.  We are using "Skin so soft" to try to keep them at bay, and it works in that they are reduced to swarming around us, with only a few score daring to land on us for a bite.  Today we prepared our moiling tools, and headed out to Bonanza Creek (site of the original strike) to try our hand at panning at a claim where it's free and legal to do so.  On the way we stopped for a short hke at the site of the original claim that started the Gold Rush of 1898, and also had a look at a giant dredging machine.  We and a few others tried panning at the free site, and we got a little bit of gold, but it won't pay for this trip.

Only a couple of nuggets and a bit of dust

Back to the campsite for a bit of lunch, showers, and a catch-up on our laundry and this Blog. Then a visit to the local museum, and dinner at the Drunken Goat Restaurant (if you're in town, I highly recommend it).  We plan on attending a Mass Pipe Band presentation tonight at 2300 (it doesn't get dark til much later), as Dawson will be holding a Scottish Games here this weekend.  Tomorrow we hit the road again, heading for the Arctic Circle, and Inuvik.

A Huge Dredge used for Placer Mining until 1966.