Monday dawned cool and sunny with hardly a whisper of wind, promising optimal driving conditions. I took advantage of the free RV wash to hose down the rig, but the dust was so engrained that I only got a bit off. I knew it wasn’t worth scrubbing since I was just going to get dirty again. There were a couple of museums to see on the way out of town, but neither was open yet, so they’ll be hit on the way back.
Teslin was a great spot for a respite; quite, picturesque, friendly. I definitely recommend stopping there for at least an overnight!
The drive to Whitehorse was like being caught in a Stan Rogers song. It was also my best day on the road in a long time. Rae finally got her groove back. 🙂
If I’d had the option, I would have ‘hit the 4-wheel drive at Johnson’s Crossing’
Stopped for lunch and this made me laugh:
(so’s the Yukon, obviously!)
Shortly after lunch, I left the Alaska Highway, turning off it at Jake’s Corner to take the fabled Carcross Road. It would take me to the Klondike highway, which would take me back to the AH for a bit and into Whitehorse. My main reason for wanting to do this detour was because I was tired of seeing Emerald Lake on calendars:
Emerald Lake
Unfortunately, there were not many opportunities to pull over and take pictures on this beautiful stretch of road, so the drive remains ingrained in my memory. It was a great detour, with roads in fantastic condition that wound in and out of the mountains. The largest town I passed was Tagish, former home of my immediate neighbour in Oliver.
When I reached the Klondike Highway, I found myself at more than just the crossroads of two highways, but also at a crossroads in my life. My gut roiled at the thought of spending June in Whitehorse. I hadn’t slaved away in Oliver all last fall or lived the spring old-life-style to spend yet another month in a large city. Just like that, I decided to just stop overnight in Whitehorse and push on the next day to where I really wanted to spend June. I wouldn’t know it for sure until the next day, but something switched over in me at that moment.
Whitehorse was hot, dusty, and noisy. I was not prepared for the torrid heat in the least and scrambled to find a lighter-weight skirt, camisole, and sandals!
The Whitehorse Walmart allows overnight parking with a sign telling RVers where they can park. The only long spot I found was along Quartz Road, a busy thoroughfare, so I knew I was in for a long night. I would either boil to death in quiet by leaving the windows and hatches closed, or be cool and deafened. Civilization really wasn’t that much to be cracked up about!
First stop was the Starbucks just across from the rig (go ahead, laugh) for an iced cinnamon dolcé latté which I sipped on the terasse while I planned my evening in Whitehorse and my drive the next day.
Then, I did a bunch of errands, getting stocked up on kitty litter and other necessities better bought in bulk at Walmart than in small grocery stores.
Dinner was to be pizza, something I’d been craving for weeks, and research told me that Bocelli’s was the only authentic pizza place in town. It was only about 2km from the Walmart, so I was able to walk there.
It was a quiet Monday night and a bit early for dinner, so the owner, Midge, and I had time for a good chat as she whipped me up a delicious cheese pizza (accompanied by an ice cold beer). Turns out she’s from the same part of Canada as I am! I’d introduced myself as being from Ottawa and she said she was from Quebec, but that I wouldn’t know the town. I sure did, it’s only 60km from the town where I grew up and I passed it when driving from Ottawa to Montreal to visit family! What a small country, LOL!
I had a relaxed evening at home, watching a movie and reading and went to bed early so I could be on the road early as I wanted to reach my next destination in one shot. I needn’t have worried about getting up early as I did not get a wink of sleep, dozing on and off during that long night.
The Yukon River
