Whitehorse – I could live here!

I like Whitehorse. If I didn’t know better, and the mountains weren’t so close, I’d think I was back home in Victoria – or on Saltspring Island. The town really has a funky, tie-dyed kind of feel to it but with a wilder edge. I think I could live here … if not for the 7 months of winter!

The town itself has done a lot to beautify itself, with nice paths along the river and a cool trolley that runs adjacent to it. (tho we never did see it run). Some interesting shops but alas towards the end of town all the ‘big box’ and corporate stores have reared their ugly heads. Too bad!

Murals & facades on the back of modern buildings in Whitehorse

The waterfront in Whitehorse

There are quite a few historical sites as well as museums if you get tired of wandering around downtown. The Yukon Transportation Museum is small but really interesting, and the Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre has some cool exhibits. The SS Klondike National Historic Site is also here and a great place to tour through and imagine what it would have been like to travel on one of these giant paddle wheelers around the turn of the century. It must have been quite a trip! For power they used a wood-fired boiler and they say it took about a cord of wood an hour! So lots of stops along the way to collect wood!

That’s a BIG wheel! Tundra Crawler

Queen of the Yukon at the Yukon Transportation Museum

The Yukon Berengia Interpretive Centre

Mamoth Skeleton at the Yukon Beringia Centre

SS Klondike

The cargo deck on the SS Klondike

We ate out a couple of times – once at a Mexican restaurant called Sanchez Cantina for dinner, and we had a lunch at the Yukon Sausage & Meat Deli. (now The Deli Cafe & Eatery) The Mexican was good but very expensive with not great service, the deli was amazing with lots of home-made sausages, meats and lunch meats.

Sanchez Cantina

The Deli in Whitehorse

But enough of civilization for a while. We’re going to head out of town – about a 20 minute drive – to Takhini Hot Springs and soak for a while before heading up to Dawson.