Interesting People and Places–Chapter 2

We continue our journey north….
Watson Lake Signpost Forest, The Yukon
This is a famous tourist stop, often the first stop in the Yukon for travelers headed to Alaska. The first sign was posted in 1942 by a lonesome US Army GI who was working on the Alaska Highway. As of the day we visited there were over 71,000 signs posted by travelers from all over the world.



Tidbit:  They Yukon is about 2/3 the size of Texas and it’s population is approximately 35,000. About 25,000 live in the Whitehorse area. Whitehorse is a surprisingly urban/contemporary city with most of the major retailers present. We liked it.
Mom’s Sourdough Bakery – about 30 Miles Northwest of Whitehorse
Located on a gravel road off the Klondike Highway, we almost passed Mom’s up. That would have been a BIG mistake! Mom (Tracie Harris) is an amazing lady. She is a third generation gold prospector, managing two claims with a crew on each. She runs her bakery herself, doing almost all of her cooking in a European outdoor oven. Her baked goods are out of this world. In the fall, when it starts to get really cold, she closes everything up and drives to Mexico, where she has a home. We invited her to stop and see us at North Ranch on her way and are hopeful she will do that. We were lucky to meet Mom. I won’t tell you her age but she is truly an inspiration to do the things she does at this stage of her life.

     
    
    

Dawson City, Yukon
This is the home of the Klondike Gold Rush which began in the 1890’s. Prospectors from all over the world headed for the Yukon. Today, the Klondike is undergoing somewhat of a rejuvenation with the high prices of gold. Modern equipment and techniques have brought operations back into the area. A lot of the old buildings in town are being restored and a huge mining dredge is being renovated by the Yukon government. We greatly enjoyed our two days in Dawson City, especially the walking tours by costumed tour guides and the very informative tour of Dredge #4 on Bonanza Creek.


Dawson from the Midnight Dome             The remains of the extensive dredging

The Trek, crossing the Yukon River on the way out of Dawson City.

Chicken, Alaska

After crossing the Top of the World Highway the first settlement you come to is Chicken. It has three or four businesses and a Post Office. The only obvious trade is tourism and the three competitive businesses are driven to hide the other two from the passing tourist. Makes for an interesting environment We chose the “original Chicken Café, Saloon, Liquor Store and Gift Shop.

Patrons donate their caps to cover the ceiling of the of the Chicken Saloon.

Ladies donate their underwear!

Susan Wiren, the poprietor.
North Pole, Alaska
Just before Fairbanks, we had to stop at the North Pole. We called Boone and Ruby and will send them cards. Also, Dee gave Santa her Christmas Wishes……