Leaving the RV parked at the Tok RV Village, Ken and I packed up the jeep and started our road trip to Dawson City, YT.
As we left Tok, we followed the Alaska Highway to the Taylor Highway. The Taylor Highway, originally a trail, travels right through the heart of gold mining territory. The road was more or less paved for 68 miles to the town of Chicken.
“Downtown Chicken” is nothing more than one multi-use building housing a homestyle restaurant, saloon, liquor store, and gift shop. Since our last visit, two other businesses have popped up along the road offerring a RV Park, gold panning, and souvenirs. There was a post office and very small airport nearby. We didn’t stay in Chicken long, but we made sure to pop into the gift shops, which had plenty of silly souvenirs available.
The Top of the World scenic highway traveled along the mountain tops offering breathtaking panoramic views. It has been in use since the 1950’s and is only open during the summer months. The countryside was rugged with signs of bygone mining days; log cabins, abandoned mining equipment, and even a dredge.
We were surprised at the “good” conditon of the road. For a few miles before we reached the border crossing, the road was blacktop! The Canadian Customs officer assured us that the blacktop would end a few feet passed the border. He was right!
The road continued along the ridgeline and then made a quick descent to the Yukon River and Dawson City.
The only way to get to Dawson City from the Top of the World Highway was to cross the Yukon River by Ferry. The George Black Ferry, a free ferry, transported us across the river to Dawson City. We didn’t even have to wait in line…we drove right onto the ferry and rode into Dawson!
Since we didn’t travel in our RV, we made reservations at the Aurora Inn for our two night stay. The Aurora Inn was described as an “in between” Inn….between a B&B and a Hotel. The description was accurate! We were greeted by the owner upon check-in and briefed on the Inn Policies. There was one odd thing about the inn…we had to remove our shoes at the door! Since the streets are dirt and gravel, removing shoes helps to keep the carpet clean. If you didn’t have “inside” shoes, there was a room full of croc slippers to be used by their guests. (They assured us that they wipe them down everyday.) What will they think of next?
We had dinner at the Aurora Inn Restaurant, and then walked to Diamond Tooth Gerties Gambling Hall. The hall is Canada’s oldest Casino and is located in downtown Dawson City. It was named after Diamond Tooth Gertie, a bona fide dance hall queen. During the gold Rush of 1898, Gertrude Lovejoy wedged a sparkling diamond between her two front teeth. “Gertie” performs 3 shows nightly and is the biggest nightly attraction. The first show at 8:30PM was packed and we arrived too late to get a seat.
While waiting for the next show, we walked around the historic town, taking pictures and looking at the historic buildings. I love walking on the old wood plank walkways! We walked along the Yukon River looking at the paddlewheel boat and the George Black Ferry.
We arrived back at the hall to secure a seat for the 10:00PM show. The show seemed short, but, very entertaining! We left the Gambling hall at 10:45 PM…it was still daylight!
Here’s a funfact; The co-owner of the Aurora Inn (where we stayed) used to portray Diamond Tooth Gertie. In 2011, she was “Gertie” when we attended the show. Ken was selected to dance with the showgirls and I have a picture of him with “Gertie and her girls”. Ken couldn’t pass up the opportunity to have his picture taken with her at the Inn!
Tomorrow – The Goldfields
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