Yukon Territory

How awesome is it that we got to spend the day in Canada's Yukon Territory?  Seriously, the Yukon, full of interesting history, magnificent open space and natural beauty, is one of the most spectacular places that we have ever been to. Our only regret? Not having enough time to explore!

The day started early in Skagway, Alaska. Our cruise ship, the Norwegian Pearl docked nice and early, so we grabbed a quick breakfast and left our floating hotel to board a bus destined for the Yukon. I wish we could have been able to drive ourselves, stopping and spending time where we wanted to but the tour was quite fun and the guide was amazing. 
Yukon Territory
After a short tour of Skagway, Pete (our super awesome and knowledgeable guide) began the beautiful drive through a corner of British Columbia and into the Yukon. Pete explained the history of the gold rush as he pointed out spectacular landmarks and native wildlife. He told stories about the old miners who floated down the river in homemade barges and set up crude camps all to stake their claim of Klondike gold. Pete even recited, from memory, three (yes 3!!!) prospector poems. We were very impressed as they were not short poems. Our favorite: "The Cremation of Sam McGee" In case you'd like to read it: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45081/the-cremation-of-sam-mcgee

Pete stopped our tour at some of the most beautiful lakes I have ever seen! The crystal clear water, still as a picture, acted as the perfect mirror for the glorious mountains and big sky above. The great thing about being in the Yukon Territory is the how quiet and still it was. Standing at the edge of an unspoiled shimmering lake was surreal.  

We stopped for a delicious lunch of soup and sandwiches at the lovely Spirit Lake Lodge before heading on to more lakes, waterfalls and the small town of Carcross. After walking around and visiting some First Nation gift shops we hopped back on the bus and started our journey back toward Skagway. Little did I know that the best was yet to come!

 This, my friends, is Emerald Lake.  This beauty literally took my breath away. I mean what can I say, it was gorgeous, dazzling, and awe inspiring. I could spend all day sitting on the hill gazing over this brilliantly green natural lake listening to the birds chirp, insects buzz and the cool breeze whistling around me. Again, we had to leave sooner then I would have liked, but I am glad Ben and I got the chance to see this display of the earth's natural beauty. 
Emerald Lake, Yukon Territory

Our final stop was at the Carcross Desert... YUP! There is a desert in the Yukon. It's known as being the smallest desert in the world, but a desert none-the-less! (Okay, actually it's a sand dune, but there was a sign staking claim to being the smallest desert in the world.)  Pete told us about horse bones he had once found in the area and explained that ancient hoofed creature once roomed the area. Unfortunately, the horse bones he found were modern, probably from a horse who was ridden during the gold rush. It was still fun to hear all his "tall tales" though!
Carcross Desert, Yukon Territory
Would I go back to the Yukon? YES! In a heartbeat. It was a magnificent day trip and we would absolutely love to spend much more time exploring. Many people migrated to the Yukon for the chance to strike it rich from gold, but I believe the true treasure is the natural beauty of the Yukon's lakes, mountains and rivers. 
Fireweed, Yukon Territory Floral Emblem

“There’s gold, and it’s haunting and haunting; It’s luring me on as of old; Yet it isn’t the gold that I’m wanting So much as just finding the gold. It’s the great, big, broad land ’way up yonder, It’s the forests where silence has lease; It’s the beauty that thrills me with wonder, It’s the stillness that fills me with peace.” 
-Robert W. Service 
Yukon Territory

TRAVEL, SMILE, REPEAT

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The NCL Pearl

Image
So when we booked this cruise, I joked with friends and family that we were sailing on "The Pearl" (pirate accent, of course).  I figured we were okay to board when I saw that the cruise ship didn't have black sails.  Fortunately, the NCL (Norwegian Cruise Line) Pearl has much nicer entertainment, dinning and lodging options then the Black Pearl from Pirates of the Caribbean.  We boarded on August 6, 2017, destined for the inside passage of Alaska. The NCL Pearl After a poolside lunch, we made our way to our interior stateroom. Booking and interior was a first for Ben and I. There were several pros and cons. We loved the price of the interior stateroom.  We were on deck most of the day taking in the beautiful Alaskan scenery, so we didn't spend much time in our room. However, we did notice that the interior rooms are super dark. I would wake up in the middle of the night not knowing if it was 2 or 9 am. (Thank goodness for cell phones with flashlights
Read more

Portage Glacier

Image
Cold air blew off the ice, whipping us in the face, as a small charter boat approached the arctic blue Portage Glacier.  Ben and I had left the comfort of our cruise ship, taken a tour bus an hour in land and were now face to face with a giant field of ice. Frigid wind whistled off the top of the glacier, slapping our cheeks as we stood in total awe at the power of nature.  Portage Glacier, Alaska Earlier that day, our cruise ship, the MS Maasdam docked in Anchorage, Alaska. We were excited to be in such an awesome city and even more excited to take a tour to Portage Lake where we would get to be up close to a glacier.  I don't remember most of the drive to the lake since the gentle rumble of the bus put me to sleep.  Despite Ben's best attempts, I could not keep my eyes open (this is what hypothyroidism does to you).  He's told me that he saw several waterfalls, bald eagles (his favorite bird) and even passed a bay where he saw a whale.  Portage Glacie
Read more

La Jolla Cove and Seal Rock

Image
Like most people I love the ocean. I love the salty mist, the rushing waves, the sunsets and the feel of sand squishing between my toes.  Unfortunately, I live in Utah. I know what you're thinking and NO, the Great Salt Lake is not the ocean. Not even close! Naturally, when I planned our anniversary trip to sunny San Diego, I knew we would be spending a lot of time at the ocean. One evening, my husband and I decided to find a beach that neither of us had visited before. So we pulled out good ol' google maps and discovered La Jolla Cove. La Jolla Cove, California  With the windows down, we circled the area looking for a parking spot. I heard the waves crashing against rocks, seagulls squawking loudly, and something barking in the distance. I looked at Ben. He looked at me. We both smiled and said "Sea Lions!" Now, that might not sound very exciting to some people but wild sea lions are exotic animals to us inland folks. We looked over the wall
Read more