Top of the World Highway

June 24, 2010 ~ Thursday ~ Dawson City, YT

9:00am PT ~ 49.4 degrees ~ Rainy

Hello All,

Can you hear me way down there!! We're heading to the Top of the World Highway in a few minutes. Packing things up now to head into town where we'll catch the ferry to take us across the Yukon River to "the other side". Only takes about 7 minutes total.

We had a change of plans a couple days ago. We took a "little" detour to come to Dawson City because "everyone" said it was a "must see". Cute little town, LOTS of history behind it, been there done that. Went to the museum yesterday, did a little sightseeing, talked to some locals that live here & some visitors as well. This was a booming place back in the late 1890's because of the Gold Rush. This tiny town housed 30,000 + people & did so for years before starting the slow decline "back to normal". Like a lot of places, Dawson City relies mainly on tourism now but does have a population of a few thousand year round. The folks that live here now LOVE it; even when it's -50 degrees outside!! They boast about all the outdoor activities despite the lack of sunshine. There is even a school for Performing Arts here among other things of interest as well.

Speaking of sunshine, I went to The Dome last night (if that's what you want to call it when the sun is still shining). The Dome is a hill that overlooks the town, river & surrounding area. This time of year (& for the next couple months), if you stay there from 11:30pm - 1:30am-ish, you can watch the sun set & the sun rise within just a couple hours of each other!! Well, I was there for the sunset but wasn't willing to stay for the sunrise. Keep in mind, the sun may set behind a peak but it's still very daylight outside. They don't start seeing dark again till late August.

Also, there are quite a few motorcycles here (& have been along the entire journey as well). We have seen that the vast majority of bikes, in Northern BC & the Yukon, have been BMW's & KTM (very few Harley's/Honda's at all)!! Seems those are the only bikes that can really withstand a journey under these road conditions. Anyway, that's according to the guys at the bar last night & it was a very competitive conversation as to why "my bike is better than your bike because..............". We enjoyed the banter. There is a small bike rally here for the next couple days by the way. What I find interesting is that the guys we have spoken to are die hard enthusiasts with a "mission" for riding this far, on whatever type of bike. Some are riding in pairs; a lot are riding alone (which is SCARY to me). They are of all ages, come from different countries, & have their own unique story. Simply amazingly.

We're off. Best to you all, keep in touch when you can & thanks for your support. We miss you & are thinking about you & your families.

Cathy = )