Watson Lake to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory–We’ve had a couple of wilderness travel days.  Pictures do not do the magnificent scenery justice. 

The last time Richard and I were in Watson Lake, we were traveling in a van from Vancouver to Anchorage to join a 15-day train, bus, cruise ship through Alaska.  We were delivering the van to family in Anchorage.  We left our motor home in Vancouver.  That is where the cruise ship landed after our trip.  Anyway, on our last trip through this area, we stayed in the lodges.  Most had been built shortly after the Alaskan Highway became a tourist route to Alaska. 

At Watson Lake we stayed in one of those lodges.  I asked the YOUNG lady behind the counter when the lodge had been built and she said it was REALLY old.  It was built in 1949.  I resented that because I was built in 1949.  This time the lodge had all its windows nailed shut.  Like so many of the old lodges, it was deserted.

Right next to the lodge is one of the most memorable attractions along the Alaskan Highway.  During the construction of the highway, some of the builders made a sign post with their hometowns on it.  Since then travelers have added their own signs.  Howard and Mary Jane added one on one of their trips through there.  Jack and Jeannie added one of their Arkansas tags.  The signpost forest holds well of over 60,000 signs.  It is quite a sight.

We also went to a museum which explained the distance from earth to other planets and beyond.  They talked about light years and how the images we see from our satellites were sent to us millions of light years ago.  Huh?  Bake chocolate cake in 350 degree oven 30 minutes or until toothpick stuck in center of cake comes out clean.  I understand that.  Light years away goes way over my head.  Pardon the pun.  We were in reclining chairs looking at a dome ceiling traveling through space with actual pictures taken.  After that they did a really great show of Northern Lights set to music.  Really great.

We spent the night at Swift River on the continental divide.  We decided to eat at the lodge.  We had meatloaf (two huge slices each–enough to feed a lumberjack), mashed potatoes, peas, salad.  We took our rhubarb pie with us for another day.  They had internet, but only if you were parked in front of their building.  Once we were in the campsite, we didn’t have it.  Around 11:30 at night, Richard and I took my laptop and walked toward the front hoping to get online.  We made it to the playground, set it on a pole next to the swings.  We were able to hear “You’ve got mail,” but we couldn’t see the screen because it is broad daylight!!  We gave up.  I’m sure we were quite a sight zigzagging through the park in search of the illusive internet signal.  However, I’ll bet we weren’t the first travelers to do that.  Some people watch for wildlife to take pictures of.  If I owned that lodge, I’d take pictures of people roaming the land with laptops.  I’d make an album with description.  “June 12, 2008-Couple from Florida–man standing on rock steading his wife who sat on top of bear-proof trash can.”

We are in Whitehorse (capital of Yukon Territory) and will be here for a couple of days.  We have great internet and, dare I say it, cable television.  WooHoo!!

I’ll be able to post everyday for the next few days. 

Until Later,

Dolores and Richard

1.  Watson Lake Lodge (Closed)

2.  Watson Lake Signpost Forest (Richard and Jeannie)

3. Jack nailing license to post

4. Jack pointing to license on post

5. Beautiful scenery east of Whitehorse