Yukon 2008 Vacation Planner - 67

Beaufort Sea Klondi K e Alaska,USA welcome Follow the North Klondike Highway deep into the heart of the Klondike. Two Northern Tutchone communities, Carmacks and Pelly Crossing, welcome visitors along the way. Lively Dawson City still evokes feelings of a golden era when thousands of hopeful gold seekers poured into the Klondike in search of riches. Today, visitors come to Dawson City to explore the National Historic Sites, enjoy Klondike hospitality and events, and learn about the cultural heritage of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation. Yukon Dawson City Pelly Crossing Carmacks 2 Northwest Territories WHITEHORSE Dawson City Museum – YG Pacific Ocean British Columbia Big Jonathan House, Pelly crossing Pelly Crossing is a popular stopover for visitors bound for Dawson City or the Silver Trail. The Selkirk First Nation Cultural Centre is housed in a replica of Big Jonathan House at Fort Selkirk. The centre showcases art, artifacts, tools and crafts of the Northern Tutchone people including locally made beaded clothing, birchbark baskets, baby birch bedding and tools. A model of a fish trap and a fish rack illustrate the catching, drying and smoking of fish for winter use. Listen to recordings of Elders telling stories and watch a video to learn more about the region and its people. Km 463 on the North Klondike Highway. www.yukonmuseums.ca our communities carmacks Carmacks, home of the Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation, is just two hours north of Whitehorse by road. Located along the Yukon River, Carmacks is a popular stopover for road and river travellers. Named for George Carmack, the co-discoverer of Klondike gold, the historic village was both a riverboat refuelling station and a major stop on the Overland Trail linking Whitehorse and Dawson City. The town offers accommodations and roadside services, campgrounds, a riverside boardwalk and a Community Visitor Information Centre. Population: 408 Pelly crossing Home of the Selkirk First Nation, Pelly Crossing serves as a midway stopping-point on the journey between Dawson City and Whitehorse. Cultural displays and artifacts are housed in a replica of Big Jonathan House. Visitors can make the journey from Minto by boat to visit the original structure down the Yukon River at Fort Selkirk, an important historic and cultural site for the Northern Tutchone people. Population: 291 Dawson city The lure of the Klondike Gold Rush drew thousands of young men, and some women, all with the glint of gold in their eyes, to Dawson City. It became a bustling commercial centre, and for a time it was the largest city north of Seattle and west of Winnipeg. Dawson City served as the capital of the Yukon Territory until 1953. In 1959, the Dawson Historical Complex was declared a National Historic Site of Canada. Walking among the carefully restored buildings with costumed interpreters, visitors feel like they are stepping back in time. First Nations cultural experiences and wilderness adventures are also part of today’s Klondike experience. Dawson City is the Yukon’s second-largest community and offers the full range of visitor services and amenities. Population: 1,827 local attractions Tagé cho Hudän Interpretive centre, carmacks The interpretive centre showcases the past and present culture of the Northern Tutchone people. Indoor features include a mooseskin boat, a dugout canoe, a rare collection of stone and bone tools, a beaded slipper collection, and traditional outfits. Outdoors, visitors will find a garden of traditional-use plants, many of which are still used as natural medicines, and a walking trail through several First Nation outdoor displays. Km 358 on the North Klondike Highway. Ask for a Carmacks Walking Tour brochure. www.yukonmuseums.ca world-famous writers Jack london Interpretive centre American author Jack London (1876 – 1916) is a rich part of Klondike lore. Upon reading about the Klondike, he sailed from San Francisco in 1897, but like thousands of other gold seekers, London left Dawson City penniless less than a year later. He went on to become famous for writing about his Yukon adventures in 50 novels, which include The Call of the Wild and White Fang, along with five volumes of short stories. robert service cabin Known as the Bard of the Yukon, Robert Service (1874 – 1958) is the most widely read poet of the 20th century. Though he arrived in the Yukon in 1904 after the Klondike Gold Rush, the tales of its heyday provided material and inspiration for his early works. Service moved to Dawson City in 1907, where he settled in a rustic cabin, now a National Historic Site where you’ll hear daily readings of his legendary works that include The Cremation of Sam McGee, The Spell of the Yukon and The Shooting of Dan McGrew. Robert Service – Yukon Archives (A.J.Gilles 4532) travelyukon.com 67

Yukon 2008 Vacation Planner

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Yukon 2008 Vacation Planner