After four days of driving I was happy to spend the day in Whitehorse doing a bit of sightseeing. To get in or out of Alaska by road you have to travel through Whitehorse and, since today was cloudy and I will be returning in August, I limited myself to the downtown area with the hope that, when I return to do the scenic attractions, the sun will be shining.

My first visit was to the SS Klondike National Historic Site. This is a largest of some 90 paddle wheel ships that were used to transport goods, metal ore and passengers along the Yukon River between Whitehorse and Dawson City from 1900 to 1950. One thing you notice immediately about the Yukon river is how fast it flows through Whitehorse (the city got its name from the white horse waves formed) and it is pretty impressive that such a large ship was able to navigate the waterway. The journey downstream to Dawson City took only 36 hours but it took three times as long to travel upstream. The river is icebound for 7 months a year and the 1,200 ton ship had to be hauled out of the river each winter.

The ship has been restored to its original appearance and there is a self guided tour but the introductory video really brought the scale of operations and challenges of trading and prospecting in those times to life.

My next stop was the MacBride Museum of Yukon History. This is a fairly small museum (a large extension is currently being constructed) but the exhibits were excellent. They focus on Yukon native peoples and culture from prehistoric times, the natural wildlife and environment of the Territory, the construction of the Alaska Highway and the Klondike gold rush. They have a superb collection of original photographs showing the construction of the highway that were very interesting..

Finally, I spent a while walking along the Millennium Trail that follows the river and offers some pleasant views.

The SS Klondike

Although mainly built to carry goods and ore the first class passengers traveled in style (the area was closed to the public so the only view of the dining room was through the galley)
Part of the natural history exhibit at the MacBride museum.
The Millennium Trail and river view.