Last weekend I was lucky enough to be in Yellowknife, NWT for the Midnight Sun Float Plane Fly-In doing research for my book on northern Canadian aviation history. Here’s a little photo album from this amazing event: It may be ranked one of the coldest places in Canada during the winter, but July was warm,Continue reading “Flying High in Yellowknife”
Category Archives: Travel
Berton House Top Ten
It’s that time of year. The time of year when magazines, tv shows, internet sites, and everyone else make top ten lists. So I will too. About my time up north (although it’s very hard to pick just ten!). Here they are in no particular order: 1. Working, reading, watching tv, chatting, and napping atContinue reading “Berton House Top Ten”
Yukon Reads and Writes!
I’ve met some neat writers, historians, and storytellers during my time in the Yukon and I wanted to share some of their 2010 works with you (while I sit in the Whitehorse airport awaiting my flight home to Edmonton!): 1. Michael Gates’ History Hunting in the Yukon is a collection of essays from this localContinue reading “Yukon Reads and Writes!”
Hike on Dome Mountain
With a week till I leave Dawson and the temperature at a balmy -15 Celsius, I decided yesterday I would climb Dome Mountain one more time. I’d climbed the Dome twice before. Once with Doug when we first arrived in the Yukon in late September. It was -10 degrees, sunny, and there was just enoughContinue reading “Hike on Dome Mountain”
Yukon’s northern charms hard to resist
The Edmonton Journal featured an article about the Yukon in its Saturday travel section and a friend forwarded it to me. Of course I couldn’t resist writing in! My letter was published today (but the photo’s my little blog addition): Edmonton Journal December 7, 2010 Re: “Yukon’s northern charm beckons; Newcomers thrill to area’s richContinue reading “Yukon’s northern charms hard to resist”
Dawson Walkabout
I love to walk, and since arriving in late September I’ve tried to get out and explore the town of Dawson (and environs) on foot as much as possible. Heading out my door and across Eighth Ave I can join up with the 9th Avenue Trail behind Robert Service’s cabin, which links up to theContinue reading “Dawson Walkabout”
Northern Beards, Moustaches, and Movember
The Yukon has a long, distinguished history of bearded men. Images of hairy-faced fellas abound from the gold-rush era. There were many good reasons to grow a beard in those days: warmth, protection from the elements, plus it was a good place to stash gold nuggets… Flash-forward to the 1940s and well-coiffed moustaches were theContinue reading “Northern Beards, Moustaches, and Movember”
Doing the Mighty Sourtoe
Dawson may be known for the Klondike gold rush, Jack London, Robert Service, and Pierre Berton. But it has another claim to fame – the Sourtoe Cocktail – and last night I was inducted into the club as member #39600. After dinner at the Drunken Goat we ambled over to the Downtown Hotel, home ofContinue reading “Doing the Mighty Sourtoe”
Battening Down the Hatches at Bombay Peggy’s
When I first came to Dawson in late September and scoured the town for hangouts, Bombay Peggy’s floated to the top of the list. Don’t get me wrong, the Billy Goat, Downtown, Eldo and the Pit are fun, but Peggy and I became fast friends. Maybe it’s the sense of history, or the original artContinue reading “Battening Down the Hatches at Bombay Peggy’s”
Doing it All in Inuvik
Flying from Old Crow to Inuvik I managed to snag a window seat away from the wing, but it was an overcast day so I wasn’t able to glimpse the scenery below too often. When I did, somewhere over the border between the Yukon and the NWT, it looked pretty unforgiving and I couldn’t helpContinue reading “Doing it All in Inuvik”