Liard to Dawson City

June 10~Sunday~cloudy and windy. Stan has his coffee and can go to the pool with Jack and me for one last soak. Mama moose and twins are browsing again, but farther away so didn't take any pictures of then this morning. Again, met a traveling couple who we will probably see 'down the road'. So many times we've met people who we see over and over***now best friends, keeping in contact thru the net, mail and phone. On to Watson Lake where we fill our tanks...3 cents per litre less than last year! Not many animals, just a few wood bison along the road. At Rancheria (ran-che-REE-ah) Falls Recreation Site we stop for lunch and take a short walk to the falls on the river. Meanwhile, Jack finds a little battery operated string of lights that will be used to notify Stan when his coffee is ready in the mornings...handy little thing! Teslin (an Indian name for the lake-Teslin-too, meaning long, narrow water) Lake and River are almost 300 miles from Liard. A very pretty lake and home to the largest Native population in Yukon Territory whose livelihood revolves around traditional hunting, trapping and fishing. In addition (according to the 2007 Milepost), some Tlingit (Klink-it) residents are involved in the development of traditonal crafts...a good place to buy REAL handcrafted Native items and to read/see their history. Mukluk Annie's (I love that name!) is open again this year...free camping down by Teslin Lake with wonderful food in their resturant. Johnson's Crossing...Marsh Lake, flowing into the mighty Yukon River...Whitehorse...and onto Takhini Hot Springs off the Klondike Hwy, our next overnight stop. Pros and cons of Liard and Takhini: Liard is hotter, not as deep, cleaner, not as developed, do not have to pay if camping in the PP. Takhini has more consistant temps, is deeper, $5.50 to go into pool, and only open from noon until midnight. Cost of camping here...$25 for electrical (they have no water or sewer hook-ups); Liard...$17 for no hook-ups, but a more beautiful setting. 1680 miles from Whitefish

June 11~Monday~cloudy to sunny to rain. No breakfast this morning at camp...oh, Stan did have his coffee...because we are stopping at Braeburn for the largest and best cinnamon rolls in the world!! Not sure how much they are because Stan and Blooie paid for them, but they are "soooo yummy"... 6 or more inches across AND we arrived just before two tour buses so were already enjoying ourselves.
The Klondike Highway is a good road for the most part... sometimes no shoulder and winding in places, with some construction...but we were driving for only about 9 hours with frequent stops (the rolls, fuel at Carmack, photo opts...pit stops). Five Finger Rapids is neat...and with the history of the Klondike gold rush from Skagway to Dawson City, it's amazing how anyone made it to the gold fields along the Klondike River and Bonanza Creek. Stan Cohan has written some very interesting books about this era, as have others...Pierre Berton...Laura Beatrice Berton...James Albert Johnson...AND, OF COURSE, Robert Service with "The Cremation of Sam McGee". Checked in at Bonanza Esso Service...$28.57 for full hookup...laundry (two loonies for washer...6 quarters for dryer)...car wash (for the construction mud...two loonies for 5 minutes). Meandered downtown about 7pm...everything was closed except eating establishments (had wonderful BBQ hamburgers at Klondike Kates) and Diamond Tooth Gerties where we stayed for the 8:30pm can-can show ($6 each admission)...singing was very good as were the dancers. Discovered I could get on the net, so...here it is...and don't know when the next time will be...OR if I can get the pictures that are now, finally, on the computer to here, but will give it a good try... next time.