Day 2-Fairbanks, Alaska to Dawson City, Yukon, Canada (634 km)

Ferry across the Yukon River to get into Dawson City, Yukon Territory, Canada

  
 A fabulous day at the top of the world.

It was a long day and tomorrow will be even longer. With distances exceeding 600 km; several competitive stages; we’re spending 10 hours in the car driving.

Competition results: There were two Regularity Stages today. We did well: First stage, we were 3 seconds early. On the second stage, we were perfect and incurred no penalty points.

The results at the end of the day: we have moved to third in class and 10th overall.

But the real reason for doing these wilderness rallies is to see a world that few ever get to see.

Leaving Fairbanks, we headed east to Dawson City, Yukon , Canada. We travelled mostly on the Alaskan/Canadian Highway (known by all as the Alcan Highway ), but also travelled on lesser designated roads.

We climbed high in the mountains to what is called “the top of the world.” Sitting on the very top is a small Immigration and Customs Office that regulated traffic between the US/Canada.

Since we were going east we needed to deal with Canadian Customs Officials . They were professional, accommodating and welcoming. Our border experience was A+.

Following our crossing at the Top of the World, we descended for about 75 miles into the canyon of the Klondike River. Broad in many places, this river during the Klondike Gold Rush hosted many steam side-wheelers and paddle-wheelers. They literally clogged the river around Dawson.

Grrrrrr

Hello from Dawson City!

Wooden Sidewalks; dirt streets

Typical storefront in Dawson

The only way to cross the Klondike River at Dawson is by ferry boat. We sailed across the Klondike River right into Dawson City, a small town frozen in an era 100+ years ago. The three main hotels where our rally stayed were each about 100 years old. Our dinner was at the Grand Palace Theatre….a place that could have been home to Lily Langtry.

The entire town has wooden sidewalks and dirt streets….it is a real throw-back to the bygone era -- if the 1880’s.

You can go to lots of parks that have recreated and reconstructed towns from the 1880’s…..but Dawson is no recreation; it is the real thing. Its authenticity is unquestioned and its reality is wonderful. It’s almost like living in your childhood dream of the Wild West…..and it continues today as small town on the Klondike River welcoming tourists and adventurers heading north to the top of the world.