We Arrive in Whitehorse, Capitol of the Yukon Territory

Our barracks motel

We arose in Watson Lake a little later than we had been. Our “barracks” motel didn’t offer morning coffee or breakfast, so Capt. Larry decided that Jane needed a treat. We were tipped by the proprietor of the Tetslas River Lodge that Kathy’s Kitchen was the only decent place to eat in Watson Lake.

Tight squeeze on bridge construction

So that is where we headed. We ordered the breakfast special, an all meat omelet with sausage, ham, and bacon, hash browns, and toast. The serving portions were huge, but the best part was they had decent coffee.

Rock messages

It was the best coffee we had since we entered Canada. We finished our breakfast and hit the road for Whitehorse, YT, the capitol of the Yukon Territory. We only had 324 miles to travel, but like most days, it can be long. The speed limit is 100 km/hr (about 62 mph) and there are always stops to view the sights which adds to the drive time.

Shortly after we left Watson Lake we encountered “rock messages.” These are cryptic messages spelled out along the side of the road with rocks. Jane read in Milepost  that this was started back in 1994 by a college swim team passing through the area.

Rancheria Falls

The messages are everywhere and stretch for miles.

Our first griz!

We came upon another waterfall that was listed in Milepost, the Rancheria Falls and decided to stop. We had to hike through a boreal forest for about 10 minutes to reach the falls, but it was worth it. A little further along the way we had another wildlife treat when we sighted our first grizzly bear along the road.

Beavers at work

We don’t think it was a fully mature bear and it made a frenetic attempt in trying to try and avoid us as we got close. We arrived in Whitehorse and first stopped by the visitor’s center to check out lodging accommodations. We chose a motel and checked in, then went back to the visitor’s center to walk the walking trail that ran from the center to who knows where along the Yukon River. It was a very scenic walk and allowed us to get some exercise in. We were able to take in some of the sights in Whitehorse before turning in for the night.

Old girl needs a bath