June 20, 2018

Watson Lake, Yukon Territory- only 37,000 people live in the whole territory! Here is the famous Signpost Forest

Clare and his grandparents added a signpost in 1965, all of the original posts and signs are long gone, but he remembers seeing about 20 posts, now there are over 77,000 signs here! The first one was put up by a homesick soldier working on the Alaska Highway in 1942. We added our Maine license plate (from before we registered in South Dakota).
Yukon, being a territory, does not have provincial parks, they have Government Campgrounds- they are small, self-registering, no services and very nice!
We took a side trip down to Carcross, pop. 400!

It is a historic site for original settlers, indigenous, the gold rush and the narrow gauge railway that still operates to Skagway. It is a beautiful little village surrounded by mountains with the river following through. Totem carving is demonstrated here, but not the Saturday we were there.
Whitehorse – the biggest city in Yukon Territory- 22,000K. And they are all packed in a small area between the river and the hills. Very busy place, at least in the summer- a big RVer stopover before continuing on the Alaska Highway or heading up to Dawson City as we will be. And there are “local” Rvers going to the remote fishing areas. We are seeing “RV Caravans” from the states- 20 RVs with a lead “staff” RV- everything is planned out for them, they just have to drive…some of them are driving way below the speed limit and it can be tricky to pass them…

 

These Milepost markers used to be every mile, however now there are only a few and of course they are new ones. This one was at Johnson’s Wayside, which also had “world famous cinmamon buns”, which of course we had to try, as well as their scones and cookies! Cinnamon buns and scones are really big in BC and Yukon- we are guessing that the buns were a sweet treat made from leftover sourdough. The scones are so rich and moist- made with lots of butter!