Day 7: day off in Whitehorse

No miles today

I spent the day walking around whitehorse. I remember whitehorse as kind of a junky little town from the last time I was here. Well either the town grew a lot in the last 8 years or I was just mistaken last time. The downtown area was full of people and little touristy shops. 

I had two Canadian firsts this morning. I went into Canadian tire to look for some glass cleaner. I always hear people talk about Canadian tire like it’s Walmart. Well that’s exactly what it is. Then I had to break one of my most important moto trip rules……no fast food. I try my best to eat at locally owned restaurants or cook at camp or eat garbage food from gas stations when I just need a snack. But fast food is off limits cause I can get that whenever I want at home. Well I’ve heard so much about Tim Hortons…..it’s supposed to be like Starbucks for Canadians. I saw one ahead while trying to find breakfast and curiosity got the better of me so I stopped. I got a breakfast burrito. It was only ok……and I got a parking ticket while I was eating. 

After my exciting early morning authentic Canadian experience I went to the visitors center to ask about what to see in town. The amazingly helpful woman at the counter gave me a ton of information and a map with a few places she highlighted for me to go see that I could easily walk to. And she gave me a cool enamel pin too! 

I walked all over looking at the sights for a while and then went in to the MacBride museum. While walking around I started to recognize some things I saw last time I was here but that museum was a tiny little place, no way it was the same. I asked the girl at the front desk about if they bought an old museum that used to be down the road and she laughed and said this is that old museum! They got a whole bunch of money from the government and did a massive expansion. I can’t possibly do the history justice so I won’t try to explain any of it but the museum had three main parts: Klondike gold rush, the native people of Yukon, and radio/telegraph/telephone of Canada. All three of these topics are fascinating and I spent a ridiculous amount of time in there. Here’s a few pictures but I seriously recommend reading about the history of Yukon and Whitehorse and the Klondike gold rush. 

After I was done being a nerd I went for a late lunch and then back to the campground. I spent the evening meeting all the new people that had arrived in camp while I was in town. The best part about motorcycle trips is meeting other riders and man are there a lot of them up here right now!

I met two older dudes that are not going to Dawson city but are going to Prudhoe and we’re going to ride that part together when I meet them in Fairbanks.

I met a lady that flew over from Europe just to ride to the arctic circle for the solstice. Which is the same day I’ll be there and we’re going to ride that part together.

I met some guys that are riding to tuktoyaktuk. I really really wanted to go too but I’m not sure if I have time. I might try it on my way home.

I met a couple older women that are riding the world on a couple BMW 1200gs.

I met a guy in his 70s that has a BMW with 165000 on it. He’s been all over the northern hemisphere on it. And he started riding when he retired at 65. He went to Prudhoe bay and the dempster highway with us wife on the back! He’s here to go to D2D.

I sat around the camp fire and talked for an hour or so with some of the people that are building the campground. They are from France.

I met another group of guys going to Tuktoyaktuk and then to D2D.

Anyway, my point is that my favorite thing about trips like this is coming out of my normal comfort zone and meeting people. It’s a whole lot easier when you have something to relate to like motorcycles. Every one these interactions starts out with talking about each others bikes….not names….not the weather…..not where are you from……bikes. I only got one persons name in all those interactions.

Heres the video