Early in the day we packed up, took the ferry across the
Yukon River, and within about 20 minutes we had checked into an RV park right
in the middle of Dawson City, with plans to tour for a day.
I had purchased Parks Canada passes before we left home, figuring
the cost would be made up with admission to the national parks in Banff and
Jasper. We were able to use them again
in Dawson City, where Parks Canada has taken over and restored many of the
historic buildings which now require a $6.30 admission, and our passes covered
us. The town reminded me a little of
Colonial Williamsburg, as one walks around town on the wooden sidewalks of the
Gold Rush Days, and there are costumed interpreters who tell you the story;
quite a few buildings also have plaques on them with brief descriptions of
their role in the town’s history (both English and French---we are back in Canada!)
as well.
So in the late 1890’s this was indeed a boom town with over 30,000 people, making it the largest
city north of San Francisco and, in Canada, the largest city west of Ottawa, as
well as the territorial capital. The old photos show hundreds of miners’ tents
along the river and hordes of people arriving on the paddle wheelers. In its heyday, it had a fancy theater, a
large public library (funded by Andrew Carnegie), a street lined with homes of
prostitutes, and many thriving businesses, all supporting the gold miners. Today it is a much smaller town, primarily
catering to tourists.
We went to a program at the Robert Service cabin, a
combination of stories of his life and reading of his poetry, and we also visited
a cabin and exhibit about Jack London.
We passed on the opportunity to try our luck at Diamond Tooth Gerties
Gambling Hall, and had a relaxing evening at the RV park, enjoying relative
warmth, along with electricity and hot showers.
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