twosmallcones

Oh man! It was incredibly difficult to pack up and leave our beautiful and free campsite near Watson Lake, but knowing what the rest of the afternoon had in store, leaving was a bit easier. We headed out and finally made it to the Alaska Highway! It was great! We got to see a few tourist attractions and unique landscape. One place we turned off to visit was the Sign Post Forest, started by a homesick soldier during the war. Ever since then, people from all over the world have stopped by to visit and donate personalized signs to the forest. As of 2009, there have been over 67,000 signs nailed to wooden poles just outside of Watson Lake!

After filling up on expensive Canadian Petro (averaging about $4.40 per gallon), we drove straight through to the capital of the Yukon Territory, Whitehorse! We’ve heard many good stories about Whitehorse along the way and decided to make a day out of our visit, camp, and enjoy Yukon’s finest brews. We setup camp at a hippy, very friendly campground called Robert Service Campground on the edge of town (for those of you who can, picture Miguel’s). This place had everything from homemade muffins and cookies, coffee and ice cream, to showers and at least 50 tent sites. It also had a nicely paved bike/walking path for campers to walk into town, enjoy the night scene, and walk safely back to camp. It was very convenient.

Exploring the downtown area of Whitehorse, we filled our mugs with fresh coffee from Starbucks, visited the Public Library and browsed the neat information center, all on the way to Yukon’s only brewing company, the Yukon Brewing Company. Here, they served free samples of their finest beers. They also served a Birch Beer and a tasty espresso stout called Midnight Sun. One of the coolest things about this beer, the coffee comes from the local coffee house, Midnight Sun, right down the road. We left with a six-pack of Midnight Sun and of course, a souvenir pint glass.

Later that evening, we made it to another pub called Capital Brew House and Pub. It was located in a restored building once known as the Capital Hotel. This brew house was known for having the largest selection of draft beers in Whitehorse, however, the list included about nine beers and a pricey, $8 bottle of Miller Genuine Draft. Ouch on the piggy bank! Despite the pricey beers, Whitehorse was a cool, funky little town. One day, we hope to visit again and kayak down one of the world’s largest rivers, the Yukon River! We would also revisit the colorful coffee shop and bakery, Baked, for yummy coffee and fresh coffee-dipping treats!