The awesome foursome at the Casino, Dawson
Corinne drinking the sour toe cocktail, Dawson
Max singing at the Casino, Dawson
Dancing girls at the Casino, Dawson
Tony drinking the sour toe cocktail, Dawson
The toe, Dawson
Confluence of Klondike R and Yukon R, Dawson
Paddle Steamer, Dawson
Casino, Dawson
Downtown Hotel, Dawson
Building, Dawson
Flora Dora Hotel, Dawson
Ferry crossing the Yukon River at Dawson
We were greeted by a sunny morning and very pleasant temperate conditions considering we were in the Arctic. After packing up we headed to the Inuvik airport and boarded our Hawker Siddeley 748 aeroplane for the flight down to Dawson. We found our trusty(?) minibus and after loading up we drove the 12 km back into Dawson City. On both sides of the road for most of the way were the tailings (high rock stacks) from the gold dredging operations of the last century. We then took the ferry to West Dawson where we set up camp in a much nicer area of the same camping ground we’d used previously. Although there were no showers or electricity we had a much cleaner toilet block even though when you closed the door you were in near total darkness! The temperature in Dawson was 23oC although Corinne’s thermometer showed 28oC. We then walked a short distance down to the ferry and recrossed the mighty Yukon River, the third largest river in North America. The vehicular ferry is similar in size to the Bruny Island ferry except that it’s free for people and cars and operates 24 hours a day except for fuel stops. The Yukon is about 500m wide at Dawson and is fast flowing for such a vast river. Even at the river banks the current is probably around 3 knots and in midstream where the depth averages 15m the current is even stronger making the handling of the ferry a task requiring considerable skill. In Dawson city we visited the local information centre and then wandered around taking in the atmosphere of this famous town that had its origin associated with the Klondike gold rush of the late 19th century. After a late afternoon lunch we did a two hour cruise on the Yukon on the local paddle ship (“Klondike Queen”) which fits in perfectly with the old world atmosphere of this fascinating town. After our cruise we headed for one of the many local pubs and took part in the sculling of a shot glass of whisky with the human toe immersed. Most of our fellow travellers took part in this hideous activity and there was much hilarity and many photos taken. Highly prized certificates (sarcasm) were issued by the barman who read out a citation letting all and sundry know of the bravery of the participants. There was a sign indicating that if anyone was to swallow the toe there was a fine of $2500. We all then gathered at the local casino and joined in the frivolity of the floor show which entailed a very good female vocalist and four very high class dancing girls. The stage act was of the burlesque style and the four beautiful girls were nearly perfect with their synchronicity and stylish dancing. With sleep being necessity we didn’t stay for the midnight show which according to those who stayed on was even more risqué. At around 2.00 am the Aurora Borealis was seen by some of our group on their return from the casino!