Our time in Anchorage came to an end as we started making our way back toward the Yukon. We spent one more night in Tok, this time at Burn Paw, which was a big upgrade from our motel on the way north. The next morning we set out for the Top of the World Highway through Chicken, Alaska. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans. It rained almost the entire day, turning the gravel roads into a muddy, slippery mess. Thick fog settled in over the mountains, hiding what are supposed to be some of the best views on the drive. We crossed back into the Yukon and continued through the rain to Dawson City, taking the free ferry across the Yukon River.
Our hotel room wasn’t quite ready when we arrived, so we wandered around Dawson City instead. The old gold rush town is like stepping into history, with wooden boardwalks, historic buildings and a real “step back in time” feel. That evening we had dinner at the Downtown Hotel, home of the famous Sourtoe Cocktail. Piper had heard all about the tradition before the trip and was determined to try it. We fully expected she’d be turned away since the rules say the preserved toe has to be served in a drink that’s at least 40% alcohol. To our surprise, the server came back with a shot of Yukon Jack and never even asked how old she was! Piper officially joined the Sourtoe Club, and Trevor wasn’t about to let her have all the fun, so he did it too. (If you’ve never heard of the Sourtoe Cocktail, it’s worth looking up… just don’t do it while you’re eating! 🤢) We wrapped up the evening with a drive up to the Midnight Dome, where we watched the late-night sun shining over Dawson City and the meeting of the Yukon and Klondike Rivers.
The next morning we headed back to Whitehorse. The weather finally cooperated, making for a much nicer drive with a few stops to stretch our legs and enjoy a picnic lunch. Our last Airbnb was a beautiful log cabin tucked away on 40 acres of farmland. It was quiet, peaceful and had mountain views in every direction, although some wildfire smoke drifted in during our stay.
For our final full day, we decided to revisit one of our favourite places from the beginning of the trip—Miles Canyon. This time we explored a different trail and appreciated the scenery all over again. We also stopped to see the Whitehorse Fish Ladder, the longest wooden fish ladder in the world, before making the all-important dollar store stop to stock up on airplane snacks.
The perfect ending to our trip came that evening. At 7:00 p.m. we met our guide, Kyle from North Country Outdoor Adventures, for a midnight fishing trip on Fish Lake. Even though it was windy, it was a beautiful night to be on the water. We jigged for lake trout for hours and the fishing was unbelievable. By the end of the night we’d landed 35 lake trout. Piper caught the first fish and finished with eight, Harper caught two before deciding she preferred relaxing and enjoying the boat ride, I landed five, and Trevor absolutely killed it with 20 lake trout. It was the perfect way to spend our last evening in the Yukon.
The next morning we slept in a little, packed up, and made one last stop to return some borrowed items (thank you to Megan and Ross for making sure we had everything we needed including bear spray). Before long we were pulling into the Whitehorse airport. One of the perks of flying out of a small airport is how easy everything is. No long security lines, no rushing to arrive hours early—just a quick check-in and before we knew it we were on our way home.
It was a fabulous trip to the North. We drove thousands of kilometres through Alaska and the Yukon, hiked some incredible trails, walked on a glacier, cruised past calving glaciers, watched whales breach beside our boat, caught more fish than we ever imagined, and saw all kinds of wildlife. It was an adventure our family will be talking about for years, and one we’ll never forget.
The Travelling Herrons 