August 23rd, 2014
Andrew writes: I really enjoyed all that there has been to see and do in Dawson. Even after three days, it feels like we have only scratched the surface. It is amazing to me how such a small town can have such a rich, well-preserved history. The staff at Parks Canada do such a wonderful job of providing programs and information as well. We started off the day with a tour of the Palace Grand Theatre. What a beautiful building! I think I remember watching a show here about 20 years ago, when I visited Dawson with my Dad, Aunt and cousins. Returning as an adult, and listening to the wonderful tour provided by Susan Taylor, our guide, really made it seem worthwhile. We were even invited to get up on stage towards the end of the tour to sing a song, or recite a poem, and a part of me wanted to do so, but perhaps this wasn’t the best venue or time to sing “What does the fox say?!?”. Great, now I have that song stuck in my head.
After the tour, we connected with Natalia and her sister Yuliya, and hopped in the car to drive out to Dredge#4. On the way, as we were driving down the road, the car was attacked by two crazy dogs. Everyone inside was a little nervous, and Yuliya was beside herself. It was funny, and scary, all at the same time. Dredge#4 – this gigantic machine, was used for digging up the ground and mining for gold for many years in Dawson, and it played a large part in keeping the town going during times of economic downturn. With some smooth talking to one of the ticket-sellers, we managed to get a quick walking tour, at no charge. The inside of the dredge is spectacular. And to think that it only took 4 people to operate this mammoth. To this day, it remains the largest dredge in the world. Wow.
Next we drove up to the Dome of the Midnight Sun, high above Dawson. In 1898, some folks thought it might be fun to have a party on the summer solstice, and enjoy the “midnight sun”. Sadly, the sun set at 11:30pm and rose again at 2:30am, so they couldn’t even see the sun at midnight. Over the years, the dome was used for church services in the summer, and for other holiday gatherings. It sits high above Dawson, and looks for miles in every direction. There were some newlyweds who arrived to take some photos, which added to the air of specialness.
Getting later in the day, the four of us decided to go enjoy a nice dinner at the Westmark Hotel, and then we walked to get some ice cream. On the way, I bumped into a cyclist that I had been chatting with over Facebook. His name was Joe. He had cycled from Victoria, BC to Dawson, and was heading out in the morning bound for Inuvik. We swapped cycling stories and I really have to hand it to these solo cyclists, they truly are a different breed.
Amanda writes: I enjoyed resting in Dawson and mostly enjoyed the warmth. I’m struggling with the temperatures a bit so being able to go to the washroom in the middle of the night without a parka on was really nice. I’m not much of a history buff but did enjoy learning about the town. I also really enjoyed the company of Natalie and Yuliya. Very cool sisters who I hope to see again. And as an added bonus I got to listen to a few Yankees games while in Dawson. I miss the Yankees games and it was a treat. They’re not doing as well as they can, but I always knew this was more of a rebuilding year. Go Yankees!