June 4-7,2003 Muncho Lake to Teslin

June 4-5 WATSON LAKE

We finally crossed into the Yukon Territories and spent a couple nights in Watson Lake. The drive was quite scenic, following the many rivers that wind thru Northern British Columbia. Spotted several black bears along the roadway although they scampered away as soon as we got close so didn't get any pictures.

While Robbie and Barb did a little grocery shopping, Fred and Steve got out the power washer and cleaned all the dirt off the RV's and cars. The roads haven't been bad with only a few miles of gravel construction. But the dust and dirt on the gravel sections really make a mess of the vehicles.

The main point of interest in Watson Lake is the Signpost Forest. This was started back in 1942 by a homesick GI. While working on the Alaska Highway, he erected a sign pointing the way and stating the mileage to his hometown. Others followed his lead and are still doing so to this day. There are currently over 50,000 signs that have been nailed to posts in the Forest. Some people nail up their license plate, others a road sign that they've "borrowed" from their home town. It was really fun wandering thru the forest and seeing all the signs from around the world. One enterprising couple had a tiny gift shop on the premises and for $7.50 sold you a piece of wood and let you use their paint and brushes to make your own sign. Naturally we had to make one. Fred painted a nice Las Vegas desert scene and we added our names to the sign. Then nailed it to one of the newly erected posts to commemorate our visit. Lots of fun.

The other attraction in town was the Northern Lights Center. It features a video and laser presentation on the aurora borealis which is projected on their large domed planetarium screen. The seats recline so you can look up at the dome. We were a little disappointed in the production - in fact we all fell asleep during the show! Too bad as the technology had great potential.

There are several small lakes within the town with nature trails around them. This gave us a chance to get some much needed exercise. Some of the wildflowers were starting to bloom. But it was a good thing we had bug repellent with us as the mosquitoes have come to life.

June 6-7 - TESLIN

Our next stop was the small town of Teslin. It was started as a trading post in 1903 and today is home to one of the largest native populations in the Yukon. The Tlingit Indians (or First Nation people as they are called) still make their livelihood from hunting, trapping and fishing. There are several museums that provide nice displays of their history and culture.

In Teslin we camped for the night at Mukluk Annie's, overlooking Teslin Lake. They offer free RV parking with no hookups (or $18 with hookups). They are famous for their Salmon Bake and give you a free housboat ride on the lake when you partake. The food was quite good for the price and the hour long boat ride on the lake delightful. Especially with the colorful commentary by Mukluk Charlie - the owner of the campground. The next morning we had their all you can eat blueberry pancake breakfast with pancakes, eggs, sausages, bacon, biscuits and hashbrowns. No need for lunch!

Today we are back to civilization with our arrival in Whitehorse. This is the capital of the Yukon and even has a Wal-Mart. Time to stock up on supplies.

Barb and Fred

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