Whitehorse to Dawson

Posted on July 31, 2025 by JoeTourist

July 31, 2025 – Whitehorse to Dawson City, Yukon

2025 Yukon & Northwest Territories

I have a substantial breakfast this morning and grab a muffin for our long road trip to Dawson City on the Klondike Highway 2. We leave at 8:10am without one couple and our tour director. Alastair is staying with the couple until the man who is suffering a medical incident is transported to hospital. He will then fly to Dawson to catch up with the group, so our bus driver Harold will lead the group today. We see new housing developments as we leave Whitehorse: new subdivisions, schools, commercial buildings and roads are being built in Whitehorse.

Points of interest on the road trip

Lake Laberge – I catch a glimpse of this famous lake (The Cremation of Sam McGee – Robert Service) through the bus window
Fox Lake – a long lake parallel to the highway
Braeburn Lodge – our first rest stop, where giant cinnamon buns are sold for $20 each! There is an airstrip on the other side of the highway.
Montague Road House – a rest stop which was part of the overland trail between Whitehorse and Dawson City 
Carmacks – a rest stop with a general store, gas station, hotel and restaurant, where the highway crosses the Yukon River
Five Fingers Rapid – some members of the group hike down the steep stairs and trail to the rapids. I stay at the observation platform to fly my drone, capturing some panoramic photos and video of the river, valley and rapids.
Minto Landing RV – we stop for lunch by the river at this new RV park, which is still being developed. Our driver Harold is conscripted to serve the soup!
Pelly River Crossing – a rest stop with a general store and gas station, and 5G mobile reception! The highway is no longer following the Yukon River.
Stewart Crossing – a rest stop where the highway is now following the Stewart River.
Gravel Lake – rest stop where the highway is on the southern side of a broad valley. The Tintina Fault runs through this area of the Yukon from Circle, Alaska to Watson Lake.

The Tintina Fault runs from Circle, Alaska to Watson Lake, Yukon. The SW corner of Yukon landmass shifted 1,000 km 55 million years ago. Yukon government information sign at Gravel Lake.

We are staying at the Triple J Hotel and Cabins in Dawson City. I join some other tour group members for dinner and a beer in the hotel restaurant. Despite being a modest establishment, the food and service are good. After dinner, I go for a walking tour of historic Dawson City, since it is still daylight at 11PM!

Klondike Highway

12 photos

Whitehorse

Posted on July 30, 2025 by JoeTourist

July 30, 2025 – Local sights in Whitehorse

2025 Yukon & Northwest Territories

Our group have the included breakfast at the hotel before our tour director walks us over to the MacBride Museum, which is only a short distance away. There are the usual stuffed animals and birds, but I find the transportation history and artifacts of the Yukon fascinating, since it includes early sleds, horse-drawn and rail wagons, snowmobiles and more. I discover an old Peerless Magnarc movie projector, which unfortunately our museum guide doesn’t talk about. There is an authentic Miner’s tent showing all the supplies the miners had to haul with them into the gold mining areas. The Telegraph office is the oldest building still standing in Whitehorse, and includes original telegraph and telephone equipment, as well as a 1970s radio station.

Our bus shows up outside the museum to take us on a locally guided tour of Whitehorse. First stop is the SS Klondike sternwheeler, which is currently being restored by Parks Canada. We learn about the critical role these boats played in moving freight in the summer months between Whitehorse, Dawson City, and other mining towns. We visit a Hydro dam and fish ladder on the Yukon River, and spot a black bear cub as it crosses the road and climbs up the nearby hill. Our final stop before returning to the hotel is Miles Canyon on the Yukon River, where there is a pedestrian bridge to cross the river. It’s hard to believe the sternwheelers made it through this narrow passage lined with basalt columns! (see banner image above)

The Klondike paddlewheeler - under repair

After we return to Whitehorse, I have a late lunch at the Java Connection (TripAdvisor) since it is near the hotel. The chicken and pesto sourdough panini is very tasty, and I have a cappuccino before returning to the hotel. Late this afternoon, we visit the Beringia Centre, which features skulls and dioramas of Ice Age animals, and stories and artifacts of First peoples in the area. Our guide talks about the Blue Fish Caves (pdf) where many of these artifacts were found, and Dry Tundra grasslands, which were prevalent in the Yukon during the Ice Age, and where many of the animals on display lived.

Diorama: Giant Short-faced Bear defending a kill from wolves

I have a nice halibut and fish dinner at the nearby Klondike Rib & Salmon after we return to the city before walking along the Yukon River waterfront. There is a Trolley rail line operating along a section of the tracks, but the railway shed with the historic engine is closed. Despite it being late evening, there is lots of light since the Sun doesn’t set for several hours yet. When I return to the hotel, I make use of the blackout curtains to ensure I get to sleep.

Train shed and rail detris on the Yukon river shoreline

Victoria to Whitehorse

Posted on July 29, 2025 by JoeTourist

July 29, 2025 – Flight from Victoria to Vancouver and onward to Whitehorse

2025 Yukon & Northwest Territories

Flight map - Victoria to Vancouver — Flight map – Victoria to Vancouver

This morning, a Lincoln Navigator from LA Limousine takes me and two others who live nearby to Victoria airport. We meet our tour director Alistair and then check in at the Air North counter. Our flight to Whitehorse is delayed by 1.5 hours due to air traffic controller staffing issues in Vancouver, where we need to stop to board more passengers before flying to Whitehorse. The aircraft is at the gate, but here we sit in the waiting area.

Once loaded, there are about 50 passengers are on this Boeing 737-400, so there’s lots of space in the cabin! We takeoff from YYJ at 1:32pm and land at YVR at 1:47pm – a 15 minute flight. It is clear and sunny as we fly over the southern Gulf Islands and Fraser River delta before landing in Vancouver.

Flight map - Vancouver to Whitehorse — Flight map – Vancouver to Whitehorse

Once we’re at the gate in Vancouver, some passengers disembark and others embark, completely filling the cabin. We take off at 2:15pm, after a very slow taxi from the gate to the runway. It is a 2 hour and 5 minute flight to Whitehorse according to the captain. A meal is served mid-flight: a choice of 3 sandwiches, beverage and Air North’s signature warm chocolate chip cookie. There are some beautiful views of the Coast Mountain range on our flight north (see twin glaciers in banner image above).

We land in Whitehorse at 4:40PM, and there is a bus waiting to transfer our group of 22 to the Sternwheeler Hotel for two nights. We meet downstairs an hour later for a welcome dinner. Most of us have the Arctic Char, which is a local northern salmon served with a nice cream sauce, veggies and marinara rice. A drink is included, as well as a warm brownie and ice cream for dessert. Our tour director Alistair welcomes everyone, we introduce ourselves, Alistair shares some procedures for the tour and reviews what the tour will look like in the coming days.

Los Angeles to Victoria

Posted on April 13, 2024 by JoeTourist

Saturday, April 13, 2024 – flying from Los Angeles (LAX) to Calgary (YYC) to Victoria (YYJ)

Total Solar Eclipse & Mexican Riviera 10-day cruise aboard Discovery Princess – April 3-13, 2024

While I’m still on the ship, I activate the Airalo 5G data roaming, which is working well here in Los Angeles on Verizon. The Airalo data roaming also worked well in Mexico. Use my JOSEPH4203 referral code to sign up and save US$3.00. Use their app to install an eSIM – it’s simple, fast and way less expensive than paying your mobile carrier’s roaming rates!

After having some breakfast in the Lido, we leave the ship on time and take the pre-booked transfer bus to LAX. We find the gate area is a zoo, with people everywhere and everyone crowded into far too small a space (see banner image above). Despite the mayhem at the gate, our completely full flight to Calgary leaves only about 10 minutes late.

Westjet flight from LAX to YYC - 2024-04-13, 1:39:26 PM — Westjet flight from LAX to YYC

Flight time is 2 hours 29 minutes, so a bit faster than originally planned. I have hummus, mini bread sticks and a Coke in-flight for a midday snack. A toddler in the row ahead of me screams for the first part of the flight, but thankfully gets tired eventually.

Canada Border Control clearance in Calgary doesn’t take long, so despite only having an hour between flights, I have time to grab a turkey sandwich (for dinner) from a Tim Horton’s next to the gate for our flight to Victoria. Our aircraft pushes away from the gate at 5:20pm, so these Westjet flights to home are working much better than the Air Canada flights to LA at the start of the trip.

My iPhone’s Find My app notifies me that my iPod Pro was last seen in Terminal 2 – Calgary or LAX? I couldn’t find the charging case as I was leaving the LA flight at the Calgary gate, so it must be on that aircraft. I have the earbuds with me, so rather than going through the hassle of notifying WestJet, I can get the case replaced by Apple for a nominal fee when I’m home.

We land in Victoria a bit ahead of schedule, retrieve our checked bags, and we’re soon home. Overall, this was a very successful trip to see a total solar eclipse from a cruise ship off the coast of Mexico. Unlike what some eclipse chasers across North America dealt with, the weather on eclipse day at our location was near perfect, and we had a great time along the way.

Victoria to Los Angeles

Posted on April 3, 2024 by JoeTourist

Tuesday, April 2, 2024- Victoria (YYJ) to Vancouver (YVR) to Los Angeles (LAX) on Air Canada

Total Solar Eclipse & Mexican Riviera 10-day cruise aboard Discovery Princess – April 3-13, 2024

Princess Cruises sent me a notice of flight change last night. They booked me on a United flight from Vancouver to Los Angeles that had a 2.5 hour layover in Vancouver instead of the previous Air Canada flight where we wait for 8.5 hours in Vancouver. This United flight would have been much better since we arrive in LAX at dinner time instead of midnight. Unfortunately, I don’t see this flight on the Air Canada app or online, and when I check in to Victoria Airport, the Air Canada agent can’t find the reference. So we’re back to waiting 8.5 hours in Vancouver for the original Air Canada flight.

I’m ready at 8:30AM, so we drive out to Victoria airport, arriving at 9AM. When I check in, I’m on the later Air Canada flight to Los Angeles since the agent can’t find any reference to the United flight. I know today is going to be a marathon!

My friend arrives at the gate at 11:00AM, and we depart Victoria at 12:00PM on Air Canada De Havilland Q400 for Vancouver. We have nice views along the way for the short flight to Vancouver. After pre-clearing US Customs and Immigration in Vancouver and finding Gate E81, we go to the nearby Canucks Bar & Grill to have a meal and a beer – both pretty good, albeit expensive!

Our Air Canada flight from YVR to LAX was originally scheduled to depart at 7:50pm, but after several delays, departs after 10:00pm. This pushes our arrival time well past midnight in Los Angeles. What pathetic service! While we were waiting those long hours, we were considering we might not arrive in Los Angeles in time to board the ship. We both booked airfares through Princess Cruises, we would have some protection provided by their Late Arrival Protection program, where they will work with airlines to re-book and fly us to the next port-of-call. We’re glad it didn’t come to that. We are both experienced travellers, but have a very bad feeling about this delayed flight.

An Air Canada agent shows up at 8:45pm and there are three flight attendants and two pilots in the gate area, so it looks like our flight will eventually happen. Our aircraft is coming from Calgary, so it pulls into a domestic terminal gate first and is then towed to our International gate, so the agent warns us that will take a bit of time. Our 22-year old Airbus A321 (C-GITY) finally pulls away from the gate at 10:10PM. Our flight time is 2:26, landing in LAX at 12:44 AM. I’ve never been so happy to see Los Angeles airport (see banner image above, for our final approach view)!

Thankfully Air Canada doesn’t lose our bags, however taxis and ride shares are no longer allowed at the LAX International terminal. We have to schlep our bags onto a blue shuttle, which takes us to a lot behind the terminal buildings where we hire a taxi to the Courtyard by Marriott – Torrence Palos Verdes. It is now 2AM – we are so beat!

Vancouver Arrival

Posted on October 24, 2023 by JoeTourist

2023 Vancouver-Hawai’i Cruise

Oct 24, 2023 – Arrival in Vancouver, BC, Canada and onward to home in Victoria

The Koningsdam arrives in Vancouver harbour in the dark before sunrise. I have my usual light breakfast in the Grand Dutch Cafe return to my stateroom and do some last minute packing, leaving around 8AM. Since I’m a 4-star Mariner and I’m pulling my own bag, I can leave the ship whenever I want. I walk down the gangway, clear Canada Customs and Immigration, and walk one block to the Waterfront station to catch the Canada Line Skytrain to the airport. I take the free shuttle bus to the South Terminal, where I check in with Pacific Coastal Airways. Now the long wait begins for my 2:45PM flight back to Victoria.

It’s 8ºC and raining at the airport, so there’s no way I’m going outside to spot planes as I usually do. I have a couple of scrambled eggs, toast and potatoes at the Galiano Cafe before lunch to tide me over until dinner time at home. I manage to while away the hours working on my journal and travel photos on my MacBook Pro until it is finally departure time.

The flight is delayed for over an hour due to a number of factors: late arrival from Victoria due to weather; and after we are loaded, it is discovered the aircraft is overweight, so the last passenger on the roster has to leave along with her luggage to wait for the next flight. Once we roll off the apron, for some reason the pilot performs a thrust test before we take off into some pretty dreadful conditions all the way back to Victoria. Thankfully, after flying through clouds the whole way, there is enough visibility to land at Victoria. My family has waited for over an hour for my eventual arrival, but I’m finally home!

Vancouver Departure

Posted on October 7, 2023 by JoeTourist

2023 Vancouver-Hawai’i Cruise

I have a coffee and a cereal bar in my hotel room before checking out and rolling my bag the few blocks down to Canada Place, stopping for a quick selfie before going inside. I am through the check-in at the cruise terminal shortly after my10:20AM boarding time, however it takes about an hour for the ship to start accepting passengers aboard. Since I roll my own bag aboard, I’m soon settled into my stateroom #5023.

I then head to the Grand Dutch Cafe for lunch: Beenam’s ham sandwich and a bowl of Dutch pea soup. The couple ordering ahead of me insist on loading up with two giant sized chocolate-covered cream puffs and two slices of Dutch apple pie each! The server and I have a chuckle about their greed. I take a cappuccino and a Perrier bottled water back to my stateroom.

Dutch apple pie, Chocolate vanilla cake, bran, chocolate and blueberry muffins, giant-sized chocolate covered cream puff. Dutch pea soup, Beenam’s ham sandwich. Grand Dutch Cafe aboard Koningsdam

It’s a lovely sunny day in Vancouver as the ship pulls away from the dock at about 4:45pm, which is a bit late due to a passenger having to be taken off the ship at the last minute for medical reasons. I never get tired of being aboard a ship at it sails under Lion’s Gate Bridge, passing Stanley Park and the North Shore heading out into the Strait of Georgia. It is dark by the time we pass my home city of Victoria, so rather than spend time on deck, I have my first Martini on this voyage and enjoy the jazz, blues and rock on the Music Walk venues this evening.

Harbour Air seaplane taxiing to the dock in Coal Harbour with pleasure craft and Chevron fuel dock, Brockton Point, Stanley Park, Lion's Gate bridge and the North Shore mountains

Victoria to Vancouver

Posted on October 6, 2023 by JoeTourist

2023 Vancouver-Hawai’i Cruise

I like to arrive in a cruise departure city the day before a cruise leaves, in order to not be rushed and to reduce the inevitable anxiety of being ready to board the ship at the appointed day and time. I have a leisurely breakfast at home and take care of some last minute packing before going to the airport in the late morning. I check my bag at the check-in desk, go through security and have lots of time left to spot aircraft from the domestic gates waiting area. I only spot the usual suspects today: Westjet, Air Canada and Flair, and of course Pacific Coastal, which is my airline today.

Air Canada Rouge, Westjet, Porter, Flair & Pacific Coastal spotted at Victoria airport

My Pacific Coastal Airlines, Flight 106 on a Beech 1900D leaves Victoria Airport at 1:40PM, arriving at Vancouver airport’s South Terminal at 2:15PM. Skies are clear as we cross Georgia Strait, giving me some good views of the Gulf Islands. As we approach Vancouver Airport from the east, it’s fascinating to fly low over the Fraser River delta farms and urban development in Surrey, Richmond and Delta. I even catch some glimpses of Mount Baker to the south of us through the orange-coloured haze in the sky this afternoon. I take the shuttle to the Main Terminal and board the Canada Line Skytrain, arriving at the City Centre Station a half hour later. I’m staying at the Metropolitan Hotel, which is a 5-minute walk away.

I use the MarineTraffic app on my iPhone to check on Koningsdam’s current position. As of 4:30PM, the ship is just entering Johnston Strait near Port Hardy on northern Vancouver Island, heading south to dock in Vancouver tomorrow morning. After having a shower and catching up with my online social media, I go downstairs to the hotel’s Diva bar and restaurant for some dinner. I have Grilled salmon over a roasted beet salad with a glass of Granville Island Pale Ale.

After dinner, I go on a walkabout downtown at sunset, taking photos of the buildings with my Canon R5. The art deco Marine Building is always a good subject, especially since it is surrounded with modern glass towers which reflect its image. The Apple Store is across the street from my hotel, but I’m not tempted to shop, despite being an Apple fan!

Vancouver

34 photos

Vancouver Arrival

Posted on April 30, 2023 by JoeTourist

April 30, 2023 – Sunday – Arrival in Vancouver and onward to home in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

2023 Panama Canal Cruise

I’m up at 6am to experience the beautiful light as we sail past English Bay, under Lion’s Gate Bridge and Stanley Park, down Burrard Inlet to the harbour. I grab a cappuccino and a chocolate croissant from the Explorations Cafe to take back to my stateroom. The ship docks in Vancouver a bit ahead of time, despite having two cruise ships docked at Canada Place ahead of us: the huge Discovery Princess and the much smaller Brillance of the Seas. This is the end of the cruise for me, and a return to reality!

Since I’m rolling my own bag off the ship, I’m one of the first off the ship, leaving at 8AM. Canada Customs and Immigration don’t want to talk to the departing passengers, so I make my way to the nearby Skytrain Waterfront Station and board the Canada Line which goes to the airport. It takes 35 minutes, so I’m at the airport station by 8:45am, catch the shuttle to the South Terminal, and check my bag with Pacific Coastal Airlines for my flight home to Victoria.

My flight doesn’t leave until 12:45pm, so I try going to the observing platform outside the terminal to spot planes, but the breeze is cold and there are very few aircraft moving at this time of day. Retreating back to the terminal building, I grab a muffin from the Galiano Cafe and settle in to wait by editing some of my photos on my notebook.

The flight goes without a hitch, however the dull grey weather means I take few photos out the aircraft window. We land on runway 13, which is unusual, but brings us very close to the apron in front of the terminal. My family are waiting for me, and my bag is the first on the belt. We pay the $2 parking fee and drive home, where the rest of the family are waiting to greet me.

Vancouver Harbour by sea

24 photos

Victoria

Posted on April 29, 2023 by JoeTourist

April 29, 2023 – Saturday – Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

2023 Panama Canal Cruise

I don’t want to miss a thing as the ship approaches my home town, so I’m out on my verandah at 7:15am as we round Cape Flattery, sailing into Juan de Fuca Strait with Neah Bay, Washington visible through the fog bank. The snowfields on the Olympic Mountains to the south of us are impressive, and the Race Rocks lighthouse stands out from the marine mist as the Sun burns it away on the north side of the Strait.

Later, the pilot from Victoria arrives onboard as we sail past Sooke and Metchosin. Our ship docks at Ogden Point in Victoria about a half hour early at 11:30am. The Discovery Princess is already docked in the slip beside our ship, so that means about 5,000 passengers are going ashore today – 3,000 from the Discovery Princess and 2,000 from the Nieuw Amsterdam!

It is a bright sunny day, and it is warming up nicely, so I put on sunscreen before leaving the ship to be a tourist in my own town, at least in the James Bay neighbourhood. I walk slowly along Dallas Road to Fishermans Wharf, where I encounter hordes of cruise ship passengers. I guess the food and tour vendors on the wharf are happy to see them, but I’m surprised that the dock doesn’t sink under all that weight!

I walk further along the harbour, but there are so many people and traffic on Bellville, I decide to divert to Superior Street where it is quiet. I need a break, so I go to Discovery Coffee on Menzies Street and enjoy a traditional cappuccino away from the crowds and noise. The sunshine is great, making for a lovely day, showing off all the Spring flowers in bloom around the city.

My plan was to take the tour of the BC Legislature, however the building is closed to tours on the weekends and a protest on the front lawn is just winding up. Also, the Causeway and downtown are packed with tourists, so after taking a few photos of the Inner Harbour and the outside of the BC Legislature, I once again divert by wandering south on Government Street. I take photos of the old historic neighbourhood along the way and then turn right at Dallas Road, walking slowly from Holland Point along the waterfront to return to the ship by 5pm.

The above map is a 6km (2.5 mi) route, with a total walking time of 1 hour, 15 minutes if you don’t stop. It took me 2.5 hours with a 15 minute rest stop at the coffee shop, and a bit slower pace than normal to appreciate the sights and take a few photos. There are no hills and all the walking is on sidewalks.

I enjoy my last dinner aboard ship in the Main Dining Room this evening, having Smoked Salmon Rosettes with salmon caviar to start, Filet of Beef Wellington with mashed celery root, peas and carrots for my main course, and Baked Alaska for dessert..

Our ship departs at 10:50pm to slowly sail overnight to Vancouver, arriving early tomorrow morning at Canada Place.

James Bay, Victoria, BC

40 photos