Whitehorse, YT

Today was another slow paced day. Bob first checked with Canadian Tire to do our oil change and a tire rotation and we were able to leave the camper/truck in their lot and they would fit us into their busy schedule if possible. (It worked out!) It was handy that they were next to Camp Walmart and we were able to walk the river's edge nature trails along the trolley tracks. We hoped to catch a ride back (2 km about each way) but ended up walking a lot today. Whitehorse is a nice town with the Yukon bending around it. It has a wonderful history with the gold, silver miners, steamships and even earlier with the First Nation fish camps. Our first stop was the library to get some Wifi, and as our stomachs were growling pressed onward to a recommended Chinese food restaurant for some of the tasty buffet lunch offerings. Yummy! I especially enjoyed the Jasmine Tea. Then to walk it off, we headed to the nearby park along the Yukon, to the "beached" S.S. Klondike. We were able to do a self guided tour (free) and were nearly the only ones aboard, most of the time or occasionally there were 2 others doing the same. No crushing crowds as would be in season soon! It was the last of the great Yukon Sternwheelers and was flat bottomed. It retired in the 1950's and once was paraded on a "trip down main street" to relocate it. This was most fortunate as it saved it by being consumed in a fire which devastated the 4 or so others that were stored along the river above the shore edges. It was quite a process to remove them each year before the ice season set into the rivers and then glide them back into the waters each spring. They first tried to use fats, but the dogs ate that off the rails (placed under the stern for gliders) then they used something like 5,000 lbs of palmolive soap flakes lightly moistened! It was very interesting learning all the historical facts for this area. It cost just over a months wages for first class passage. Otherwise you were only allowed up out of the cargo hold only onto the main deck for fresh air and scenery.It would have been quite a job to come up with "gourmet" meals in their small but well provided for kitchens.After returning back to our camper we drove about a mile to the Yukon Brewing Co. for some samples and made an assorted 6-pack to take along and go with our supper back at Camp Walmart.