4 Wheels 4 Girls

On June 27th, the day Stella got her ears pierced, we walked around in Dawson City. We went in lots of cool shops while Dad and Jean worked in the RV.

We looked around in a few stores, and then Stella and I read a magazine and Ellie and Ana read books. It was nice and relaxing.

We sat in that store for about an hour, and then we went to look at a really cool 100-year-old building that was falling apart. One wall was made from old, flattened out steel barrels. There was a sign next to it that said, “Please don’t laugh at me!” It was cool.

This wall was made with old barrels

We didn’t buy anything, but it was still a fun day shopping in Dawson City! 😛

June 27th, I woke up. I was going to get my ears pierced! Our parents said we would go into town a little later than nine, but when we left was after lunch! So I had to be really patient and wait for almost the whole day.

When we finally left, I was really nervous. We went in to another store to ask where the ear-piercing place was. They told us, and we went. We went about a block, and the place was on the corner. Suddenly, we were inside, and Dad was telling the lady that we had a girl who was going to get her ears pierced. I was just pretending that I wasn’t there. The lady was in the middle of cutting someone’s hair, so she said we should come back in fifteen minutes. That calmed me down. We went across the street to a gift shop. We looked around, and I saw something I really liked. They were shoes, and really nice ones, but they were 50 bucks. So I didn’t get anything.

After fifteen minutes, Dad asked me if I was ready. I said yes, because I was, but I was also very not ready. I was really scared. When we got back into the ear-piercing place, I picked out the earrings I wanted and sat down in the chair. Before I knew it, it was done. I got my ears pierced in Dawson City!

My ears are pierced! Yay!

June 26, at the Dawson City Museum, we went to a show in the train building. It was about a lady named Lillian who was traveling to Russia. She was walking to Russia because she wanted to go home. She was from Poland. She didn’t like to talk to people. She wanted to be left alone She almost froze because it was so cold. She met these people when she came knocking on the door and she was sick. They gave her some medicine and they told her to stop at eight cabins on her way. My dad says they put her in a nice warm jail with nice warm food for the winter so she wouldn’t freeze. My favorite part was when a reported said, “So I heard you married a bear.” The last time anybody saw her was in Dawson City.

There were three trains in the train building. There were two buckets on a train. One carried sand and the other carried water. The sand was to drop down in front of the wheels so they don’t slip or something, I don’t remember.

June 26th, we walked around in Dawson City. On our way to lunch after the museum, Dad said he wanted to show us something really cool. We were walking down the sidewalk when suddenly we stopped in front of an old church that was tilted every which way!

St. Andrews church, built in 1901

Then, right after lunch at Sourdough Joe’s, (which, by the way, was delicious!) Dad showed us two more buildings that were tilted against each other! They were also super cool. 🙂

Those are some leaning buildings!

I really enjoyed our day in the city!!!

On June 26 we got up and had breakfast. We got ready to go out and walk around in Dawson City. Me, Ana, and Daddy went to unhook the RV. We did that and still waited. Me and Ana looked for rocks. Then finally every one came out and we started our walk.

Dawson City still looks a lot like it did 100 years ago

First we went to see the Yukon River. Then we went to the Northwest Territories Visitor Center. We looked around and we watched a movie about the Dempster Highway. After that the lady gave us each a huge poster that had caribou on it. After that we thanked her and then we went to the Dawson City Visitor Center. We asked about horseback riding and they said there was none here. They gave us a piece of paper that told us that there was some fun stuff at the museum.

We went to the museum to learn about Dawson city. When we got there we were late for the gold digging activity. Mommy paid for our tickets and then we caught up with the rest of the group. We were met by a really nice lady who told us how to find gold. She showed us the gold that they found. It was just dust. They found it in two months. It was just a small amount of dust.

Learning how to pan for gold

After that we went to go and look in the museum. Me and Ana got bored so we ran around. Daddy got real mad. Then we went to look in the gift shop. We read some books and then Mommy came and said let’s go to the miners meeting.

When we got there there were a lot of people. Then two girls dressed up like men and a real man came out. They had picked out somebody from the crowd. They told this story that some man tried to kill them and then the other man told the same story and then the person that that tried to kill them said he was trying to scare away a bear! Who would believe him? He was trying to scare away a bear. Then they said who thinks he should be hung? About five people said yes. Then the same man said who thinks he should be a free man. More than six people said yes. After that we left to go ot and explore some more.

We went outside into a tent were we would learn about how to get to Dawson city. We came at the last part. When we got inside the tent the people let us have the their seats. We thanked them and sat down. The lady that was dressed up like a woman back way back when the gold rush gave us each a piece of homemade bread with really good jelly on it. After that they told us that the people that wanted to get here had to bring all these things on the piece of paper. There was really a lot of stuff they had to bring. All together each person had to bring a thousand pounds of stuff all the way to Dawson We looked at the list for a log time. They also told us that they had these ladder backpack things that they would have to bring up. Greta tried it on. It looked really hard to carry. They also said there were no guns allowed and if they did not have something from the list they were stranded up on the mountain. They asked us if we knew how to make sourdough. We said no. Greta read how to make sourdough. After that we said good by and thanked them.

Imagine carrying a hundred pounds on your back with this backpack

One June 25 we were driving on our way to Dawson City. While driving, Mommy, Ana, Stella and I we were also making our dinner of hot ham and cheese sandwiches. Then out of the corner of our eyes we saw something in the water. What was that? My it was a big moose! Daddy backed up and tried to go back. Then we all hopped out and grabbed the binoculars. We all tried to be the one to find it, but it was gone. We gave up and Daddy told us to try to be quiet the next time we saw an animal.

No moose photo, but these are some beautiful fireweed flowers along the Klondike Highway

AT the Coalmine Campgrond. we went to the bathrooms and i spoted somthing moveing. It WAS KIDDO HE WAS SO CUTE! By the way kiddo is a haskey. then are perents told us it was time to go to bed.The next Morning i went out to find kiddo he wasent ther. Then i played alittle by the river the yucon river and then we wuld play with sticks, rocks, and pinecones. It was very faste and are sticks they floated down the river fast. Ellie toched and siad it was cold:]

Me and Kiddo

Editor’s translation:
At the Coal Mine Campground (in Carmacks, Yukon), we went to the bathrooms and I spotted something moving. IT WAS KIDDO, HE WAS SO CUTE! By the way, Kiddo is a husky puppy. Then our parents told us it was time to go to bed. The next morning I went out to find Kiddo, but he wasn’t there. Then Ellie and I played a little by the Yukon River and then we would play with sticks, rocks, and pinecones. The river was very fast and our sticks floated down the river fast. Ellie touched it and said it was cold. :]

June 24th, we went to the Braeburn Lodge.

About an hour before, I heard our parents talking about cinnamon rolls… I had no idea what they were talking about.

We pulled into a parking lot on the side of the road. I asked where we were and Jean said, “Let’s go check out these cinnamon rolls!” I excitedly threw my shoes on and hopped out the door with my sisters behind me. We went inside. I was really surprised we stopped there. My parents usually have no time for treats, but guess what they did today? Wait! I can’t tell you yet.

So we went up to the counter. Jean asked if they had dinner and the lady answered happily, “Absolutely!” She lead us to a table with six seats. We all sat down. Unfortunately, I got the seat by the window with all the bees, but otherwise, dinner was great.

We looked at our menus and ordered when the waitress came back. Greta and I split something, Ellie and Ana split something, and Jean and Dad split something. When our food came, we realized just how big the meals really were. They were HUGE, bigger than Greta’s head! (Sorry, Greta! I change that to Dad!) So they were bigger than Dad’s head! (Sorry, Dad, your head isn’t huge either.) Here’s some pictures to let you get a feel for how big the meals were:

Braeburn Lodge, where the sandwiches are as big as your head!

And…

Difficult to eat, but so good!

So aren’t the burgers and sandwiches huge? They were delicious, too. But next came the cinnamon buns. Or, I should say, bun.

The waitress asked us if we wanted to have our bun heated up, and we said yes. So after a few minutes, she came back holding a… cake. A cake? Wait… it was a cinnamon bun! The size of a cake! It was even bigger than the sandwiches, maybe twice the size! And it was the best cinnamon roll I’d ever had!

We had a great dinner and a great time at the Braeburn Lodge.

June 24 (Happy 50th anniversary, Mom and Dad!), we drove the Alaska Highway to Whitehorse, Yukon. The scenery was stunning, as usual.

Looking out the window along the Alaska Highway

We stopped in Whitehorse for gas and groceries. The original plan was to stay overnight, but our campground of choice was full. So we pressed on, exiting the Alaska Highway and heading north on the Klondike Highway, bound for Dawson City. Strange to say, but after spending so many days on fairly remote roads in central and northern BC, the Alaska Highway was feeling pretty big and crowded. It was a relief to get off the main road and back onto a road-less-travelled. And what a wonderful road the Klondike Highway turned out to be.

June 23rd we staying at the Yukon Continental Divide Lodge. We built our own Alaska Highway. I filled up a truck, a little one, with sand. But we pretended that it was gravel. I would lift down the see-saw and I would let the truck come on. And it would go over the see-saw. Then we would back it up onto the see-saw and it would go backwards down the see-saw. Then we would fill it up with sticks and put it on the Alaska Highway. Then we put some hay down so it wouldn’t sink. And straw. And then the final Alaska Highway was built.

Working on the Alaska Highway

It wasn’t the real Alaska Highway. It was made out of sand and the real Alaska Highway is made out of cement. Cars didn’t go on our Alaska Highway. Only the little cars could go on it that we had. For little cars it was like two miles long, but for real cars it was probably only one and half miles. The truck that we carried the sand with, it’s name was Lady.