Travel

Getting to Whitehorse -- the long, scenic way

mcmurren_bannerSometimes one day on the road -- or one stretch of highway -- can really change how you see things.

Close to home, I never get tired of the drive along Turnagain Arm. Whether it's summer or winter, there are dozens of vantage points along the road from which to grab a quick snapshot or just gaze out at nature's majesty.

Scott McMurren photos
Scott McMurren photos
Pulling out of Auke Bay, heading up Lynn Canal on Alaska Marine Highway's fast ferry, the Fairweather. Four jets means about 38 knots!

Here's another one: make the drive from Juneau to Whitehorse. I know -- there's no road. But that's another story. I'm in Whitehorse this week with hundreds of travel industry folks. Rather than take the nonstop charter, I opted to fly to Juneau. From there, I rented a car from Avis and rolled it on the fast ferry Fairweather.

This is the sister ship of the Chenega, which plies the waters between Whittier, Valdez and Cordova. The ship pulled out of Auke Bay, just north of the Juneau airport, at 7:20a.m. on Monday. After rounding the point, the captain put the hammer down and you could feel those engines spool up to cruising speed.

It was crisp and clear outside. Snow dusted the tops of the mountains, which the hills were gold and yellow. A lighthouse here, a waterfall there. Lynn Canal is pretty skinny, so there's no problem getting a good look at what's happening on the beach or the hills beyond.

The ferry ride is less than three hours. Thankfully, there is a self-serve espresso machine on board -- so everyone who wanted to got a little caffeine fix. And while there were snacks on board, it's nothing special. So, when we stopped in at the Sweet Tooth Cafe in Skagway for a "real" breakfast, every table was filled with fellow ferry passengers.

The town of Skagway is definitely quiet this time of year -- all the cruise ships have gone south for the winter. So when we started up the highway to Whitehorse -- there really wasn't anyone else on the road.

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It's a steep climb up the pass -- and we could see the White Pass Railway on the other side of the valley. The steep grades, the trestles and bridges force you to admire the engineering that went into building the railroad more than 100 years ago.

In the summer, you can take the train up to Fraser, BC. It's definitely with the trip. Cruise passengers just go up and back in the same day, but you can get a one-way ticket, then take a bus into Whitehorse if you wish.

It's just 15 miles from Skagway to the U.S.-Canada border. Of course, it's a low-key affair at the border crossing. But you must have your passport.

lakecountrybc
One of the many stunning vistas in British Columbia's lake country

The real story of this road is the incredible countryside, though. There are lakes, sand dunes, raw rock faces and all varieties of geology which fairly jump out at you as you're driving by, especially if the sun is shining.

We drove into a cloud cover as we approached the White Pass summit, but the clouds broke away soon after we crossed the boarder and headed toward Whitehorse.

Whitehorse is the capital of the Yukon Territories. As a province, the Yukon partners with the state of Alaska to promote the area to travelers around the world.

This is just the second stop on the "Golden Circle Route." Later this week, we'll take off for Haines Junction, then take a hard left down to Haines. I've driven this part of the road before -- and it is nothing short of spectacular. There's a chance it will be shrouded in snow -- but we're ready for it.

We're looking forward to dinner with friends in Haines. The next morning, we'll have some time to explore this lovely little town, so beautifully characterized in Heather Lende's latest book, "Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs."

Afterwards, the Fairweather will pull in, and we'll roll the car on for the final leg back to Juneau.

It's another great Alaska adventure, with a Canadian twist. Something to write home about, really.

Scott's tips:

Visit my public Facebook album (no registration required) to see more scenic beauty from the first leg of my Canadian adventure.

Visit the Yukon. It's larger than life.

Whitehorse is at the center of the action.

Alaska Marine Highway. I love the ferry.

Scott McMurren is an Anchorage-based travel marketing consultant who has lived in Alaska for three decades, spending much of that time traveling the far-flung corners of the state. Visit his website at www.alaskatravelgram.com.

Scott McMurren

Scott McMurren is an Anchorage-based marketing consultant, serving clients in the transportation, hospitality, media and specialty destination sectors, among others. Contact him by email at zoom907@me.com. Subscribe to his e-newsletter at alaskatravelgram.com. For more information, visit alaskatravelgram.com/about.

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