When parents and grandparents are planning a family vacation, many think south, yet there’s a terrific family destination the other direction, way up north in Yukon.

There are places to learn about Canadian history in a fun way, indoor and outdoor attractions that the whole family can enjoy, and best of all, a relaxed, friendly atmosphere with no crowds and no lineups. Prices for flights from Vancouver, car rental and accommodation are reasonable too. It’s an easy two-and-a-half hour flight, and of course there is no border to cross or money to change. In the summer, temperatures average in the mid 20s.

Whitehorse is an attractive small city of 25,000 with a pretty setting on the Yukon River. Kids love the little narrow-gauge Waterfront Trolley, a refurbished 1925 trolley that runs back and forth along a 10-kilometre stretch of the Yukon River. It’s a hop-on, hop-off trip, and it stops at the restored SS Klondike, one of the sternwheeler riverboats that in the early 20th century plied the Yukon River from Whitehorse to Dawson City. Another stop is at the brand new Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre, an impressive facility that celebrates the art and culture of the local First Nations people.

Also just a hop off the tram is the McBride Museum, with photos, artifacts and displays about the gold rush. Here kids can try their hand at gold panning.

Beside the train is a part of the 5.5-km Millennium Trail, a flat circular trail through park and forest that travels both sides of the Yukon River. It’s an easy walk or bike ride for the whole family, with bike rentals readily available. From the trail you can walk to the Whitehorse Fish Ladder at the Yukon River dam, the longest wooden fish ladder in the world, and watch Yukon River chinook salmon and other species from underground viewing windows.

Near the airport, just 10 minutes from town, is the bite-sized Beringia Interpretive Centre. The ancient land of Beringia — which was a land bridge between what is now Siberia and Alaska — was a place of ice, huge mammals and the first people of North America. Glaciers never formed there because it was too dry. It was home to the giants of the Ice Age: the woolly mammoth, the giant short-faced bear, the steppe bison and the scimitar cat. All are on display at the museum.

I think even the most jaded young urbanite would put down the smartphone long enough to gasp at the sight of the 5.5-metre-tall mammoth skeleton, or the long short-faced bear, which weighed 660 kilograms and, when it stood up, could reach nearly 6.5 metres, about a metre taller than a basketball hoop. When it’s time to get out of the city, the Yukon Wildlife Preserve, just 25 minutes from Whitehorse, is a 285-hectare stretch of native animals including woodland caribou, Canada lynx, Rocky Mountain elk, mountain goats, moose, mule deer, wood bison, muskoxen, Arctic foxes and more. Take time for a stop at Bean North Coffee Roasting, a delightful place set in a wooded location just past the Yukon Wildlife Preserve, with organic fair trade coffee, delicious home baking, soups and paninis.

If the budget allows, there are two terrific ways to see more of the Whitehorse area: by train and by plane.