WHITEHORSE: THE CITY OF RAVENS

Something you should know is that I am not a fan of anything about 10 degrees Celsius. In Vancouver, our ‘winters’ tend to be mild so I was freaking out about -20 degree temperatures (or below 0 degrees for those of you using Fahrenheit). Something about the air hits you differently though. It’s crisp and wakes you up, unlike the cold air most of us are used to which makes you want to crawl back into bed under a bundle of 20 blankets. For someone who has to wear three layers on any given winter day in Vancouver, I was surprised to be wearing only two layers at -15 degrees at 8 am on a clear day.

The town has it’s own undeniable charm. It’s got everything you would expect from a small town in Yukon, combined with any resources you’d find in a large city, but with its own quirkiness making it a must see town.

The first word that comes to mind when describing Whitehorse? Diversity. Odd as it is, a range of cuisine ranging from Chinese to Jamaican and anywhere in between could be found. Not only was every restaurant we tried family owned and authentic, but the food rivaled what you would find in any other major city.

Of course, you could find your chain restaurants such as McDonald’s or Starbucks and even multiple Tim Horton’s but you gotta eat like a local to know what it’s like to be a local. To me, that’s what is most interesting about traveling: life in the city.

WHITEHORSE: THE WILDERNESS

Words to describe Yukon in the dead middle of winter? Wow. Stunning. Remarkable. Astounding. And those are only the ones that come off the top of my head. I’ll let the pictures do most of the talking but some must do’s: animal spotting at the wildlife preserve (the bus tour is very informative and recommended), Takhini Hot Springs, dog sledding (for those that don’t have a fear of large canine animals), and of course, looking for the Northern lights. While I didn’t get to see any due to some cloudy unusually warm nights, the views were still spectacular.

IMPRESSIONS OF YUKON

So to sum it all up? Whitehorse is an amazing city and Yukon is beautiful. The people are some of the friendliest Canadians you will ever meet and the vibe screams loving community. Everyone welcomes you with open arms and invites you to explore their backyard like it’s your own. There is a certain authenticity in the Yukon. Happiness is abound, and friendliness seems to be the common factor among everyone. There is a certain pride among the citizens of Yukon and it’s infectious. It is hard not to fall in love with this town. For someone who has visited so many major cities in the world it’s almost impossible to remember them all, the Yukon provided a glimpse of the Arctic so inviting it almost felt like a home.

In the Arctic winter, the majority of tourist sites are understandably closed. While this was unfortunate, it serves as an incentive to return in the summer. The nature and scenery provided the city a beautiful backdrop. However, without the snow, the greenery must paint a picture worth looking at over and over again. I was not sold when I booked my ticket to the north but will I be visiting again? Definitely.