The Yukon is not just about raw nature and white-knuckle thrills — although there’s plenty of that. It also offers spiritual retreats and even some quirky literary footnotes. Here’s a list of my top five things to do:

1. Kluane Glacier Air Tours, Haines Junction, Yukon

Hop into a Cessna 207 single-prop plane and fly over the frozen peaks and monster glaciers of the St. Elias Mountains in Kluane National Park. From 10,000 feet, the alpine spectacle that unfolds before your eyes is both awesome and frightening with wave after wave of sawtooth ridgelines criss-crossing the landscape in every direction. You couldn’t survive in this harshly beautiful environment without special gear and equipment. The Himalayas may have higher mountains and Greenland may have more massive glaciers, but there is no better combination of both big mountains and big glaciers anywhere in the world. On a clear day, you can see Mt. Logan, Canada’s tallest peak at 5,959 metres. Prices start at $250 per person for a 50-minute flight.

2. Our Lady of the Way Catholic Church, Haines Junction, Yukon

This is probably the quirkiest church in Canada. Father E. Morriset, the first Catholic preacher in this part of the Yukon, built it in 1954. Resources were scarce so he ingeniously customized a U.S. army dwelling known as a Quonset hut into a tiny, barrel-shaped structure. The huts, made of steel arched ribs covered with a skin of corrugated sheet metal, were used by the U.S. army during construction of the Alaska Highway. Morriset mounted a pendant and white cross to the entrance and attached a small bell tower to the rear. Inside, the atmosphere is deeply spiritual, providing the perfect sanctuary to meditate before returning to the road. Our Lady of the Way is the most photographed church in the Yukon.

http://www.hainesjunctionyukon.com/index.php

3. Takhini Hot Springs, Whitehorse, Yukon

Located 28 kilometres from Whitehorse, these relaxing hot springs are definitely worth the drive. There are two connected pools, with water flowing into the hot pool at 40 C, gradually cooling in the second larger pool to 35 C. The natural mineral waters come from deep inside the earth with a fairly high concentration of calcium, magnesium and iron. There is no sulphur so the hot springs are odourless. Mineral springs contain a high amount of negative ions which draw toxins out of the body and promote feelings of physical and psychological well-being. This was a popular stop during the Klondike Gold Rush. Adult admission is $11.50.

4. Yukon Wildlife Preserve, Whitehorse, Yukon

This 700-acre conservation area is a magical combination of flat lands, rolling hills, wetlands and steep rock cliffs. These habitats are home to every major species of herbivore native to the Yukon, including woodland caribou, elk, mountain goat, Yukon moose, mule deer, muskox, wood bison and several species of thinhorn sheep. There are also red and Arctic foxes and lynx, and a baby moose. The reserve, partly supported by Environment Yukon, is 24 kilometres from Whitehorse on the same road to Takhini Hot Springs. Adult rates are $15 for self-guided walking tours and $22 for a guided bus tour.

5. Jack London bronze, Whitehorse, Yukon

This larger-than-life bust of the iconic American author is located at Main St. and Fourth Ave. Jack London came to the Yukon in the summer of 1897 at the age of 21 and camped in Whitehorse. He then sailed down the Yukon River to spend fall and winter in Dawson City and points beyond at the height of the Klondike Gold Rush. London’s year in the Yukon, where he lost his front teeth due to scurvy, deeply influenced some of his best novels and short stories. The Call of The Wild and White Fang became bestsellers that made him rich and put Canada’s Yukon Territory on the literary map. London’s bust was cast by Whitehorse artist Harreson Tanner.

Erik Heinrich is a Toronto journalist. His trip was sponsored by Inconnu Lodge and Tourism Yukon.

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