Travel
A
s a travel writer who
specializes in luxury
girlfriend getaways based
around Michelin meals,
five-star resorts, signature
spa treatments and other nonessential indulgences, extreme travel
might consist of sipping champagne
out of a plastic flute, being forced
to use powdered cream packets for
my coffee or receiving only
intermittent Wi-Fi. So I was, to say
the least, a bit wary when I received
an invitation to join a group of
journalists (most of them were from
Canada and accustomed to the cold
weather) to experience “Winter in
The Yukon”, especially The Yukon
Quest, aka “the world’s hardest
sled-dog race.”
Thinking it was time I put on my
big-girl’s pants, I accepted the trip
(for me it was basically for “the
challenge” although I admit I was
sorely tempted to back out after
learning that the temperatures could
often dip to 30 degrees below zero).
Looking back over the last week, it
turned out to be, if not a lifechanging experience, at the very
a t a r onin o affair ith
the region. Not only did I survive the
week, but I actually enjoyed the hell
out of it, which is why I am
recommending --even shouting from
the rooftops -- that everyone needs
to go to the Yukon at least once.
There are few places on the planet
h r yo
n
h ri
beauty and rich experiences, partly
because over 80% of the Yukon is still
i rn
ith th ri tin
rivers, unique wildlife, clean air, and
some of the most awe-inspiring
landscapes imaginable, mainly
because they don’t have masses of
people messing things up here.
Picture this: Although it is larger
than California, the Yukon Territory
has only 36,000 inhabitants vs.
California’s 39 million people. Or
from the animal’s standpoint, the
Yukon has about six caribou and two
moose for each person -- the makings
of a new political campaign, perhaps?
Yukoners love a good festival
With temps this extreme, Yukoners
make their own winter fun. They
off r a ari ty o ni
ti a
ranging from sophisticated cultural
off rin to in an man a ain t th
elements” competitions. Some of
the more popular events include the
Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous, Thaw
di Gras Spring Carnival, Klondike
Outhouse Races, Yukon International
Storytelling Festival and the Dawson
City Music Festival.
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