S.S. Klondike -- Whitehorse, Yukon

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The S.S. Klondike is a place that the entire family will have fun walking through on the tour. One of the coolest parts was being able to see the size and furniture in the rooms. The first class people slept in rooms about as big as me and Anna's!!!

On the tour you get to see the places the passengers ate, slept, and had fun.

Besides that, you can see the sort of cargo the ship would have carried, and how the ship was powered.

We had fun looking at all of these things and a few more.

Families--come here and take the tour for a fun time!

The Yukon Beringia Centre -- Whitehorse, Yukon

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We went to the Yukon Beringia Centre while in Whitehorse, and I had a lot of fun. When you first go inside there is a small room with a model of a type of cat that existed during the last ice age and was believed to be a hunter. One of the things we did was we watched a 17 minute long movie about Beringia.

After the movie, one of the people who worked there gave a demonstration on the atlatl. The atlatl is a piece of wood that is designed to work almost like an extension of your arm so you can throw a longer distance and with more force. The atlatl is about the length of the user's forearm and has a small point at one end facing the other end at an angle so it can hold the spear. I learned this from the demonstration and then I got to try it three times!!

Even without that the place was a lot of fun. All families should come here at least once.

Dad tried the atlatl also. Here are some photos:

Yukon Beringia Centre -- Whitehorse, Yukon

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The BEST THING was getting to see what a glacier might look like, complete with water running down. This was the best because I've always wanted to see what a glacier would look like for real.

I thought that hearing some of the stories and watching the movie were the MOST BORING things there. The reason I found this boring was because it was too complicated for me to understand very well.

I really think that FAMILIES should come here. Something that they need to do is look for the glacier wall.

Heritage Museum -- Fort Nelson BC

Plans (posted 4/25/09):

Randy and I have had an interest in old cars for many years. Jakob is beginning to find them interesting as well. Hopefully Anna won't get TOO bored when we drag her here!

According to reviews, the Heritage Museum has an "amazing collection of historic vehicles." It also has a trapper's cabin. (Maybe that will be of more interest to Anna?!)

We plan to visit this place on May 12th. We will let you know what we think!

For more information: http://www.fortnelsonmuseum.ca/

Review:

The inside of this museum was a jammed-packed hodge-podge of a little bit of everything old found in or donated from the Fort Nelson community. There were news clippings, photos, furniture, mounted animals, a canoe, fire equipment, boxes and tins of food and medicines, old tools (Randy said these looked just like in the old garage at his family's farm!), and more. Even Anna found interesting things in here!

I stayed inside a while longer, talking to the woman working at the desk. Randy and the kids wandered out to the shed holding all the old cars. The owner continues to collect any old vehicle he can get his hands on, then lovingly fiddles with them to eventually get most of them running again. These cars aren't JUST for show--a few of them get driven in local parades each year! (I know a few guys, including Randy's brother Rick, who would LOVE to get the chance to drive these beauties, I'm sure!)

The replica of a trader's cabin was interesting, although bigger than one would be for the usual single trader living alone. Yes, Anna liked it---but enjoyed looking for "treasures" in the main museum more than this building.

This place is DEFINITELY worth a few hours to wander through!

Fort Nelson Heritage Museum -- BC

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A few days ago I got to see a 101 year old car that had driven from Ft. Nelson to Whitehorse and back, a distance of nearly 1200 miles that go through mountains along the way! I got to see this at the Heritage Museum in Ft. Nelson which has a nice little inside museum as well as a lot of old equipment and cars. With the equipment we saw some of the bulldozers that built the Alaska Highway, some old tractors of several designs, and a few cars, most of which were still mainly intact and more or less recognizable.

We saw most of those when we were walking around outside and getting slightly cold...but when we were inside a car "shed" which was more like a barn, we saw at least 15 cars from various times that were all still running.

One of the cars we saw was an old Studebaker Champion with a bullet nose like the one that gets painted lots of wild colors in The Muppet Movie. Along one wall there was a whole line of old Ford Model T's and some Model A's as well. That was also the place where I saw the 101 yr old car that was still running.

This museum is a place that definitely should be visited by every family, and you should take a walk around the place as well.

Fort Nelson Heritage Museum -- BC

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The BEST thing: I liked seeing the old cars. I think the coolest one was the one that they drove all the way to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. That was also the oldest one there.

The MOST BORING: We were there SO long. My legs were hurting cuz I was bored. I liked it at the beginning when there was so much to see. But then we were looking at stuff I didn't care about.

Families: come here for a little bit of time. The animals were especially interesting!
If my Grandpa Bob had gone here I think he would have liked the old cars best.

Dawson Creek History Museum -- British Columbia

I didn't mention this place in our plans for visiting Dawon Creek...but it was worth seeing. We spent quite alot of time studying the stuffed birds, trying to figure out which ones we had already seen. Aren't these owls cool?!

Anna wanted Bitty's (her unicorn) picture taken with the wolf.

Randy and I found the early snowmobile fascinating---especially since it was built by teen boys PLUS they have been given no credit for inventing the snowmobile, even though theirs was closer to today's style than the one usually credited as being first. They added a motor and a track to their old wooden kick sled.

I liked the working model plane. It reminded me of the big yellow one my dad had when I was a kid---and of the little red line-controlled one I made and flew with my dad. I had forgotten about those happy memories!

Dawson Creek History Museum

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The Dawson creek history museum is a place that is somewhat interesting to a little bit older kids because there is a room with a bunch of old things such as instruments, paintings, toys, and other household things. In the room before that, there is a lot of stuffed birds and animals (as in elk and that sort of thing, not toys). In the other end of the building there is models of the old train station and how it would have worked and the station masters house in the station.

Kids might like it but it depends on the things that the child likes, but bring them anyway.

Dawson Creek History Museum -- British Columbia

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The COOLEST thing: all the animals and birds that were there. They were in scenes. There were different owls. There were different water birds. There were big mammals. The mountain goat was cool. It's like a bighorn sheep. Bitty [unicorn stuffed animal] liked looking at the WOLF. The SAD thing: that all these animals got killed and stuffed.

There was also a HISTORY part of the museum. It was about people who traveled here. There was stuff like jewelry, a quilt, a OLD washing machine, other furniture, some clothes, and...a really cool model airplane. It really FLEW! Mom says that Grandpa Bob had one kinda like it and she had a little one.

Families should go here to see all the animals. The other stuff was kinda boring. Daddy liked it cuz it helped us figure out some of the animals we've seen.

Alaska Highway House -- Dawson Creek BC

Plans -- written 4/25/09

I'm excited to eventually visit this small museum about the construction of the Alaskan Highway. My paternal grandfather spent time in Watson Lake, Yukon Territories helping to build an airplane hangar while the road was being built. I like the idea that I have a family connection to the road we are about to follow all the way to Alaska!!

Here's a photo of part of the map of the highway from this museum, which talks about the significance of the air field in Watson Lake:





For more information: http://www.tourismdawsoncreek.com/alaska_highway_house.php




Review:

This was a small museum, but full of interesting detail. The combination of signage, quotes from journals or letters, and exhibits helped us better understand how big of an undertaking the construction of the highway really was.

It is absolutely amazing what was accomplished in just 9 months when put into the hands of the army---it would take years and years to do today, if it could even be done over the objection of environmentalists!


This photo shows a want ad put in various newspapers, looking for workers for the highway project. I'm not quite sure WHY anyone would have chosen to participate if not done involuntarily because of being in the Army!!


We also watched an hour long video here. Anna got bored, but the rest of us found it full of interesting information.

For now, this museum is donation based. I suggest a generous donation since it helps to fund future exhibits!

Alaska Highway House

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The Alaska Highway House is a place that all families should go to.

Inside there is a lot to learn about the building of the highway during world war II and other things about it. The highway covered a distance of approximately 1500 miles and was built in only nine months. It was really hard work. How the highway was built is one of the things you can learn there. you can go through the posters about it or you can just watch the movie that they have in the back corner of the museum...

I personally suggest that you read the posters and then watch the movie for a little more info.

(Plans) Fairbanks, AK

We plan to spend another full week in Fairbanks, AK (from July 5th through July 12th). While we are in the area, we plan to take some more R&R time, plus some final alaska sightseeing.

This will be our last chance for window-shopping, including at a local fur company www.alaskarawfur.com

By now we might be totally sick of museums. If not, we will probably take time for Pioneer Park. This special park has a number of small museums, plus mini-golf, and a Big Stampede Show (about the Gold Rush). This feels pretty laid-back so we might well check it out! http://co.fairbanks.ak.us/pioneerpark/visitor_information/visitor_information.htm

We will possibly also visit the UAF Museum of the North which has highly rated exhibits on art, culture, history and wildlife of alaska. Info: www.uaf.edu

Then again, maybe we won't do much of ANYTHING!!!

(Plans) Anchorage Again...

While Jill is attending the Idita-Summer Camp (June 21st through June 29th), Randy, Nettie, Jakob and Anna will be doing a variety of things in the Anchorage area and in the Mat-Su valley (around Palmer and Wasilla). I don't know for sure what they will do...

Here are some of the possibilities:

Alaska Native Heritage Center (includes music and dancing by native americans, plus native village sites with interpreters in an outdoor setting) www.alaskanative.net

Anchorage Museum (supposed to be the best museum choice with art, history, science and culture of Alaska) www.anchoragemuseums.org

There is a huge playground, skateboard park, and BMX track in Wasilla.

There is both a reindeer farm www.reindeerfarm.com AND a musk ox farm www.muskoxfarm.org in the Mat-Su valley.

They could go to a baseball game of the Summer Collegiate League of the Alaskan Baseball League. Apparently these are VERY competitive games---teams throughout Alaska in this summer league attract collegiate/future major league players from all over North America. For more information and commentary about this league: www.matsuminers.org and www.alaskabaseballleague.com and http://www.modernerabaseball.com/id29.html

(Plans) Sterling AK (Kenai Penninsula)

We plan to spend 3 nights/2 full days based here with possible area day trips (June 16th through June 19th).

We could take a trip to the town of Kenai---which offers a tour of a fish processing plan, walking tour of the old town, and hanging out at the kenai river beach to watch fishermen, possibly see beluga whales, and check out the volcanoes visible across the bay. (Will Mt. Redoubt still be spewing ash while we are in the area??!!)

We also hope to take a day trip to the K'Beq' Interpretive Center which focuses on the native american views of life, traditional plant use and storytelling. More information: http://www.kenaitze.org/KBeq/Index.html

(Plans) Homer AK

We plan to be in Homer Alaska for a full week of R&R (June 9th through June 16th). There are many laid-back things to do here...and we plan to be as laid-back as possible! There is window-shopping at art galleries and boutiques along the "spit." There are fishermen to watch. There is fresh caught halibut to try...okay, maybe Randy and Nettie will try it! We can try clamming and exploring tide pools along the beach. We hope to have dinner and get to know Jill's cousin Amy better while we are here. If we get desperate for museums, there are two for us to check out:

The Pratt Museum has indoor and outdoor exhibits about life in the Homer area: www.prattmuseum.org

There is also a good place to learn more about the ocean and land environments of the area at the Islands and Oceans Visitor Center www.islandsandocean.org
They apparently have special programs for kids throughout the summer---maybe we will be organized enough to check these out as well?!

(Plans) Whitehorse Yukon Territories

We don't know for sure how much energy we will have for sightseeing by the time we have gotten this far (historical milepost 918 on the Alaskan Highway). We know we plan some rest and relaxation time for the 4 nights and 3 full days we will be here.

Some of the sightseeing possibilities include:

Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre (about the animals and people who crossed the bering land bridge and lived in this area): www.beringia.com

SS Klondike (Canadian) National Historic Site (tour of a sternwheeler boat which helped supply the Klondike gold camps): http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/yt/ssklondike/index_e.asp

If we still have energy after the above, we may check out the Yukon Transportation Museum (cars, planes, and a whole lot more) www.yukontransportationmuseum.ca

We will let you know what we decide to do...and what we think of the places we visit!