IT’S the ultimate traffic-free road trip according to Canada & Alaska Specialist Holidays. Between May and September, the Yukon offers the ultimate in self-drive holidays.
It might be the smallest and most western of Canada’s three territories, but don’t be fooled: Yukon packs some punch when it comes to rugged charm, wild landscape and unique wildlife.
We’re talking moose, caribou, bear, sheep, beaver, coyote, porcupines and wolves, which far outnumber the humans.
The major towns are connected by a great road system. You can take a scenic drive through the Yukon’s larger-than-life wilderness on routes such as the Alaska and Dempster Highways (the only public road in Canada that crosses the Arctic Circle), the Golden Circle, Southern Lakes Circuit and the Silver Trail.
There’s plenty of help for tourists along the way with local government committed to its interpretive signage program that includes tourism brochures for walking tours, displays and videos, and rest stops along Yukon highways. A stopover at Whitehorse, known as the Wilderness City, is a must.
You’ll love its thriving culture and a warm hospitality. Make the most of the surrounding hiking trails and take a stroll along the shores of the Yukon River, which flows through the town centre.
To the north, Dawson City nestles within the traditional lands of the Tr’ondek Hwech’in and was the source of the Klondike Gold Rush. You may not find gold there today, but you will experience the midnight sun in summer.
This spectacular, as well as the mystical Northern Lights, are best viewed in the Yukon Territory,
The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, are caused by huge explosions on the surface of the sun that send out streams of charged particles that interact with the Earth’s upper atmosphere. These reactions occur 96-128km above the Earth’s surface, so it doesn’t make any sense that they can be heard.
Still, many people report hearing a crackling or rustling noise when they see the lights. It could be that the sound is created near the ground by electrical phenomena associated with the aurora. It could also be that psychological or physical processes we don’t yet understand are affecting watchers.
Of course, seeing the aurora on a dark, silent night is so exciting it might just be the sound of blood rushing through veins.
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