Saturday, June 10, 2017

Northern Lights at Watson Lake, Yukon Territory

Liard Hot Springs to Watson Lake: 130 miles

The road was good, the weather was fine, scenery was interesting, and the fuel stop was convenient. As we were getting fuel I chatted with the operator of the station.




 I asked if people lived in the area, and he told me there were four of them there, but the next closest neighbors were 40 miles in either direction. I asked how cold it got in winter, and he told me the coldest he had seen was -70°F. Last winter was warm, it only got down to -40°F.  Brrr!

Coming out of the Hot Springs Provincial Park we saw two bears on the other side of the road, and later a few buffalo. I also noticed a caribou warning sign. Sure enough, later when reading the Milepost I notice a warning to watch for caribou on the roads in that area. I hope we see some, but not on the road!

From Hot Springs to Whitehorse is farther than our self-imposed 300 mile-per-day limit, but on researching RV parks closer to the halfway mark I didn’t come up with anything. Craig is very interested in the NBA playoffs this year, so when there is a game on I try to find a park with a cable connection. I am pleased to report that the Downtown RV park in Watson Lake provides a decent cable connection, including ABC which showed the playoff games. 

The Golden State Warriors won, and are now only one game from  taking the championship.

On our half day in Watson Lake we did not unhook, but were able to walk to the Northern Lights Center, which was just across the Alaska Highway, and see their two really neat movies projected on a domed, planetarium-style overhead screen.


from the web
One was about our planet, life and the global climate. 



The other was about the Northern Lights. Since they are only visible in winter, when it is dark, we will not be here to see them in person. But this show was pretty good, and makes me really want to fly back here, or to Finland and see them for real. 

I did see them as a child in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was a rare year and my Dad took us out into the country where the skies were very dark. Even though we only saw a glimmer, I will never forget the experience.

Next stop:  Whitehorse, YT

3 comments:

  1. Seeing the Northern lights has always been a dream. Hope you enjoyed the Planetarium.
    Be Safe and Enjoy!

    It's about time.

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  2. The road gets pretty bad once you leave Beaver Creek to Tok.

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  3. Nice that you are enjoying the area and new sights. I remember seeing the northern lights too as a child in northern ontario., just amazing.

    ReplyDelete

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