Whitehorse Travel in the Yukon, Canada

My first introduction to the Yukon Territory, Canada was two nights in Whitehorse. Seeing as this the only real “city” in the territory (there’s also the much smaller Dawson City), it was an easy acclimation.

Sakura Sushi Fruit Sushi Combo in downtown Whitehorse, Yukon (Canada).

I flew in at dinnertime, so the first order of the day was to grab a bite to eat. I was surprised to hear that Whitehorse has sushi, so I went to a sushi restaurant to try it out. Sakura Sushi (404 Wood Street, 867-668-3298) is a cute little eatery with friendly staff and a novel of a menu. After reading page after page and noticing that the prices weren’t all that much different than in Vancouver, I went with the special I saw on the way in: Fruit Sushi Combo. 

My cup of steaming hot tea had been filled twice when my wooden block arrived with mango, strawberry, melon and banana in my sushi. Seriously. And it was so bloody delicious I ate the whole plate in satisfaction. My favourite was the banana roll, which was slightly fried (tempura-like) and also had avocado in it. I have to get my neighbourhood sushi joint to start making these…

I spent today having adventures in Skagway, Alaska, and returned to Whitehorse with enough time before dinner to stroll through the city. Whitehorse weather is sort of what I expected, but nothing can really prepare you for the amount of sunshine it gets here. It got up to about 30 degrees Celsius, but the sun didn’t really wane until after dinner (at 9:00 pm it was still 24 degrees). I’m writing this at 11:00 pm, and the sun is just starting to make its way behind the mountains as I try to wind myself down to sleep.

The S.S Klondike Sternwheeler in downtown Whitehorse, Yukon (Canada).

After snapping the obligatory photos of the S.S. Klondike, a treasured sternwheeler that is now open for tours, I walked along Main Street. Many fake front buildings are dotted along here, making it a mini gold rush era street. Even the local Starbucks is located within a neat Klondike building.

There are also many walkways for jogging, rollerblading, skateboarding and cycling in and around Whitehorse. I took a nice walk along the downtown waterfront before heading to dinner.

G&P Steakhouse and Pizza is just outside of downtown Whitehorse, but right on the Alaska Highway. It looks a bit tattered from the outside, but inside is all fancy crystal decorations, dimly lit ambiance and even a piano for live music. The space is tiny and fills up quickly, but the atmosphere is a lot slicker than I thought I would find in the Yukon.

Main Street Buildings in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory (Canada).

I had an amazing Alaska Halibut dish that left me stuffed and a bit delirious (in combination with the red wine). My partner in crime, Jim, had a full rack of ribs and we shared a three-layered chocolate caramel cake. I’m still full and it’s a couple of hours later.

What I Liked:

• As I thought it would be, there is no pretence to be found in the places I’ve been so far in the Yukon.
• I’m staying at the High Country Inn, which is a nice hotel on the edge of downtown. It’s also what I expected in terms of clean rooms and friendly staff, but nothing fancy.
• I was impressed that there were so many different ethnic restaurants in Whitehorse. I ate at Sakura Sushi, and saw Mexican and Chinese restaurants, as well as more sushi places.
  

Tags: Alaska Highway, G&P Steakhouse Pizza, High country inn Whitehorse, S.S. Klondike, sternwheeler, western canada, Whitehorse Travel, Whitehorse weather, yukon