Whitehorse - First Impressions

We have been in Whitehorse excatly two weeks so it is time for you to see some photos from here.  It is a beautiful city in many ways.  The main part of the city is small enough that we can walk everywhere.  The suburbs can be quite a distance from the core of the city, at least 30 km away.  We have yet to explore them.  There are signs for them on the highway and then you look through the trees and see houses.  They seem to be little communities on their own and people I have talked to seem to love their own little "suburb".

There are mountains all around the city, not very far away, and the city itself is embraced with high clay cliffs on the north and south edges.  For example, right behind our condo are clay cliffs.  There are trails all along at the bottom and not far from us there are stairs that you can climb.  Fitness buffs seem to like them.  At the top of these cliffs is a flat area which is the airport.  So the airport is right above us, but mercifully, it has not been too noisy.  Then the Yukon river runs through the city on the north side - very fast running, very green water (seems to be from copper in the water).  So physically it is quite beautiful.

The architecture seems distinct to this area.  The downtown core where we live varies from original, quite small houses to new condos to houses that are renovations or newly built.  The new houses are often quite colourful, which I like.

I would not want to be a lawn mower salesperson in Whitehorse since most of the lawns I have seen have yet to be cut.  It is an interesting esthetic, one that I can actually appreciate, having a very big lawn myself.  There are lots of wildflowers, however, and I noticed that many lilacs were just in bloom this week which indicates how behind the season is from Ontario.

So enough words.  Here are some photos.

Below is David standing in front of our condo.  Our apartment is the one right behind him on the ground floor. Behind him are trees at the base of the clay cliffs.  There are trails here that go right along the "back" of the city.  So we are living on 6th ave. and Main St. - right in the centre and outer edge of town.

Inside of our apartment.  There is a bedroom and bathroom as well.  Small, new, clean, cozy.

Mama Melodie just made supper.  (I brought the apron with me)

David on our little balcony with the supper.

Brunch at the Burt Toast Cafe on our first morning in Whitehorse

Clay cliffs on the south side of town.

Stairs up the clay cliffs with the airport at the top.  The first time up I had to stop part way to catch my breath but I did make it.

View of downtown from part way up the stairs.

Yukon River and white cliffs on the north side of town.

You can't tell from the picture above, but this shows the green water of the Yukon River and most lakes in this area.  The water runs very fast with many currents.

Another view of the cliffs from the path to the stairs.   You can see the mountains in the background.

Taken from the rivers edge on the south side of town.  The green building is the hospital on the north side of town and the mountains in the background.

A trolley car that moves tourists along the river dowtown.

An example of new building on the right.  The older one story house on the left is typical of any downtown homes.

My favourite new downtown house at the edge of the cliffs near where we live.

Lawyers offices on our street.

Birds on a tree in front of lawyers offices.