Pan American Adventure: Day 226 - Dawson City

Distance travelled (by bike): 32,470

From Dawson you get a small ferry over the river to the start of the 'top of the world highway', named because its one of the most northerly highways, only open in summer. Driving it you can see why its shut in the winter, for most of the highway you are driving on the crest of hills looking down into the valleys below. A fantastic and little used road compared to the Alaska highway, defiantly worth the detour.

On the road is the border between the US and Canada. The border guard was telling me that they shut the highway and border on the 15th September, by then its usually starting to snow and getting to cold to stay up there.

Leaving the bleak border post i headed to Chicken, originally named Ptarmigan by the miners, it was changed to Chicken when nobody could agree on the spelling of Ptarmigan. Getting there for a late lunch i drove into downtown, this consists of three buildings. I was told by other travellers i had to go to the bar, not wanting to disappoint i did. Amazing little bar! Pint in hand i strolled net door to the cafe and ordered lunch, fantastic food!! I was very tempted to pitch the tent and settle in at the bar, but somehow i managed to switch to coffee and packed up to leave.

When i was packing up i met Buffy an Austrailan who just started cycling from Deadhorse, Alaska to wherever he decides and however long it takes (http://sites.google.com/site/buff3ysbicyclingblog/), after a quick chat i headed south to Tok.

I have seen some strange things and met some eccentric people on my travels, but George and Beth Jacobs have to be very close to the top. They own, run and live at Mukluk Land. The Jacobs are collectomanics (is that a word?), situated just outside Tok, Mukluk Land is home to their unique collections, cans, skidoos, engines, dolls, cereal boxes, outhouses, realistically i think anything they can find gets a place somewhere on the land. A fantastically eccentric place run by even more eccentric people, if your passing, in my opinion, its a must! see!!