I’m leaving Dawson in no more than exactly two weeks from now as I’m expected back at Nugget City around the 23rd.
I’d hinted last spring that by September I would have a major decision to make regarding Watson Lake, and that decision was made months ago. I was so fortunate this summer to get adopted by two wonderful hotel/RV park/restaurant complexes that have made my decision to use the Yukon as my homebase so easy. But when you live on site, you need a place to go to to unwind. Watson Lake really doesn’t have much to offer in that regard; no good restaurants, no cozy pubs, no entertainment. It’s ugly, poor, and crime ridden. Dawson is the complete opposite. Watson Lake is a place to stay, Dawson is a place to live. If the two towns were even remotely comparable, the decision of which to use as a homebase would have been gut wrenching rather than easy to make.
Depending on the weather at Nugget City and the amount of work there, I’ll stay anywhere from two to three weeks as I’m expected in Campbell River on October 23rd. I’m hoping to take a slightly different route south and to spend a day or two in Vancouver, but the pace to Campbell River will definitely not be leisurely.
I look forward to my new adventures, but, darn it, it’s tougher than I would ever have imagined to say goodbye to the Klondike.
So after staying in Campbell River for a while you’re going back to Dawson City, which is where you are now? I don’t get why you have to choose between which city (Nugget City/Watson Lake and Dawson City) to live in. . .especially if you then later say you’re going to Campbell River(?) Did both northern cities offer you a job at different RV parks?
I got seasonal offers from both Nugget City, in Watson Lake, and Bonanza Gold, in Dawson. Seasonal means 4 to 6 monthsish. That’s a very long time to spend in a hole like Watson Lake. So, Dawson it is. But the season in Dawson is pretty short, mid-May to mid-Septemberish. I need to be in Yukon longer to maintain my residency. So, I’ve tagged on a few weeks at both ends of the season in Watson Lake. Are you still with me? ( 😀 ) Now, I have no desire to experience a northern winter, so I’m going to Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, to escape the 60 below weather. In the spring, I’ll come back up here, spend a couple of weeks in Watson Lake again, the summer in Dawson, a couple of weeks in Watson Lake and then I’ll go somewhere warm(er) for the winter.
Aw, sounds like fun. What a nomadic life!