By Maria Benner
What do a frost-bitten human toe, and a giant metal chicken sculpture have in common? They were both attractions at local businesses in the two communities we visited on our road trip from Anchorage to Dawson City.
One of my birthday traditions is to visit a place in Alaska where I’ve never been. Two years ago we flew to Cordova, and last year to Sitka. This winter I read about gold rush history in Dawson City, so I decided to go there this year. I have also been curious about the little town called Chicken, and it is conveniently on the way to Dawson City. Apparently, the gold miners at the end of the 18th century wanted to name the town Ptarmigan, after Alaska’s State bird, one that was prevalent in the area, but they couldn’t agree on the correct spelling of the word, so they settled on Chicken, the slang term for Ptarmigan. We booked a cabin at Chicken Gold Camp for all three of us, and drove from Anchorage directly to Chicken, arriving around 6:30pm. The Taylor Hwy is largely unpaved, and we stopped at several scenic view points along the way. When we checked in, we were told that the only place open in town was the Saloon, so we hurried there to see if we could get some dinner and a beer. The friendly bartender offered some bison chili that was made at the cafe next door, with a slice of sourdough bread and butter. Sold! He also had an impressive selection of beer, and we both chose Tundra Thunder IPA by 49th State Brewing. We ate outside on the porch while chatting with some friendly travelers from Willow who come to Chicken every year. After dinner we walked around town, which wasn’t very far. The highlights included the huge gold dredge at Chicken Gold Camp, which was moved there from Fairbanks, the famous chicken sculpture, made by high school students in Fairbanks from old school lockers, walking across the suspension bridge at The Goldpanner, and looking at all the old gold-mining equipment. I regret not having enough time to go gold-panning, and to get a tour of historic downtown cabins, which are on private property. Supposedly, Tisha lived in one of them, the school teacher from the popular book named after her, and there’s a huge cooking stove in the cabin.
The next day we crossed the border into Canada and drove the Top of the World Highway to the Yukon River, where we drove onto the free ferry to cross the river into Dawson City. We got really lucky on the weather! The views on this drive were incredible! We checked into the Westmark Hotel, and walked to the Visitor Center to book tours for the next day. In the evening we went to the Diamond Tooth Gertie’s show, which was inside a casino. The show didn’t start until 8:30pm, but everyone was told to show up at 7:00pm. People started lining up at the door before 7:00, and Scott and I thought that was ridiculously early, so we sat across the street and observed the other tourists while chatting to the locals. Finally, when the line was almost gone, we decided to go inside to see what all the excitement was about. When we walked in, all the seats were taken, but we found a gentleman who had three extra seats at his table, and sat with him. There was an hour left before the show, and since this dance hall was also a gambling hall, and there was a black jack table with only a $3 minimum, we decided to test our luck. Scott had a $10 Canadian bill burning a hole in his pocket, so we sat down at the black jack table and did pretty well! Won enough money to buy three beers, and got our initial $10 back. That made the time pass quickly before the cancan show finally began at 8:30pm.
We spent one full day in Dawson City, which was enough for us, but there are many more things to do to keep someone busy for several days. In the morning we took a walking city tour, then we did the tour of the S.S. Keno, a sternwheel paddle steamer, and finally a tour of the Palace Grand Theater. Parks Canada did a great job restoring, or re-building many buildings in Dawson City, but many of them are closed to the public, unless you go on a tour. The town has a very historic feel to it, but at the same time, it’s a real, functioning city. The buildings that haven’t been restored are nearly falling over, largely due to melting permafrost. The tour guides were dressed up in clothing from the time period of the gold rush, and were very knowledgeable and entertaining. In the evening we drove to Midnight Dome to see the view of the city and the Yukon and Klondike Rivers. The two rivers come together at a confluence just at the edge of town. Of course we had to go to the Sourdough Saloon to see if people were actually drinking whiskey shots with an amputated, frost-bitten, human toe at the bottom of the glass. Sure enough, there was a special table next to the bar, and a gentleman who looked like a sourdough himself, administering the shots, and handing out certificates to those who completed the nasty task. To become a member of the sourtoe club, one must let the toe touch the lips at the end of the shot. On a blackboard behind the table, there’s the number of people written in chalk who have joined the club, over 102,000. We didn’t even think twice about it, this was not the club we needed or wanted to be part of! A hundred years from now, Park Canada tour guides will be telling visitors of the clever bar owner who made millions by selling shots of whiskey with severed, frost-bitten human toes.
In the morning we caught the ferry back across the Yukon and then walked to the Paddlewheel Graveyard. Then drove to Tok, where we spent the night at the Golden Bear. The Thai food at Soho Thai was delicious!
At the end of the trip we had driven over 1,000 miles, so I won’t be returning to Chicken, or Dawson City anytime soon, but it’s definitely worth the drive to visit these communities at least once. This was one of those “off-the-beaten path” trips, which are my favorite. Another regret was not planning enough time to also visit Eagle, so I guess I’ll save it for another birthday trip. But I told Scott that if things don’t work out in Alaska, I’m moving to Dawson City!
Real Art Is Better! 