Dawson City, Yukon: Wildfires, Midnight Sun, and Amazing Adventure
When we flew up to Dawson City for a humanitarian wildfire response, we expected long days, smoky skies, and a town on edge. Fortunately, the wildfires ended up staying far enough away from town, so instead of long work days, we actually got to explore this northern gem. And we loved it!

A Town That Feels Like Stepping Into a Storybook
Dawson City looks like someone pressed pause on history. Wooden boardwalks, colourful facades, old-time saloons, and buildings that lean just slightly from decades of permafrost shifting underneath them. For a small town, it's packed with life: restaurants, museums, quirky shops, and a stream of summer travelers.

The locals were some of the friendliest people we've met anywhere. Everyone wanted to chat and share stories about life in Canada's north.

Gold Panning, Jeep Adventures, and the Best View in Town
We spent our days doing the most Dawson City things possible:

• Trying our hand at gold panning (no fortune made)
• Driving around in a Jeep, exploring the dusty backroads and old mining areas
• Hiking up to the highest viewpoint around town

The Midnight Sun Magic
We arrived just after the summer solstice, which meant one thing: it never really got dark.

There's something surreal about walking around at 11:30 pm in full daylight, your body insisting it should be tired while the sky says, "Nope, still daytime." I didn't want to go to bed - and when I did, I slept with the curtains fully open so I could see the sun in the night sky.

One night, we went to Diamond Tooth Gerties - Canada's oldest gambling hall - for two of their can-can shows. One at 10 pm, one at midnight. We had 90 minutes between shows, so we wandered along the Yukon River, and it was still light out! Midnight suns are something I only started to experience a few years ago on my first trip to Yukon. And its an incredible experience.

A Surprise Concert in Whitehorse
When it was time to head back to Vancouver, we first had to return the Jeep to Whitehorse. And in perfect travel serendipity, Our Lady Peace was playing a free outdoor show that night. So we wrapped up our northern adventure with live music before flying home the next morning.