Leaving The U.K.—Welcome to Canada
With a lot of mixed emotions, A.J. Smith finally says good-bye to his home in the U.K. to embark on his new journey in a new country—Canada!
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The Joy Of Pooping At Home …
Unfamiliar toilets are for emergencies only; the best toilet is still waiting at home. Some science behind the colon’s power as a second brain.
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Hunting For Chameleons In Namibia
One of the reasons why I like Namibia is the Namib Desert. I like deserts. I like the stillness there; it feels like entering a cathedral.
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Teach them to Fish
As the saying goes: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
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A Hot Christmas
The plane touched down and I was already sweating through my travel leggings, and regretting every layer of my Northern…
WWOOFing Around
When WWOOF started in England, in 1971, it stood for Weekend Workers on Organic Farms. I first learned about WWOOF, in New Zealand, in 1987
I Lost It. Am I Losing It?
It was a Tuesday evening, and we were en route from beautiful Cusco in south-central Peru, to the capital city, Lima. “Hola señor. ¿Es este
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Reflections On The Road
My partner, Sam, and I embarked on an epic road trip along the Pan-American Highway, stretching 30,000 km from Alaska to Argentina.
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A Welcome Sign
Nine Yukon artists have been commissioned to create artwork for new signs at the nine key points of entry to the territory.
I’ll Never Hitchhike Again! Part 2
After hitchhiking from Peace River to Whitehorse, Cindy and I were looking forward to a quiet week at my friend…
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¿Hablas Español?
Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and South America are incredibly popular vacation destinations for Yukonners.
Maverick’s Travel Adventures
Maverick is a very lucky boy; his mother (me) is Australian, and a dream, for most, became a reality for him at four months…
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A Mid-winter Night’s Dream
Slow as the drip of cold birch syrup, long as our January tilt away from the sun—winter in the Yukon can drag on.
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What were you thinking?
In spite of the fact that it was after dark in Baracoa, Cuba, I suppose it wasn’t that urgent. I just felt like going for a walk in the soft…
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Christmas Around The World
I love Christmas. I love the lights and the presents, and I love to spend it in wintertime! Here are some of my more-memorable Christmases…
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Holiday Traditions (and how to reconnect with the magic)
As a young girl, I loved this time of year. There was something magical in the air, it seemed, as though anything (no matter how improbable)…
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The Mountains Are Calling …
December 11 was designated International Mountain Day by the United Nations General Assembly, in 2003, and has been observed…
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Exploring Peru: Part 2
After following the hot and dry Peruvian coast north to Lambayeque, we turned east. In a single day we left the Pacific Ocean…
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Cycling Utah
Bicycle touring in the sunny desert has its perks. Always hot and dry, you forget where the rain jacket is in the chaos of your panniers…
Exploring Peru: Part 1
A few years ago I was lucky enough to tag along on a road trip to the north of Peru. I say “lucky” because it was a once-in-a-lifetime…
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Postcards from Peru—Madre de Dios
A few years ago, during the hot and dry days of an Andean August, I took a trip from the brown hills of Cusco…
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Snakes and ‘Ladders’
I am spending the summer “Outside,” away from the Yukon. These days I am in the town of Rossland, in the Kootenay region of British Columbia.
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From Whitehorse To The Kootenays
I was not going to ask anyone to drive me to the Whitehorse airport at 3:45 a.m. on a Tuesday. It would have been cruel.
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Visiting the North
He’s coming to the end of his first visit to the Yukon, but Tom Griffin will have spent a total of three and a half months in the territory.
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Qoyllur Rit’i
I can see my breath in the chilly pre-dawn light as my lungs work a little harder than usual to get enough oxygen from the thin mountain air.
The Way Home
I was recently sitting in the Vancouver Airport waiting for my Air North flight back to Whitehorse. It’s a scene familiar to most Yukoners…
Victoria Day Musings and Meanderings
For some, it’s drinking beer and camping; for others, it’s cleaning the yard and gardening: Victoria Day is just around the corner…
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Solo Travel
Most of the travelling I’ve done in my life has been solo. Sometimes it’s been out of necessity—but most of the time, out of preference.
International Travel in Covid Times
My husband Ryan and I continue our adventures travelling internationally, for the first time in two years, with flight delays…
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Road Snacks For White Line Fever
On November 26, my sister and I pulled into the Husky gas station at Hope, just off the Trans-Canada Highway.
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Travel in Covid Times: Part 2
My husband Ryan and I continue our adventures travelling internationally for the first time in two years…
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So you wanna be a house-sitter …
In the coming months, just like elegant trumpeter swans, many Yukoners will flock to warmer climates in search of sand and vitamin D.
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Be A Conscious Traveller This Winter
The COVID-19 pandemic stopped travel, from one day to the next, in a way that was impossible to imagine before.
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International Travel in Covid Times
Over two years ago, everyone’s lives changed with Covid. Vacations and trips were cancelled; even just meeting was impossible.
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When Santa’s Magic Is Not An Option
Anyone who has watched the holiday favourite Home Alone can see what some of the stresses are of travelling during the Christmas season.
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Postcards from Peru – Cusco
Jessica loves being in the mountains, working with plants and exploring beyond her comfort zone. She divides time between Peru and the Yukon.
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Lessons in gratitude from my life in the Andes
There are days that are designated to remind us of where we should direct gratitude. What makes a difference in our lives are the small acts.
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Japan must-sees
If you ever have the opportunity to get to Japan, I strongly encourage you to take it. It’s safe, easy to navigate and the accommodations were all so nice it has effectively ruined me for backpacking other countries.
Japan in a nutshell
I had high hopes for Japan and my expectations were still blown out of the water. I don’t think I could be more in support of absolutely everyone making time to go explore this very special place.
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Running on a postcard
After scraping to survive the half marathon on Skiathos and then eating and drinking my way through Greece, I approached the Oct. 5 run on Santorini with some hesitation.
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Vanishing point in an invisible car
I have a clean driver’s slate. I mention this because it shows that most people, no matter how many goofy things they do when they
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Nuts for coconuts
My fondest memory of Mexico is the availability of fresh coconut water. In the mornings, I went out to get a fresh coconut off the tree.
A tasting tour of Portugal
I’m not a real connoisseur of fine dining, but I do enjoy trying out new tastes and exploring local foods, especially when I’m travelling. Portugal
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When in Faro… Portugal
Here are some of my tips on travel to Portugal as a curious 70-year-old with a “willing to try it at least once” philosophy. This
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One woman’s tale travelling solo in Iran
In 2016 I was living in the Republic of Georgia and travelled to the Islamic Republic of Iran for two months solo. Where and why
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The dreaded ‘P’ word
Yes, that’s right, I’m going to write it. The “P” word. That’s right. Period. (Not the little dot at the end of a sentence, but
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Managing avalanche terrain
Eirik Sharp, owner and operator of The Sharp End: Mountain Adventures, with his extensive avalanche background, is bringing change to how the Yukon manages avalanche terrain.
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Evoking kintsugi
Whitehorse artist Leslie Leong applied for a residency at the Ted Harrison Artists Retreat to work towards a large show at the Yukon Arts Centre
Saskatchewan in October
Once upon a time, “back in the days” (last year, in October) when the Greyhound bus still existed, a garter snake slithered out of the
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The Northern Seduction
Sebastian Fricke and Rose Seguin share their journey, their “inner compasses” with us as they travel and write on their way through Alaska and the
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To ‘Looks Like a Caribou’ and back – Part 6 of 6
Driving the Dempster Highway to Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T. (located on Kugmallit Bay of the Beaufort Sea of the Arctic Ocean), is no big deal..
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Skagway: A ‘bluebird day’ with blue skies…
It’s May long weekend and we’re driving to Skagway, and it seems as though most of Whitehorse has decided to do the same with a
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Walk, hike, stroll …
Walk … “You weren’t in any hurry to walk,” my mother said as she showed me a photo of myself at 15 months, happily sitting
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Time for Thai!
The longer I have lived in Whitehorse, the more I have grown to understand that Yukoners crave Thai food and many will drive to Skagway just to taste the delicacies it offers.
Atlin: Boom town to burnt down … to boom, burn, bust and boom again – Part 2 of 6
Of all the cities, towns and villages in northwestern Canada, Atlin’s journey through the turbulent 20th century was more dramatic than most.
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The Perpetual Immigrant
Since I was 18 years old, I have been an immigrant 12 times. My entire adult life has been spent as a foreigner to those I live and work with. Always being different. Never quite fitting in.
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South to Alberta – Part I
Exploration, adventure and community are among the most important aspects of living in the North. For many Yukoners, it was the “want” to explore a fantasized part of the world and to seek adventure in discovering Canada’s North, but it was the sense of community that made people want to stay.
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A Kenai kickoff to a new series – Part 1 of 6
Homer, on the west side of the Kenai Peninsula, is the farthest south you can drive and became my favourite place to RV camp in Alaska because of this surprise: it felt like California.
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Living with Wildlife: Faye Cable
The Whitehorse Photography Club makes a photo trip to Skagway during June every year to photograph the field of irises at Dyea Tidal Flats. We always see bears on the road on the way home.
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A new home for GoNorth Whitehorse
by Yvonne Freiderich GoNorth expands its car & RV rental business with RV service, repair and storage at its new location on Mt. Sima Road
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Ten days in Germany
Sherri Green won our 2018 Condor competition with her ‘pretzel itinerary’ If I were to go to Germany, where would I go? There are so
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Top 10 items needed for all camping trips
From my experience, here are the top 10 items you must have when camping
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Play it loud in the car
Manfred Janssen and Jordy Walker recorded the bulk of the album in Walker’s basement studio in Hillcrest, hence the title, Basement Tapes.
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Full metal and padded jacket
Many Yukoners will have seen members of the Company of the White Wolf at events around the territory. It’s hard to miss grown men and women dressed in full medieval combat armour, striking each other with swords and axes.
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Didee & Didoo: When I Go to Whitehorse
When I Go to Whitehorse, I Always Bring…
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In search of the perfect poutine
Is it possible to find good poutine in Whitehorse – even though we’re the farthest you can possibly get from Quebec?
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Cuba Impressions
Passion – that’s the word that comes to mind when I reflect on my recent Cuban holiday in January. The passion of our tour guides throughout our travels. Their devotion to sharing their love of Cuba and how Cubans are working to build a more equitable country.
Black forest cake in Namibia
In Swakopmund, Germany and Namibia come together like the Namib Desert and the ocean just outside the town. If you didn’t know that this is an African country, you would think that it’s a town somewhere in Germany.
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Kiddos! We’re leaving on a jet plane
Travelling with young children is not easy; it throws all sorts of challenges at you, and your days of travelling with just carry-on are gone. Yet, after 50+ flights with my tiny, travelling companions I’ve realized there are some things you can do to make the journey more enjoyable, and less epic.
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Bridging the Divide
Author Kate Harris shucked her space dreams and, with her friend, Mel Yule, picked up the courage to embark on a different trip: to cycle the Silk Road from end to end.
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Trek Over the Top Turns 25 this Year
The 25th annual Trek Over the Top snowmobile race will arrive in Dawson City on March 8 and return to its starting point in Tok,
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Skagway shenanigans
Early morning at 7 a.m. on Saturday, December 23 I began my journey to Skagway. The brisk Whitehorse temperatures of -27ºC would be a distant
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Handmade with passion
Take a drive south of Whitehorse, using the mountain range and tall pines as your guide, you will find yourself in the lovely community of Carcross. In this little hub works a very talented jeweller, Shelley MacDonald.
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From passion to success
It’s been 20 years since Thomas de Jager first discovered the Yukon. Today, he runs his successful business Yukon Wide Adventures that gives locals and
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The Power of ‘the camino’
It’s a walk, it’s a pilgrimage. It’s called “the camino” and it has the power to make people feel called to do it, the power to make people talk about it, the power to draw people back to do it again.
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Taking the reins at What’s Up
Fall has arrived and Yukoners have all started to settle into our winter routines. This busy time of year seems like the perfect time to
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There and back
The Nā Pali Coast’s Kalalau Trail is a stunning 18-kilometre there-and-back hike on the north coast of Kauai, Hawaii. Often topping Greatest-Hikes-in-the-World lists, along with
Northern Food Fusion: Arctic Char Harvest
I can still smell the smoked fish on my jean jacket and I smile. It means I have been home to the Northwest Territories. At
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Heed the Lore When You’re on the Move
Until very recently, I had never heard the expression “hitchhiker’s thumb”. Oh sure, there was that weird guy in Grade 9 named Pete Moss, who
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Third Time’s the Charm
Twice answered the call to cycle the Dempster Highway. She hasn’t succeeded quite yet, she’s ready to give the 740 km journey another go.
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Big City Girl Goes to the Midnight Sun
Diary of a Big City Girl’s experiences in the land of the midnight sun. Adventures from summer of 2017 in the Yukon.
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Trinidad’s Carnival: Experience of a Lifetime!
Carnival is a massive street party that falls the week before Ash Wednesday, which is in late February/early March, and is observed annually in many
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Yukon’s Best Friend: DOG CULTURE, Don McMillan
DOG CULTURE: Submitted by Don McMillan “We’re going camping, we’re going camping!!” Sophie and Greg Meredith in their 1974 VW Westfalia. What’s Up Yukon is
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Setting Forth for New Frontiers
Yukon musician Jona Barr is pumped. He’s going to Germany – and he’s going to be playing his first set outside of Canada. “I’ve traveled
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Vimy Ridge to Tuk
The Battle of Vimy Ridge was a great victory for Canada, To our knowledge, Herbert Lawless was the only known Yukoner to fall in this battle.
Experiencing the Beauty of Canada
Heather Newman graduated from high school in 2007 from Robina State High School on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. Not exactly in 2009 and
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The Yukon is Great for Summer Travelling
Summer, with its long daylight hours, is a great time to travel around the Yukon. But you need to pay more attention to gusts of wind…
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Fresh Fast Food
Culinary queen and DIY entrepreneur Katie Thom might be flying by the seat of her pants, but when she sets her mind on something, she
From the East to the Beautiful South
Keen on history? The Castle Wartburg in Wittenberg in Eastern Germany offers an opportunity to learn about the 500th Anniversary of Martin Luther’s Reformation. The
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Orchestra at the Edges of Canada
“Come as you are, bring a friend or a parent or a daughter or a nephew, and be prepared to be blown away by NYO
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A Bumpy Road to Citizenship
November, 1972. California-born musician Mike Stockstill and two friends packed their instruments into the car and headed for Alaska. The car was a 1942 Dodge
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Too Curious George
He was a foundling on the streets of Edmonton – a golden cocker spaniel whose hair was so matted with burrs that much of it
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A Naturalist’s Guide to Spirituality
His Naturalist’s Guide to Spirituality, The Road is How, is a lyrical account of Trevor Herriot’s three-day, 40-mile journey
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Who knit you?
In 2015 my husband, Roger, and I visited Newfoundland; we rented a vehicle and hit the road. The breathtaking western shore drive took us through
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
The history of how we move is full of wild and wondrous stories about survival, romance, perseverance and everyday life. It’s also a great lens
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Experiencing Theatre in Namibia
It’s 15 minutes before our performance starts and one of my actors has a meltdown. “No, I am not gonna play,” he says avoiding eye
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High Adventure
At the age of 82, Peter Steele says he has very little memory of his own parents. That’s partly why he decided a few years
Life Lessons Through the Lens
You can learn a lot by studying animals, just ask local photographer Minnie Clarke. Her passion for capturing northern creatures was borne on a remote
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Start South, GoNorth!
Winter in Whitehorse is beautiful, but long. By the end of April 2016 we traveled down south to find Vancouver fully in bloom already. A
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Coctel de Camarones
Having recently spent some time in Latin America to attend a friend’s wedding (congrats again Mr. and Mrs. Spinks!) my head is full of vibrant
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