Saturday, June 14. No riding today. I slept-in today until 9:00 a.m. I am exhausted after yesterdays ride and the cumulative effect of eight days and almost thirty-eight hundred miles of riding. I need a rest day and a chance to think about how I want to spend the twelve remaining days of my vacation. I also want to explore Dawson City. I am really glad I get to experience this place. I stay at the Downtown Hotel. I chose it because as I rode into town I saw a sign in the window of the hotel that read, “ parking for BMW motorcycles only “. How much more of an invitation did I need? The place is owned and managed by Dick Van Nostrand, an avid GS rider. Dick loves to talk about riding, motorcycles and especially GS’s. Do not worry the “ BMW…only” sign; Dick is a real rider and appreciates all makes and models. After seeing the condition of my RT he joked that he was embarrassed to have a BMW that was so filthy dirty parked in front of his hotel. Dick generously took me to his home in town and provided all the brushes, cloths, bucket, hose, and cleaning stuff I needed to scrub the considerable collection of dirt, road tar and bugs from the RT. Dick stayed awhile and mounted a new tire to his well-maintained GS.  What a great community of fellow motorcycle riders!  

  Remember the smell of flesh burning while I was on the Dempster yesterday? Turns out that I had a bird wedged between the motor and the exhaust pipes. Fourteen hours at 300 degrees will cook a bird pretty well. It cooked it to the point that the only parts remaining were the beak, feet and feathers. I knew I smelled something burning!

Dawson City was having a party on Saturday, so I decided to join the celebration. I never truly figured out the event but it had something to do with rededicating an old wooden boat. Regardless of the reason for the party, I was happy to enjoy the outdoor Bar-B-Q, free music, and to relax along the shore of the Yukon River. It was a good time and I got the sense that most of the town attended. Even with the entire town in attendance it was a small event by most standards. The town officials dressed up. [pic] [pic] The Royal Canadian Mounted Police provided a photo opportunity. [pic] It was nice to be off the bike for a day and to learn the history of this neat city. It reminded me of Aspen Colorado in the 1960’s. Dirt streets, 1800’s style buildings and a raised wooden boardwalk that serves as the sidewalk. I found a couple good restaurants, the bars were jump'n and the atmosphere relaxed. If you get to Dawson City, stop in and say hello to Dick.  

 Thirty-eight hundred miles from Los Angles to the Arctic Circle is a long way to ride just to take a picture, but the ride was more than that. It was nice to shake free of all the obligations of work and home and to create the opportunity to experience all the things that a long road trip puts before you. If you really like to ride motorcycles, the ride to the Arctic Circle will both test and thrill you. The scenery and animal life will dazzle you and the vastness of the land will humble you. I will leave Dawson City tomorrow via the Top of the World Highway for a week of riding in Alaska. I am looking forward to the next chapter of my motorcycle adventure.

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