MUST SEE, MUST DO
During the summer, eat locally sourced
reindeer dishes and fish and chips cooked
inside a converted school bus at Alestine's
and served on a terrace overlooking the
Mackenzie River in Inuvik north of the
Arctic Circle.
Travel along the edge of scenic Yellowknife Bay
in a 12-person voyageur canoe for a Floating
Dinner Theatre experience in the summer with
Narwal Northern Adventures. Feast on a
traditional meal of soup and bannock,
accompanied by lively entertainment
(www.narwal.ca/tours).
Participate in the Thebacha & Wood Buffalo
Dark Sky Festival, northern Canada's only
celebration of space and science. This
family event is held in late August in Fort
Smith and Wood Buffalo National Park, the
world's largest Dark Sky Preserve
(www.tawbas.ca).
Get a bird's-eye view of the landscape during a
flightseeing tour (www.spectacularnwt.com/
what-to-do/tours/flight-tours).
SCENIC DRIVES
Travel through two mountain ranges and the
Continental Divide, and take your photo at the
Arctic Circle when you drive the iconic 740-km
(460-mi.) Dempster Highway from Dawson
City, Yukon to Inuvik (www.yukoninfo.com/
Inuvik-nwt/driving-the-dempster). Then
continue on and drive all the way to the tiny
community of Tuktoyaktuk on the Arctic Ocean.
Make like an ice road trucker. Drive the 6.5 km
(4.0 mi.) winter road that links Dettah to
Yellowknife. There are also winter roads that
link Fort Simpson to communities in the
Mackenzie Valley and a route from Fort Smith
to Fort Chipewyan, AB.
FAMILY FUN
Climb into a sled and listen to the sound of
excited huskies barking with anticipation.
Then silence descends when you hit the trail
and feel the power of a team of dogs pulling
you through the forest during a dogsledding
excursion (www.spectacularnwt.com/
what-to-do/winter-activities/dogsledding).
In summer, the Great Northern Arts Festival
offers workshops for both kids and adults.
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NORTHERN LIGHTS, BLATCHFORD LAKE LODGE • HERRY HIMANSHU