My Adventure in Whitehorse

A few weeks ago I took a trip of a lifetime to Whitehorse. I was very excited as well as a little nervous. I was excited at the prospect of seeing a friend I had not seen in many years. I was nervous because this was going to be the first time I flew by myself EVER!

I had to wake up at 4:30 because I had to leave for the airport at 5:00AM. When I got to the airport, my mom accompanied me to the Air Canada desk to help me check-in, and to make sure my luggage was going straight to Whitehorse and I wouldn’t have to get in when I arrived in Vancouver for my layover. After a small glitch with the computer, my luggage was checked in and they put a tag on my wheelchair.  When I was all checked in my mom accompanied me as far as she could. We said goodbye when we got to security. At that time of the morning security was not busy. It only took a few minutes to get through. I was unsure of where to go after I cleared security so I asked one of the guards. He told me I had to take the elevator to where the gates are. I thanked him and was on my way. Once I found my gate, I got a coffee and waited until the time I could board.

Once it was time to board, everyone was extremely helpful. One of the airport employees pushed me down the ramp to the airplane. There, two attendants helped me into the aisle chair. While they were strapping me in, one of the stewardesses took my purse and carry-on bag to my seat. Once I arrived at my seat the stewardess helped me get settled and said if I needed ANYTHING just to let them know. The flight was long and a little turbulent but other than that it was uneventful.

When I arrived in Vancouver, the stewardess took care of my belongings while I was being assisted into the aisle chair. Once I was off the plane, one of the employees of the airport helped me to the gate where I needed to catch my second flight. Once I was there, I found a place where I could get something to eat. Even though I was in Vancouver for almost two hours, the time went very quickly. I was then ready for the last leg of my journey. The flight from Vancouver to Whitehorse was shorter, however there was a little bit of turbulence again.

After almost eight hours of travelling I was FINALLY in Whitehorse. Even from the window of the airplane, I could tell Whitehorse was very picturesque. The very first picture I took was from the airplane. The people there were extremely helpful as well. After I was helped into my wheelchair, there was no indoor walkway from the plane, so we had to walk off the tarmac. I was escorted into the airport and someone helped me to the baggage claim. The airport in Whitehorse is very small so as soon as I got to where the baggage claim was, my friends were waiting there for me. The employee made sure I was okay before they left me. I thanked them for their help. I was exhausted but I was very excited to be in Whitehorse!

Once we left the airport my friends drove me around to show me some of the sights. They knew I was exhausted so they only showed me a few things. Then we went to my hotel, The Edgewater and checked in.  My hotel room was very nice and cozy. There were a couple minor things that needed to be changed to make it more accessible, but the hotel staff was very accommodating and they were rectified quickly. After I rested for a while my friends picked me up and we had a nice dinner.

While travelling though Whitehorse, I could not believe how beautiful it is. I saw breathtaking scenery every day. I couldn’t get enough. I even saw two bears. I was hoping to see more wildlife (bald eagle, moose) but I did not. Oh well, that just means I have to go back. I’ve been trying to put into words how beautiful it is, but that doesn’t do it justice. I am hoping to print out my pictures and make it into a book. If anyone tells me they are thinking about going to Whitehorse, I will tell them to stop thinking about it AND GO!