For today’s Geo Quiz — we head to Yukon. 100 years ago a Canadian geologist mapped the area near where the Klondike and Yukon Rivers meet.
His maps came in handy a few years later during the Klondike Gold Rush. Thousands of fortune seekers headed north to Yukon. But it’s the city that was at the heart of all that gold fever we’re after. It adopted the name of that Canadian geologist.
These days, thousands of tourists visit each year to catch a glimpse of the midnight sun, pan for gold, or gamble at Diamond Tooth Gertie’s.
It’s the place where poet Robert Service was inspired to write “The Cremation of Sam McGee”… and another favorite — The Ballad of the Ice-Worm Cocktail about an especially nasty drink.
photo: Jake Wargaphoto: Jake Warga
We’ll share a story about another unpleasant drink that’s popular in this city’s famous Sourdough Saloon…
When we reveal the answer here … ->
The poet Robert Service who immortalized the Canadian North, wrote: there are “strange things done in the midnight sun.”
He got that right.
The Klondike gold rush brought some odd characters north and with them some odd traditions.
Producer Jake Warga visited a bar in Dawson City, Yukon where, for that extra little kick, you can try something called the Sour Toe Cocktail.
Gold seekers thronging Dawson CityGold seekers thronging Dawson City
We should warn you, if you’re a little squeamish, you may want to cover your ears just about now … this drink involves a severed …. Human …. toe.
The World is an independent newsroom. We’re not funded by billionaires; instead, we rely on readers and listeners like you. As a listener, you’re a crucial part of our team and our global community. Your support is vital to running our nonprofit newsroom, and we can’t do this work without you. Will you support The World with a gift today? Donations made between now and Dec. 31 will be matched 1:1. Thanks for investing in our work!