Day 26 - May 16 - YELLOWKNIFE IS ACTUALLY A PRETTY COOL TOWN

A visit to the Yellowknife Visitor Centre seemed apropos and we can walk there from our hotel so let's do it. 

We have been here for 2 days now and have already done a lot of what we wanted to...probably should have come here when we first arrived. A few stuffed foxes drew my attention. I usually pretty much hate that but these were particularly well done.

We were also issued an Order of Arctic Adventurers, North of 60 Chapter certificate. It's a cheesy tourist participation trophy in my book but what the heck, we've got about half a dozen of these type of things at home.

The Niven Lake Trail is not long and really not that interesting, after all it circles a small lake with a subdivision on the other side of the path but it's right off the parking lot of our hotel so we had to go. 

The internet description doesn't really make it any more appealing. "This easy 2 kilometre loop explores the shoreline of a small marshy lake in the heart of a Yellowknife residential area. The short 35 minute walk is a popular destination for trail runners, walkers and wildlife". Whoa! I've seen enough ducks thank you. Not exactly my idea of wildlife, especially after the bears and bison we saw coming up here.

The least I can do is try to make it look wild and wonderful.  😅

McAvoy Rock is a strikingly large-scale public art painted on a very large rock face. The rock, the art and sculpture are part of a cross-cultural 1999 project initiated by the Foundation Franco-Tenoise.

The bronze copy of a sculpture (the original marble is in the Great Hall of the Legislative Assembly) stands at the foot of McAvoy Rock. 

There are also 1,500 multi-coloured symbols painted directly onto the rock facade and a teepee at the summit. The project symbolizes hope for a better understanding and cooperation amongst different peoples...we can never have too much of that.

These things are a little dopey but I kind of like them. A fellow stopped as we were taking individual shots and offered to take one of the two of us. We thanked him, talked to him for awhile then went our separate ways, two ships that pass in the night once again.

I LOVE street murals. They're a really big deal in so many Canadian cities and towns...it seems the more remote the more murals. Today's title is true; Yellowknife is actually a pretty cool town.

😎