We went to Yellowknife to visit a friend and to see the Northern Lights. What we found is a sense of community and hospitality that gives the southern United States a good run for its money.

You’ve heard of Southern Hospitality? I’m here to tell you that Northern Hospitality is where it’s at. (Bold, I know.)

Exhibit A: House Sitting

When I first started looking into lodging in Yellowknife, I didn’t find much for deals. I recommend ditching traditional hotel/motel lodging altogether. There are some really cool Airbnb locations if you are looking for something unique, including houseboats.

Houseboats would be a great choice if you plan to be there for the Snow King Festival. We were there during the preliminary stages of construction, but Yellowknifers say it is quite the spectacle when the snow castle is completed.

If you really want to get thrifty, and dive into northern living, look into house sitting. Because it is so cold in the winter, it is important that empty homes are checked in on, that the furnaces stay alive, and that the pipes don’t freeze.

For us, being in Yellowknife over Christmas meant that it was pretty easy to find someone who needed a house sitter. We used the Yellowknife House Sitting Facebook page to connect with a family in town that was looking for someone to watch over their home and their cats. One cat was evil (I’m talking about you, Gus-Gus), but it was a great way to save some cash and have access to laundry and a full kitchen.

I have never been to a place where people are welcomed into a stranger’s home like this. Our hosts were wonderful, and even left us with a bottle of wine and some sweet treats as a thank you. You will typically need a few decent references and a good pitch about your ability to be responsible.

Exhibit B: Free Timmy’s at the Legislature

Yellowknife is the territorial capital of Northwest Territories, so we wanted to visit the legislature. When we arrived, it was very quiet, as the legislators were not working over the Christmas holiday.

There was a security guard, and a little girl of about 8 years old. The little girl was the daughter of a representative who had come into work for a few hours. She had brought a couple of jugs of Tim Horton’s coffee and a box of timbits to share with visitors.

Legit. Canadian coffee and donuts given out at the territorial legislature. That’s some kind of hospitality, and it was a welcome warm-up after a cold car ride.

The legislature was pretty cool, but if you are in that area, the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre is a can’t miss. Entry is by donation, and the exhibits are incredible. If you at all interested in art or history, check it out.

Exhibit C: Christmas Dinner

I probably would have had instant noodles for Christmas dinner if we hadn’t encountered such kind folks during our first few days in Yellowknife. The friend we had come to visit had left for Mexico a few days before Christmas, but first introduced us to her sister-in-law. Right away, she made sure we would have somewhere to be on Christmas.

Having made just a couple of friends, we were again welcomed into a perfect stranger’s home.  This time it was for a holiday feast, a musical jam of carols, and a confusing performance by a troop of children. We heard stories of how people had ended up in Yellowknife, how long they had been there, and what they love about the place.

All in all, Yellowknife embodied that sense of community and home that you always hope to find when you go to a new place. I am not often one to re-visit a place, but Yellowknife really captured my imagination, and I was delighted when two more opportunities to visit came up in the summer time.

A note on getting there:
Yellowknife is accessible and relatively affordable from Calgary by airplane, and because it is an adjacent province, I was able to get a good deal using points from my credit card.

If you’d rather take a road trip, it is a bit of a trek, and the route is remote. But the wildlife viewing is great, and the experience of driving through the boreal forest is worth it. A long drive through this type of environment is a great way to wrap your mind around how vast and important the boreal region is. We’re talking about Earth’s lungs, people!

Have you been to Yellowknife? Thinking about going? What are your can’t-miss stops along the way?