DAY THREE
One of the pleasures of small ship cruising is the ability to reach places that the big ships can’t. Petersburg is one of those places. Founded by Norwegian fishermen, this town is nicknamed Alaska’s “Little Norway,” even though only about 14% of its current population is actually of Norwegian heritage. In the 1890s, Norwegian Peter Bushmann arrived and insisted that nearby LeConte Glacier could provide plentiful ice for a fish packing industry. He was right. Today, Petersburg is one of the top-producing commercial fishing communities in the state, providing salmon, halibut, crab, shrimp, and more to domestic markets and products like geoduck clams and sea cucumbers to Asian markets.
When we arrived in Petersburg, we walked straight to the Sons of Norway Hall, where a dozen children greeted us in traditional Norwegian dress. Two of the local women had arrived even earlier to make three different types of Norwegian cookies for us to sample while we watched the children perform folk dances. But the real fun began when we were invited to join and learn. While I couldn’t convince my teenaged sons to participate, I was more than happy to jump in.
After the dancing, we boarded buses and took a quick tour through the tiny town. It’s not the history that my family and I tend to remember but instead the details about everyday life in Alaska. For example, when the local kids have a sports game against another team, they leave the island either by jet boat, ferry or even by an Alaskan Airlines flight to get to their competition. Our driver also talked about how the tides in this area – tides which can fluctuate by up to 16 feet – truly dictate everyday life.
In the late morning, we went on a nature walk through a muskeg, or bog. Most of this town is built on a spongy bog, meaning the houses are built on pilings without concrete foundations. On the walk, we saw Forget-Me-Nots (Alaska’s state flower), the Fairy Barf Lichen (our group’s namesake), and a Roundleaf Sundew, a flower that eats insects! Maggie, the expedition director, is a hobby botanist with a wealth of information about Alaska’s flora and fauna.
The rest of the day was open to exploring Petersburg. We had lunch in town at The Salty Pantry, a spot worth recommending. When the weather turned to rain, we headed back to the ship for some time in the salt room.
What’s a salt room? I’m glad you asked. It’s a space about the size of a cabin on the first deck. The walls are made from Himalayan salt blocks. The room is warm like a sauna and is supposed to be good for respiratory issues and overall wellness. With no pool or hot tub, this room is the only spa-like feature on the ship.
KidTripster Tip: Let’s talk about what kind of weather that you can expect on a cruise of the Inside Passage. While cruise websites may show photos of sun-drenched days in the Land of the Midnight Sun, southeastern Alaska is often overcast with sporadic rain during the summer. (During the winter, this area gets more rain than snow; some areas see 200 inches of rain per year!) However, it’s not a downpour and doesn’t last long. Alaskan Dream does provide ever passenger with a raincoat, rain pants, and rain boots. Temperatures – especially in the evening and while cruising in open water – are downright nippy. You’ll want to pack a winter coat, a winter hat, gloves, and warm, thick socks. Also, I wish that I would have packed thermal underwear for the days spent on deck looking at wildlife and glaciers. While there is a sundeck on the ship, most passengers don’t spend downtime there reading a book; it’s just too cold.
After dinner, the youth expedition leaders, Matt and Joy, organized a kids’ game night, while Maggie gave a talk on the trees of southeastern Alaska.
