Ideal Cove and Petersburg
After stretch class, breakfast, and other wake-up routines, we started the day hiking in Ideal Cove on a wooden “plank” trail with picturesque views of a temperate rain forest, meadows, and a lake.
Some of the hikers saw a bald eagle perched up in a nearby tree, preening its feathers and searching for prey. Others enjoyed sightings of a Steller’s jay, a mother grebe with chicks, and evidence of beaver, moose and goose activity. The day was slightly overcast, but perfect light conditions for great photography shots.
Immediately following this adventure, some thrill-seekers embarked on a floatplane flight to witness the remarkable landscape of the Tongass National Forest, including the massive river of ice known as the Le Conte Glacier.
The town of Petersburg was the next stop on the route, where we disembarked to spend leisure time walking and biking the quaint streets of the small Norwegian fishing community of 3,500 people. Situated close to the Le Conte Glacier, the town of Petersburg was founded in 1897, due to plentiful amounts of harvested fish and accessible ice from the glacier to preserve the food stores. Linda and Linda led dock walks looking at the different fishing vessels and explaining their fishing practices.
As a finale to the wonderful day, our hotel manager, Erasmo Estripeaut, arranged to have a Dungeness crab feast while we passed through Frederick Sound and entered Stephen’s Passage. It truly was fantastic!!!
