Overnight we sailed through Fredrick Sound to our first landing this morning at Ideal Cove. We awoke to another beautiful day with calm conditions and more sunshine! After breakfast we shuttled ashore to go for walks in the stunning Tongass National Forest.
We walked along a forest service boardwalk trail and some groups made it up to a lovely lake. There were lots of opportunities to forage for blueberries and learn how berries are an important part of many of the local animals’ diets. The naturalists also told us all about the forest, the types of trees and other plants we discovered along the trail. It was a great way to start our morning.
In the afternoon, National Geographic Sea Lion tied up alongside in the charming fishing town of Petersburg. It is a small town of less than 4,000 people that was originally founded by a Norwegian immigrant and we saw lots of evidence of the strong Scandinavian ties as we walked along Main Street.
There was a chance to go for a bike ride in the glorious sunshine in addition to walks along another forest service trail. This time we had the chance to explore a special type of habitat called a muskeg, which is the native word for a bog. We discovered the insect-eating plants called sundews and had a fun afternoon exploring a wonderful place in shorts (a very rare event in Alaska!).
And there was one more option for the truly adventurous souls who took on the challenge of the Petersburg Mountain trail. It was a great chance to go for a steep hike through the forest and for some wonderful views of the mountains. We just had a fantastic day exploring this part of Southeast Alaska!
