Our day started a bit earlier than usual with a 12:45 a.m. wake-up call to view the aurora borealis. Fighting the chill of the night air, our guests crowded the bow of the ship to view the green and purple streaks of the Northern Lights; they remained until the sun began to rise sometime after 1:00 a.m. Later, after a bit more sleep, we enjoyed breakfast as the ship came into dock. A day in Petersburg gives our guests the opportunity to hike, view a muskeg, ride bikes, and take in the local culture. By a stroke of luck, we happened to arrive while the town was in the full swing of its Little Norway Festival. There was a sweater modeling competition, celebratory exhibits displaying local art in all the shops, and Vikings dancing with townspeople in a parade. By the way, there was also a black bear in full view during lunch!
7/11/2024
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National Geographic Venture
Petersburg, Alaska
We spent our entire day exploring the community and surrounding ecosystems in Petersburg. With its proud Norwegian heritage, Petersburg is a commercial fishing town with a year-round population of just over 3,000, and it offered us a true taste of daily life in Alaska. Norwegian flags hung outside many of the houses, and detailed rosemaling decorative art adorned shutters and eaves. Fishing boats and skiffs moved in and out of the harbor around National Geographic Venture at dock, bringing in loads of wild Alaskan salmon for processing at the canneries. We rode bikes, hiked, and meandered around the town and forests. Some of us explored the muskegs, a type of peat bog, and the amazing plant life that has adapted to the acidic and nutrient-poor habitat. Other guests rode bikes or walked through town, visiting the local hardware stores that sell just about everything you could possibly need as a fisherman in Alaska. The weather cooperated with another day of moody clouds but no rain, and we were even graced with patches of blue sky and sun.
