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Petersburg Overview
Take a snapshot of Petersburg, Alaska, and show it to your friends. They'll probably think it's a picture of a Norwegian coastal village. That's because the fishing town's Norwegian roots are readily apparent. They show through in the town's neat, white houses -- some located on piers and pilings -- which are decorated Scandinavian-style with carefully tended window boxes full of flowers. Scenic tableaus of brightly colored fishing shacks, surrounded by boats in the harbor behind and set against glacier-covered mountains, are as common here as in the Old Country.
Petersburg, located on Mitkof Island in Frederick Sound, was founded in 1890 by Norwegian immigrant Peter Buschmann, who came to the area to open a fish cannery. Many of the 3,100 locals still make their livings fishing for salmon and halibut in the fish-rich waters. The town has several fish processing operations -- some small and family-owned and others that are larger.
This is a town where everyone knows your name. The toy store on Sing Lee Alley (a tiny street on the water) even has a chalkboard where residents' birthdays are posted each week. Four blocks of Nordic Drive make up the main drag, where you'll find family-owned businesses that include grocery and hardware stores. Beyond that are residential neighborhoods, rainforests and water.
And despite all the blonde Alaskans of Norwegian descent you'll meet here, a federally recognized Tlingit tribe also lives in the community. More than 10 percent of the residents are of Native American heritage.
Petersburg is an isolated place with its nearest big neighbors -- Juneau and Ketchikan -- each about 150 miles away (10 hours by ferry). Not surprisingly, the main attraction for cruise-ship visitors is the surrounding natural scenery and wildlife. The town is only 25 miles from the calving LeConte Glacier, the southernmost saltwater terminating glacier in North America. And hundreds of humpback whales make the Frederick Sound their feeding grounds every summer.
Since only small-cruise ships can visit here (the harbor is not deep enough for the big ones), you will not encounter crowds in Petersburg. What you will find are friendly locals, cheerfully welcoming visitors to their remote, Alaskan outpost.
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Other Alaska Cruise Ports:
Haines • Icy Strait • Juneau • Ketchikan • Petersburg • Prince Rupert • Seattle • Seward • Sitka • Skagway • Vancouver • Victoria • Whittier
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Best Souvenir
Pick up locally made items like knitwear, quilted products and canned, smoked salmon.
Language
English is the most widely spoken language.
Currency & Best Way to Get Money
U.S. dollars are used, and ATM's are available at First Bank and Well's Fargo Bank on North Nordic Drive.
Where You're Docked
The small ships that visit here dock at the ferry terminal, about a mile from the town center. There's not much to do near the pier except watch the comings and goings of the fishing fleet, take in the view and scan the waters for seals and other marine animals.
Hanging Around
Head to the wooden boardwalk of Sing Lee Alley for quaint little shops and small-town, seaside ambience.
Getting Around
Cabs? Not likely. Take the ship's shuttle into town. For information on outdoor activities or to pick up hiking trail maps, head to the Visitor Information Center -- operated by the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce -- at the corner of First and Fram Streets (open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m.).
Watch Out For
Items you think are made in Alaska should be stamped "made in Alaska". Otherwise, they may have been made in China or elsewhere.
Don't Miss
 Cruise lines usually include complimentary performances by the Leikarring Dancers -- a costumed local dance troupe, featuring kids performing traditional Norwegian folk dances at the Sons of Norway Hall, 23 Indian St. (on a wooden dock near Sing Lee Alley). The show is delightful, and the women of the organization offer complimentary (and very yummy) homemade Norwegian cookies and pastries. The hall itself dates to 1912 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. A must-do photo stop is the giant model of a Viking ship in front of the hall. It is used in the annual, four-day Little Norway Festival, when locals celebrate Norwegian Independence Day (May 17, 1814).
Nature and wildlife are the big draws of Petersburg. If you want to book your own fishing excursion, kayak tour, whale watch or flightseeing trip, the place to contact is the Viking Travel agency on the corner of Nordic Drive and Sing Lee Alley (800-327-2571, www.alaskaferry.com).
Stock up on gifts at the shops on Sing Lee Alley. Norwegian knitwear and arts and crafts supplies are found at Cubby Hole, 14 Sing Lee Alley (907-772-2717). WildCat Quilts, in the other half of 14 Sing Lee Alley (907-772-4848), sells quilted table runners and wall hangings. Stock up on smoked salmon and halibut (or have them shipped home) at Tonka Seafoods at 22 Sing Lee Alley (888-560-3662). Sing Lee Alley Books, at 11 on the same street (907-772-4440), has a great collection of books on natural history and Alaska.
Been There, Done That
To learn about seafood processing, visit Tonka Seafoods, 22 Sing Lee Alley. Tours are offered Monday through Saturday at 1:30 p.m. and are repeated at 3:30 p.m. if there's a crowd. The smoking and canning process is detailed on the one-hour tours ($15 per person).
The Clausen Memorial Museum, at Second and Front Streets, is the place to learn about the town's history. The collection includes obsolete fishing gear, old nautical equipment and outlawed fish traps (open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.).
Join a ranger-guided walk (information available at the Visitor Information Center in town) to Sandy Beach, located three miles southeast of town on Sandy Beach Road. Despite its name, the beach is not for swimming, but it does offer, at low tide, the remains of ancient Tlingit fishing traps and petroglyphs on nearby rocks. Beachcombing is also a favorite activity here. You can find shells, driftwood, buoys and more, or observe the skittering crabs (a great activity with kids).
Just within walking distance on the edge of town, on North Nordic Drive, Eagle Roost Park is a city park with picnic tables, grassy areas and nice views. It's also home to the local bald eagle population. You'll see them roosting on trees and on the water, looking for discarded fish parts from the nearby cannery.
Lunching
At Rooney's Northern Lights Restaurant, 203 Sing Lee Alley (907-722-2900), you'll find more locals than visitors. The place is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and serves fresh seafood, salads, burgers, coffee drinks, ice cream and sweets. Beer and wine are also available.
Staying in Touch
The Petersburg Public Library, 12 Nordic Dr. (907-772-3349), has a bank of computer work stations you can use, free of charge, on a first-come, first-served basis. (There may be a wait; take a number from the librarian.) The library also offers wireless Internet access (though, in our experience, it doesn't always work).
Shore Excursions
On the Mitkof Island Tour and Rainforest Experience, you'll learn about the history of Petersburg, as well as the flora and fauna of the rainforest that surrounds the town. Your forest stroll will take you on a boardwalk, past old-growth trees, bogs and a saltwater estuary.
Glacier-viewing is the goal on the LeConte Glacier Jet Boat excursion. The tour includes an exhilarating trip onboard an 18-passenger, twin-engine vessel, which travels 30 miles per hour, past icebergs, to the glacier base. The LeConte Glacier is very active, so calving is quite likely.
For More Information
Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Information Center (www.petersburg.org): 907-772-4636 (or call 866-484-4700 for a visitor guide)
Cruise Critic Message Boards: Alaska
The Independent Traveler Message Boards: Alaska
--by Fran Golden. Boston-based Golden is the travel editor for GateHouse Media New England and also is co-author of Frommer's Alaska Cruises & Ports of Call.
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