Sitka-Petersburg 2019
Southeast Alaska has a number of small towns that have no road access to the rest of Alaska or Canada. That includes the capital city of Juneau. To visit requires a boat or plane. Sitka and Petersburg have always been on my list to visit. Sitka was originally settled by the Russians to hunt sea otters. It became part of the United States in 1867 when Alaska was purchased from the Russians. It has a population of about 9,000. Petersburg, a small fishing community of about 3.000 people, was settled by people from Norway.
We flew to Sitka and spent 5 nights in an Airbnb. Bikes were provided so we were able to explore in and around the town. We also used the very convenient local bus. The Sitka Historical Park was the place for totem poles. We also visited the Rapture Center where they care for injured birds. The Fortress of the Bear is outside of town. The mission there is to rescue cubs, bring them back to health, and provide a place to live. They are working with the Alaska Department of Fish & Game to someday release rehabbed bears back into the wild. We saw both grizzlies and black bears. And of course Rena found some local Zumba and colorful thrift stores, even there.
http://www.fortressofthebear.org
Our 12-hour ferry ride to Petersburg left at noon so we traveled almost the entire route in daylight. The ferries are almost empty in the non-summer season. We timed our Petersburg visit to coincide with the “Little Norway Festival” which takes place every year in May. The festival activities kept us very busy for the 4 nights we stayed, again in an Airbnb with bikes to use. We did guided walks, saw a parade, visited with vikings, and ate traditional Norwegian food. Many of the activities were centered around the Sons of Norway Hall.
There were no bugs this time of the year and the temperatures were pleasant. We had a wonderful time. The Itinerary below shows our daily activities.
ITINERARY
1 - May 9 - L.A. to Sitka, arrive 11 PM - Stay at Cosy Garden Airbnb.
2 - May 10- Town center, Naa Kahidi Dancers, Historical Park.
3 - May 11 - Rapture Center, Archangel dancers, Bishops House, Coastal Hill, Brotherhood House, Local high school dance.
4 - May 12 - Bike, Fortress of the Bear, hike Herring Cove and Beaver Lake.
5 - May 13 - Bike, Mosquito Cove, Boardwalk hike, Bishops House, Historical Park again, visit Branoff Brewery.
6 - - May 14 - Ferry to Petersburg 12:45 p.m. to 11:05 p.m. at Chinook Airbnb.
7 - May 15 - See the sights, Sandy Beach bike ride.
8 - May 16 - Muskeg walk, Salmon Beyond Borders film, Mythology walk, Millie Monka play at local theater..
9 - May 17 - Little Norway Festival booths and exhibits, style show + lunch, Coast Guard demo, Charles T ship, parade, herring toss, Vikings, shrimp feed, Girl’s Roller Derby at local high school.
10 - May 18 - Bike ride south of town, Sons of Norway Hall pastries, halibut cleaning demo, sled pull demo, walk to airport, fly Petersburg-Wrangell-Ketchikan-Seattle-L.A.
Read MoreWe flew to Sitka and spent 5 nights in an Airbnb. Bikes were provided so we were able to explore in and around the town. We also used the very convenient local bus. The Sitka Historical Park was the place for totem poles. We also visited the Rapture Center where they care for injured birds. The Fortress of the Bear is outside of town. The mission there is to rescue cubs, bring them back to health, and provide a place to live. They are working with the Alaska Department of Fish & Game to someday release rehabbed bears back into the wild. We saw both grizzlies and black bears. And of course Rena found some local Zumba and colorful thrift stores, even there.
http://www.fortressofthebear.org
Our 12-hour ferry ride to Petersburg left at noon so we traveled almost the entire route in daylight. The ferries are almost empty in the non-summer season. We timed our Petersburg visit to coincide with the “Little Norway Festival” which takes place every year in May. The festival activities kept us very busy for the 4 nights we stayed, again in an Airbnb with bikes to use. We did guided walks, saw a parade, visited with vikings, and ate traditional Norwegian food. Many of the activities were centered around the Sons of Norway Hall.
There were no bugs this time of the year and the temperatures were pleasant. We had a wonderful time. The Itinerary below shows our daily activities.
ITINERARY
1 - May 9 - L.A. to Sitka, arrive 11 PM - Stay at Cosy Garden Airbnb.
2 - May 10- Town center, Naa Kahidi Dancers, Historical Park.
3 - May 11 - Rapture Center, Archangel dancers, Bishops House, Coastal Hill, Brotherhood House, Local high school dance.
4 - May 12 - Bike, Fortress of the Bear, hike Herring Cove and Beaver Lake.
5 - May 13 - Bike, Mosquito Cove, Boardwalk hike, Bishops House, Historical Park again, visit Branoff Brewery.
6 - - May 14 - Ferry to Petersburg 12:45 p.m. to 11:05 p.m. at Chinook Airbnb.
7 - May 15 - See the sights, Sandy Beach bike ride.
8 - May 16 - Muskeg walk, Salmon Beyond Borders film, Mythology walk, Millie Monka play at local theater..
9 - May 17 - Little Norway Festival booths and exhibits, style show + lunch, Coast Guard demo, Charles T ship, parade, herring toss, Vikings, shrimp feed, Girl’s Roller Derby at local high school.
10 - May 18 - Bike ride south of town, Sons of Norway Hall pastries, halibut cleaning demo, sled pull demo, walk to airport, fly Petersburg-Wrangell-Ketchikan-Seattle-L.A.
