Safari Spirit, Day 1: Exploring Petersburg with the Patti Wagon

Alaskans are different. They're tougher than their contemporaries living in the Lower 48 and are often more creative too, having had to carve out a comfortable life in the wilderness without easy access to warehouse shopping outlets and city centers. Alaskans are also some of the most engaging and friendly people you'll ever meet. Case in point: Patti Norheim and her "Patti Wagon" tours. More about Patti in a minute.

As I mentioned in yesterday's message, we arrived here in Petersburg—a town of 3,000 on Mitkof Island, deep in the Tongass National Forest—last night. The island is embraced by Frederick Sound in the northeast, Sumner Straits to the south, and Wrangell Narrows to the west. If you cross Frederick Sound, you'll hit mainland Alaska in the east and if you cross Wrangell Narrows, you'll encounter Kupreanof Island in the west.

There are only two ways to get to Petersburg: fly or take the ferry (Alaska Marine Highway or Inter-island Ferry Authority). We opted to fly in from Juneau via Alaska Airlines. While the runway is nice and long and allows for 737s to land, the airport itself is just one tiny wooden building.

Since we were traveling light and only had our carry-on bags and photo gear, we were off the plane and outside in a flash. Then we faltered—hmm, are there taxi stands in Petersburg? We didn't see any sign of transporation options so I called the Scandia House, where we were staying that night, to ask if they could give me the number of the local cab company (hoping that there was a local cab company!). It turns out, Scandia House provides transportation to and from the airport and a van picked us up within minutes.

Check-in was a breeze and after getting a recommendation for dinner, we walked toward the pier and Rooney's Northern Lights restaurant. It was too cold to dine outside on the deck but we were seated near a window and within five minutes, I caught my first glimpse of an eagle! I knew then that this was going to be a very special trip!

Early the next morning, we explored downtown in a light rain. (Petersburg gets 106 inches of rain per year!) We visited the hardware store and Rexall Drug, where we picked up some much-needed bug repellant. Sing Lee Alley Books was also a treat. Located in a picturesque home, this shop is packed with Alaska-centric books, field guides, maps, and gifts. We purchased a gorgeous map of the Inside Passage, plus a laminated chart depicting the many types of whales, seals, and sea lions that make Alaska home.

At 11 a.m., we checked out of the Scandia House and waited in the lobby to meet the other Safari Spirit passengers for a day tour of Petersburg. We were curious about who else would be joining us on this adventure. With room for just twelve guests, the Safari Spirit promised an intimate environment...which is wonderful if you bond with your fellow travelers and not so hot if you realize you have nothing in common. However, we really shouldn't have ever worried. American Safari Cruises is all about embarking on an adventure to discover a bit more about nature and yourself. Guests tend to be well traveled, environmentally conscious, introspective, and downright friendly.

We met our traveling companions: Daryl and Peter from London and two couples from Los Angeles: Lisa and Victor and Lucy and Greg. As we were all greeting each other, Lisa and Lucy did a double-take...they had gone to college together years before! What a small world!

Then our tour guide, Patti Norheim, arrived wearing an infectious smile and an American Safari Cruises nametag stating "Patti—Living Legend." Petersburg has been Patti's home for over 80 years and she knows just about everything there is to know about the area and its residents. For many years, she owned and operated a popular local giftshop. Patti now handles tours from two small ship cruise lines and runs independent tours through her own company, dubbed the Patti Wagon (907-772-4837).

Patti's "wagon" is a comfortable red van that seats about 10 people. She drove us around Petersburg while providing an interesting commentary about the places and people we passed along the way. We first visited Sandy Beach Park, where you can still see petroglyphs and prehistoric fish traps—the Tlingits were indigenous to this area. There are also free, first-come-first-serve state-run cabins at Sandy Park and we even saw some deer beachcombing!

We then stopped at Patti's sister-in-law's home and enjoyed lunch in the gorgeous dining room facing the water. Since Petersburg has Norwegian roots and is often referred to as "Little Norway"—Peter Buschmann came here from Norway in the late 1800s to open a cannery and many of his countrymen followed him—the menu featured traditional foods such as chicken noodle soup, poached salmon, open-face egg salad sandwiches, and walnut tarts. A lovely crisp white wine, a red wine, and ice tea were also served. We spent some time lounging on the deck and getting to know each other better before moving on to Crystal Lake Hatchery.


After exploring the hatchery we piled back in the van and Patti showed us more of the island, much of it muskeg (bog). At each turn, Petersburg became more and more beautiful. Around 4 p.m., we headed to Patti's home to enjoy some wine and shrimp cocktail. Patti lives right on Wrangell Narrows and I don't think better views can be had in all of Mitkof Island! In fact, as we sat on the deck, an eagle called to us from a nearby tree. Everyone sprang into action with their cameras and camcorders! What a special moment!





When the eagle flew away, we settled back down and talked some more with Patti as she showed us some family albums and lots of photos of eagles, bears, whales, and to-die-for sunsets. Sadly, time was ticking away and we had a date with the Safari Spirit. Patti drove us to the dock and we arrived at exactly 5:30 p.m. The crew was ready and waiting for us. Patti introduced us to Captain Tate Grant, lead steward Kim Killingsworth, steward Kim Dahm, expedition leader Nitakuwa Barrett, engineer/mate Danny Blanchard, and chef Dave Gipson.


It was time to bid farewell to Patti and Petersburg and look ahead to a journey that promised the adventure of a lifetime! Check back soon to read more about this fabulous vacation. —Andrea






Photos © Leonard Hospidor and Andrea Rotondo and may not be used without permission