The Wandering Bungalow

07/09/2021

Petersburg (seet-ka)

The center of Norwegian culture. Visit Sing Lee Alley the center of old Petersburg. Here among the quiet streets, you can view the best examples of Norwegian rosemaling.

Hammer Slough is a picturesque scene of the colorful Petersburg waterfront buildings. Perhaps one of the most dominant buildings is Sons of Norway Hall.

When the town was founded, abundant fish and ice were found at LeConte Glacier which inspired the building of the cannery.

To this day Petersburg is a big fishing town. You cannot reach it by cruise ships, unless they are small, only by waterway ferries, barges, vessels, and seaplanes.

Petersburg lies across Frederick Sound surrounded by alpine peaks and a jagged skyline, here you can find Devil's Thumb. To the south is Mitkof Island where there is hiking, camping, fishing, a hatchery, and a trumpeter swan observatory.

You can take day tours to LeConte Glacier by flightseeing and kayaks. There are more opportunities to kayak and hike trails closer to Petersburg.

Norwegian culture in Petersburg can be seen at its best in mid-May when the town stages the four-day Little Norway Festival, featuring Norwegian costumes, a parade, games, and dances. The highlight of the event is the wonderful seafood buffets and shrimp feeds. You’ll never indulge in shrimp, crab, and halibut that is so fresh.

07/09/2021

Wrangell

Wrangell is one of the oldest towns in Alaska. It is the only town to have existed under three flags and be ruled by four nations: Tlingit, Russia, England, and the United States.

You can experience Wrangell's early history in the Wrangell Museum and also in the totem pole. Though they are scattered around town, the best collection can be viewed on Chief Shakes Island.

Head north to view primitive rock carvings thought to be 1,000 years old at the Petroglyph Beach State Historic Park.

The most popular day trip from Wrangell is to Anan Wildlife Observatory. Here you can observe the largest salmon run, and view all different species of wildlife catching and eating salmon. Just visit Tongass National Forest for details.

21/08/2021

Ketchikan

If you spend enough time in Ketchikan chances are good it will rain at least once. Local residents call it ”liquid sunshine” and umbrellas are rarely used.

The city center is best viewed from Ketchikan’s Waterfront Promenade that skirts the busy shoreline and is equipped with historical markers and whale-tail benches for visitors to rest and take in the view.

There are many things to do and see here. tours by boat, kayak, plane to see Prince of Wales Island, Annette Island, Misty Fjords Monument, see wildlife, go Charter Fishing, hiking, camping, walk the promenade, take a zip line tour, sea kayaking, and visit some sites.

Visit Dolly's House Museum. Once a brothel, now a museum to showase the 1930 era. It was named for the city's most famous madame Dolly Arthur. Museum shows her intriguing life.

Walk down the historic Creek Street, once famous as a red-light district, is now filled with art galleries, gift shops, bookstores, restaurants and is a photographer's delight.

South of Ketchikan is Saxman Native Village & Totem Park. At the heart of the park is Saxman Totem Park, home to an extensive collection of replica totems as well as a replica clan house and a carving center. Here you find several restored totem poles from abandoned villages nearby. Many visitors take an Alaska Native-led two-hour village tour that includes a Tlingit language lesson, traditional drum-and-dance performance, narrated tour of the totems, and a visit to the carving shed.

For a scenic coastal area with a lush rainforest bordering a gravel beach and rocky coastline, visit Settler's Cove State Recreation Site and walk a quarter-mile to view a waterfall from an observation deck.

Visit Southeast Alaska Discovery Center to learn about Alaska's ecosystem.

Tongass Historical Museum houses a permanent collection of local historical and Alaska Native artifacts, many dealing with Ketchikan's fishing and mining industry.

A short walk from downtown Ketchikan is Totem Heritage Center. The center was established in 1976 to preserve endangered 19th-century totem poles retrieved from uninhabited Tlingit and Haida village sites near Ketchikan.

Ketchikan is a popular stop for many Alaska adventurers. Nearby you'll find Misty Fjords National Monument, Tongass National Forest, Totem Bight State Historical Park nearby.

21/08/2021

Metlaka

Metlakatla is the only settlement of the indigenous Tsimshian people in the United States and is the only Indian reservation in Alaska.

Visitors can reach Metlakatla by ferry or plane from Ketchikan. Educational and hands-on experiences await travelers looking to explore the Tsimshian way of life, including visits to the community art center, local totem poles and a traditional longhouse. Visitors can take in song and dance performances by local Tsimshian dancers in full regalia at the longhouse, which faces Metlakatla’s boat harbor. Inside, guests can peruse old Tsimshian artifacts on display and experience the nearly extinct Sm’algyax language through tribal performances.

13/08/2021

Next up is Kake

Kake is a historical home for the Kake tribe of the Tlingits. Its known for fishing, logging, the world's largest totem pole, hiking, and kayak trips in the Tebenkof Bay Wilderness.

Tebenkof Bay Wilderness is a remote bay system composed of hundreds of islands, small inner bays, and coves. Kake serves as a departure point for ocean kayak trips into this wilderness. The return paddles is a scenic 10-day adventure noting several varieties of animals.

12/08/2021

First Up--Hyder!!

Hyder is a small town on the Eastern Fringe of Misty Fjords National Monument. They use Canadian money, Canadian schools, on Pacific Standard Time instead of Alaska Standard Time.

Popular Here are Gold Rush-Era Saloons, Salmon Glacier, and mostly the bear viewing.

You'll see pics of Glacier Inn (one of the saloons/restaurants) with the infamous $20,000 walls.

You'll head to Fish Creek Wildlife Observation Site and watch brown and black bears feeding on salmon.

Traveling another 17 miles North into British Columbia, you find a viewing point of Salmon Glacier. Its the 5th Largest in Canada.

12/08/2021

First learning about the Inside Passage. There are 3 regions: Southern, Glacier Bay Area, and the Northern Region.

We’ll work from the South to the North, staying with the Southern Region. The picture gives you a list of all the cities twins and parks. We’ll slowly work through them and give you highlights!!!

06/08/2021

One of the places that’s on my list…Kenai Fjords Park

03/08/2021

Cooper Landing, Juneau Alaska

*not my photo

01/08/2021

Experience Alaska

Majestic landscapes. Magical wildlife. Magnificent discoveries. Adventure is at its peak in Alaska. This video is for everyone who has ever dreamed of going ...