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 there 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 3,030 locals still make a living 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.
It's 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 local children's birthdays are posted each month. 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, rain forests and water.
And despite all the blond Alaskans of Norwegian descent you'll meet there, a federally recognized Tlingit tribe also lives in the community. About 7 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 or more 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 (the harbor is not deep enough for the big ones), you won't encounter crowds in Petersburg. What you will find are friendly locals, cheerfully welcoming visitors to their remote Alaskan outpost.