It has been a wonderful day – brilliant and warm. Early morning was serene: glassy water, delicate wisps of low clouds, jagged mountain peaks in the distance, and harbor seals sleeping on mud bars. When we arrived at Ideal Cove, we stepped ashore next to a stream and walked into temperate rainforest. A narrow boardwalk kept our feet off the soggy forest floor, and we saw mosses, ferns, lichens and leaves in every conceivable shade of green. Skunk cabbage leaves were enormous. Bright orange fungi and red berries punctuated the green, while the stream provided lovely background music. People on the long exercise walk saw two lakes and several meadows and bogs. Our youngest guests followed their forest walk with a treat: Zodiac driving lessons!
We spent the afternoon in Petersburg, a fishing town settled by Norwegians. The Sons of Norway Hall is located just beyond the dock, Norwegian flags fly, and traditional rosemaling painting decorates many buildings. Mid-August is peak time for salmon fishing, so much of the fishing fleet was out, and the canneries were busy processing pink salmon. We explored the friendly town on foot or bicycle, explored a muskeg, picked blueberries, and/or strolled along the docks looking at the fishing boats still in port.
Before dinner, a Petersburg resident and fisherman named Becky Knight spoke to us about commercial fishing. Dinner was a feast of fresh, locally caught Dungeness crab. Just before dark, the ship paused for a lone humpback whale, while sunset painted the sky pale orange.
