During our mid-August week long stay in Petersburg, Alaska the weather had been damp. They had just come out of a good stretch of sunny weather in the high 70's, it was in the mid to high fifties during our stay, and as I write now 10 days later Sept. 2, 2009, they are again having sunny days. There is a great web cam that refreshes every 15 seconds perched on the National Public Radio Station tower in town. KFSK radio can be search engined, click on the web cam. We began planning our vacation in May of 2009. If I did not get a daily fix of the KFSK webcam, something was wrong.
Much history of the community is available on-line, Google Earth posters have left numerous photos of the community. Recently I read that a group of advisors arriving in town representing the travel industry were trying to emphasize the eco-tourism appeal of the region. The Panhandle of Alaska is as wet as any equatorial region frequented by monsoons. From some of the other movies we have posted you can see the lush nature of just this one island of which there are literally hundreds, most of them unpopulated except by wildlife.
Real Estate in the community is "By Owner", or through a local realty group named Petersburg Realty, what else? The owner of the boat rental told us he was soon selling out his boats, and would become the owner of the realty. Properties on the island ranged from undeveloped land accessible by foot through the underbrush, to undeveloped and developed properties with and without waterfront to a variety of new to older homes, several commercial properties, boats of various sizes, and a large industrial property on the shore.
Several residents stated the loss of the logging industry, (we did note a small lumber mill in operation), and a sagging fishing revenue had produced an economic doldrums effect. Across the street from our lodging each day we saw a representative of the self employed each day tending after his crabbing business. HIs day's activities were adjusted to the tides it seemed. Some days home in the middle of the afternoon, others not arriving until dusk. A "For Sale by Owner" sign on his two story home.
The nations economy is shouldered by people. Each one makes a contributing share however small or large. People get bye during hard times. Petersburg did have a number of storefronts for lease on main street which the Taxi Driver told us recently were occupied by various gift trade shops. The regions Fish and Game office, a Division of Forestry office, a courthouse, a rest home, hospital, Alaska Airlines Terminal with two flights daily, air tours with fixed wing and helicopter, charter fishing boats, the Coast Guard has a large vessel tied in the harbor, nine churches, a pizza parlor, a sit down restaurant perched on pilings in Middle Harbor for sale by owner, a certain population of native coastal peoples, two taverns, a hardware with seemingly every item one could need in that area of life, an old paid for supermarket on main street, and a new un-paid for supermarket half way to the airport, and a reported full time population of 3008. Much of the payroll from the three major fish processors in town flies out of town with the globally mixed seasonal workers on "the slime line". At the area of the Harbormasters office evenings the tired workers gathered along the sidewalk. Numerous languages issued from various cliques along the way. Men and women have gone to the sea for ages, no different here. The processor business comptrollers and owners have found the minimum wage half way or so between $7 and $8 and time and a half for overtime more economical than the $11 or so paid to the unionized workers who once populated the canneries.
We have not wintered in Petersburg. That it is a different season we can only imagine. Rain may fall in Spain, but Little Norway gets some too. Average rainfall is 99,99 inches. That is 8,3 feet per year. Knee high brown boots that have a cream colored trim are the native wear. Rain and snow visit Petersburg, and a long gray wet winter, with shortened daylight hours prevails.
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27.6 Leaving Seattle to Catch some Petersburg, Alaska Salmonby oldandfound1493 views
this is a great fabulous video, thank you for sharing your life with us---
CathyCorlleone 1 year ago
ahhhh you forgot the crab cracker lol
legendofbrucelee 1 year ago
very nice cabin looks like you two can have alot of fun there stay safe!!
legendofbrucelee 1 year ago
I am concerned about your husband's lungs. :( Do you think you could convince him to see a physician? I apologize, I don't mean to be out of line.
Onlymanolos 1 year ago