Homer, Alaska, United States - Day 1 of 3
Trip Start
Jun 25, 2009
1
51
74
Trip End
Sep 10, 2009
Loading Map
Homer,
Alaska,
United States
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
On our trip from Seward to Homer, we drove through Soldotna, the central hub of the Kenai Peninsula, and Ninilchik, a fishing village. There were many streams with wading fishermen. The Kenai Peninsula is known for its world class fishing.
Homer has the nickname "Where the road ends and the sea begins" because the Sterling Highway ends here.
Our campground is on a bluff overlooking the beautiful Kachemak Bay of the Cook Inlet. There is a dirt path down the slope to a rocky beach, where Art and I gazed at the glistening bay, glaciers and mountains rimming the shoreline and active volcanoes looming in the distance.
After a short rest, we went off to explore the small town of Homer and Homer Spit, a 5-mile strip of land south of town. Homer is an eclectic town - artsy and outdoorsy. There are abundant local art galleries and shops, which Art prefers to call "tourist traps," and fishing charter services galore. When we are here, Art will join some of our fellow Gulfstreamers on a halibut fishing charter and I will have time to scour the galleries.
When we got to the end of the road at Homer Spit, we noticed fisherman catching some kind of fish right off the shore and decided to join them. Art casted several times and caught one. I, on the other hand, caught one on my first cast - ha ha! There was a group of four Eskimo-looking women who were sitting on a log waiting for the fish to be reeled in. When the fish were dragged in across the rocks, they would run to the fisherman with their plastic bags and ask for the fish.
Seward to Homer
Most people were giving up their catch, including us. I asked one of the women what kind of fish they were and she replied, "Soup!" After repeating the question, she told me they were cod. An internet search later in the evening verified them as being Pacific Cod.As we were backing out of our parking spot we noticed Les and Jean's car parked a few spaces away and determined that they must be dining at the Land's End Resort, so we re-parked and went in to find them. They were on their way out with Richard and Virginia and said that they had enjoyed an amazing meal.
On our return trip to the Oceanview RV Park, we stopped to photograph the historic Salty Dawg Saloon. The locals say that if you haven't at least walked through the Dawg, you haven't experienced Homer. Several buildings were spliced together to create this landmark. The lighthouse tower was once a water tower. The main part of the current building is thought to have been headquarters for the Cook Inlet Coalfields Co. at the turn of the last century. Patrons were playing pool in the area that was Homer's first post office and others were enjoying a beverage in the third segment, reported to have been a schoolhouse. The walls were covered with dollar bills that visitors had written on and tacked up to assure their place in history.
We also stopped at a monument dedicated to those who have lost their lives at sea.
The commercial crabber the "Time Bandit" from the popular TV shoe the "Deadliest Catch," calls Homer its homeport.
