Homer, Alaska

From Turnagain Arm, we continued on down to the Kenai Peninsula. We stopped briefly in Soldotna, but that town is all about fishing and we're not, so on we went down to Homer at the tip of the Kenai. It was a beautiful day and our first view of the town was from a hilltop overlook. It was a spectacular view of the mountains surrounding Kachemak Bay with the Homer "Spit" jutting out in the center.

The Homer Spit juts out from the mainland where the actual town is located. The Spit is 5 miles long--the second longest in the world. I don't know what the first is. I need to find that out. The Oceanview RV Park where we stayed was in town, just before you get to the Spit. It was up on a hill, so as the name suggests, it had a wonderful view of the bay. 

We drove to the Spit and took a walking tour. Of course there was a harbor with lots of fishing boats.

It was like being at the Jersey shore on a summer day. On either side of the street there were boardwalks filled with souvenir shops and restaurants, and kiosks offering guided hiking, kayaking, and fishing trips. There are campgrounds on the spit, but we were happy to be where we were so we could get away from the crowds. 

We wanted to do some sea kayaking, so we stopped in at True North Kayak Adventures and signed up for a guided glacier hike/kayaking trip for the next morning. 

Filled with anticipation, we stopped at the Homer Brewing Co. to celebrate our newly made plans. Then we headed back to the trailer to prepare for the next morning's adventure.

We woke up the next morning to gray skies and drizzle. Not great for hiking or kayaking, but we were committed, so off we went, hoping for the best. The shop lent us some boots and rain gear and off we went in a water taxi with our guide, Brad, and two apprentice guides, across the foggy bay to a rocky beach to start our hike.

We started out with our rain gear, but after a short time, the rain stopped and we were able to peel off a layer. We hiked on a trail through a beautiful forest which led to a view of Grewingk Glacier from across a glacial lake filled with icebergs that had broken off the glacier.







Brad took off his shoes and socks and started wading in the ice cold water. He said that it was good for the circulation! I took his word for it! Then the two apprentices got into the act and they all waded in to grab a chunk of glacial ice. I thought they were all nuts!

Lee had his own method of gathering ice.

As we continued the hike through the forest, Brad pointed out and identified various plants and birds for us. We found and tasted all sorts of berries--blue, black current, salmon, and skunk. The latter was true to its name. I wouldn't recommend it!

Nest made from moose hair

Young ptarmigan getting up the courage to fly

After the morning hike, the water taxi picked us up again to take us to our kayak. We paddled around Yukon Island which had a beautiful rocky coastline. The water was emerald green and so clear.

You can tell from my rain jacket and the splotch on the photo that it started to sprinkle again. It got increasingly difficult to take photos while trying to keep the camera dry and keep up my end of the paddling chore.

Despite the rain, we continued to paddle and were able to see some sea otters, a harbor seal, and a few different kinds of birds. A large gathering of common murres and kittiwakes were on the appropriately named Bird Rock.

common murres (top), kittiwakes (bottom)

A group of Harlequin Ducks

Another water taxi ride back to shore and then back to the campground to get dried off and warm up! It would have been nice to have had a sunny day, but it was an adventure nonetheless.

On our last day in Homer, we treated ourselves to a dinner out at The Fresh Catch restaurant. Of course, we both ordered seafood and the restaurant lived up to its name. Everything was delicious!

Now off to Seward and hopes of better weather!