At
Homer part 2. In and around the Homer area June 23-July 4, 2016.
We
spent an enjoyable 2 weeks in Homer. We had a mostly quiet spot at
Mariner park with a great view of Cook Inlet out our side & front
windows and/or our front
yard.
Moon
setting with the sunrise shining on the mountains
I
can't say we did much exciting in
our two weeks here. I
covered the main event, the trip to Seldovia, in the last entry.
We
don't travel as though we are on vacation. We travel to go places
and see things at our pace. No reservations requiring us to be
somewhere on a particular date or time. We move and go when we feel
we have seen what we want in an area. We partly staying in Homer for
2 weeks to get though the 4th
of July weekend. We got here early to be sure we had a scenic &
comfortable spot to be for the 4th
of July weekend. Which we do.
During
our 2 weeks here We mostly took a few short driving trips, ate lunch
a few times in town, visited the museums and visitor centers here.
More on that later.
On
the road leading to Homer Spit there is a sign pointing to fresh
salmon for sale, 3.4 miles along Kachemak Dr.
We
drove there just to see what they had for sale. It turns out they
have salmon for sale on Tuesdays & Fridays. The commercial
fishermen are allowed to fish on Mondays & Thursdays. They pack
their catch on ice and some of the catch is brought to a warehouse
store for sale.
Our
first week here we bought a whole, head on, 6.5 pounds Chum salmon
for $2 a pound. We had to filet it ourselves. We pan broiled a
couple of pieces, very tasty. Sharon also made a dill sauce to put
on the salmon.
I
also decided we would make fish soup out of the head and bones. The
soup turned out OK, but not a recipe to keep. Mostly simmered the
fish for about 15 minuets and then picked the bones clean. We added
some veggies to the water from cooking the head and bones along with
salt, pepper and some spices and cooked them til tender, added the
fish meat back and vow la we had soup.
The
second week we bought a sockeye (red) salmon for $4.50/lb. The
sockeye is the premium species. Again the fish was about 6 pounds,
however we bought one without the head on. More meat less waste.
We
pan broiled a couple of pieces and have not been able to tell the
difference between the lower price and higher priced species. I
guess we will need to taste them side by side and see what we think.
We
visited the Pratt Museum, great displays and info about the area,
people, history and wildlife around the Kenai Peninsula. Well worth
spending 2-3 hours there.
We
also visited the Alaska
Islands & Ocean Visitor Center. Again very interesting and
informative displays.
We
also found a small out of the way bagel shop right next door to where
we bought the salmon. Outstanding bagels, made fresh every morning.
We ate lunch here several times.
Driving tours near Homer:
If
you are staying in Homer for several days, be sure to drive the East
Rd to where it turns to gravel. There are good views of the glaciers
across Kachemak Bay. The gravel part is in good condition until you
get to near the end where it switchbacks down a 20-25% grade to the
beach. There is one switch back I had to back up about 10' to make
the turn. We are in a Chevy Colorado p/u not a full sized truck.
Also a 2 wheel drive vehicle may not be able to make it back up. The
sharp turns keep you from having the speed and momentum to keep
going. I went up in 4x4 low range.
From
the East Rd, there are good views of the glaciers across Kachemak Bay. (wild roses blooming in forground)
A
picture of Alaska Cotton wildflowers
in a ditch along the East Rd
Another
nice drive is Skyline Dr along the hillside above Homer.
Tidal Pools at minus low tides:
If
you stay at Mariner Park, or you can park in the day use area, it is
very interesting to walk out to the tidal pools at minus low tide.
It is best at -3' or -4'.
Unfortunately
I never had a sunny day to go to the tidal pools so these pictures
aren't as nice as I would like.
The
rocks and sand at low tide. I believe the rocks are erratics, left
by the receding glaciers from the last ice age.
Attached
to the large rocks (boulders) is a variety of sea life.
An
all white sea anemones. This one is about 2.5 to 3 inches in
diameter with very fine tentacles.
A
pretty one reaching out horizontally. This one is about 4 inches in
diameter. Notice my hat right above for size perspective.
Same
as the above, only hanging down to reach the water
This
one is hanging down over a foot to reach the water at low tide.
A
blue tinged star fish clinging to the underside of a boulder
A
star fish waiting for the tide to come back in.
On
one of my walks I saw this pair of bald eagles. A mature and an
immature one.
The
mature eagle decided he wanted the boulder the other one was sitting
on
And
chased the immature eagle away
And
to end this blog entry several views from our front yard here at
Mariner Park in Homer:
A
bald eagle on the beach. Look for the bright white ball with a dark
object below in the upper center of the photo below. Some years ago
we were told that to find the bald eagles, look for a big white golf
ball in the distance.
The
bald eagle taking off and flying away
Views from our front yard:
Next
up, Seward, AK
