Homer!

We arrived this afternoon in Homer Alaska, yep, way, way down the Kenai Peninsula.

Over the past couple of weeks, we have visited Talkeetna, the Nancy Lakes area, spent a few days in Anchorage and fished the Russian & Kasilof Rivers (without much success). The "second run" of Sockeye salmon is not yet started so we are waiting things out down here.

The drive down was nice, stopping along the Inlet for many beautiful samples of this wild country. One stunning sight was Mount Iliamna standing proudly out there across the Inlet. At near 11,000ft above sea level, it dwarfs nearby peaks & mountains. The volcano is still active, but has not erupted since 1996. http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF13/1300.html
Reaching Anchor Point (about 5 miles north of Homer), the pullover there greets us with our first view of Kachemak Bay & Homer (not quite visible here in the distance to the left) and the "Spit" (a long narrow peninsula off the west end of Homer in the left center below), well known for it's fishing charters in the area. http://www.akms.com/spit.html
Reaching the edge of town, we stop at a municial sewer station, and unbelievably as we are draining, a couple of Sandhill Cranes walk across the dump area within fifty feet of us!

Moments later we realize that we are justa football field away from the local Homer Nature Center & Refuge, and get anothe fabulous view of the inner bay, just north of Beluga Lake, where we will base.

Down the road a bit, and a turn to the right and we find crystal Beluga Lake lay before us.
Our good friend Steve J back in Louisiana was kind enough to allow us to park our trailer at a location on the Lake. Looking a bit closer, we spot the neighbors green & white Beaver (the Lake is the local seaplane landing strip), which would put Steve's place just to the left.

As promised, we find the quaint fishing camp that Steve & friends base tours & trips from and settle in.

Even though darkness was approaching (yes, in contrast to Fairbanks, it does get dark at night this far south!), we were anxious to "cruise" the Spit, so off we went! Just past midway, we discover "the Fishin' Hole", a man-made football sized excavation that is "seeded" every year with fingerling King & Silver Salmon. Roughly three years later, the adults return to spawn, only to find themselves at the mercy of the hundreds of fishermen that line it's banks. (not quite, turns out the fish don't bite very well when they are ready to spawn...)

Looking down from the Hole, we get a scenic view of the Homer Harbor, home of the many commercial & private boats that serve the area......



A few minutes more and we are at the end of the road (and the Spit) where there is a large fish processing plant and we find numerous gulls and seabirds. We quickly confirm the Glaucous Wing Gull, another lifer!


Kim is intrigued by how close the large boats run to the shoreline here, stirring up the gulls, while I'm entertained by the unique carvings on the Land's End just across and to our right.


The following day I'm surprised by a "traffic jam" at the corner of Beluga Lake. Pulling over I find the source of the excitement...a bald eagle about fifteen feet in front of us apparently gather nesting materials in the form of grass.

After shooting a few stills, the cooperative subject allowed me to get some nice video at very close range. You might enjoy this short clip posted on YouTube... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBjsIpDAr-4



Those of you who are perceptive have probably noticed that not all the pix above were taken in glowing sunshine. Quite the contrary, we have struggled here on the Peninsula to find a few bright days. The coastal suroundings are prone to overcast, foggy and raining conditions much of the time. So, I guess the downside of this part of Alaska is the unpredictable weather. As you see above, when it's nice it's gorgeous! The scenery is spectacular, and one finds this to be one of the most enjoyable spots on earth. But, to be fair, here's a few shots that document the conditions that we've been in here for more than half the time....



The locals are not deterred, as shown in this early morning photo of horseback riders at low tide along the north shore of the Spit in light rain & fog!

Anchorage

Well after a couple of months, we finally are back in a city again, complete with Sam's, Wal-Mart, movie theaters and shopping malls. But, you already know about those common things, so I'll just focus on the unique things we saw in Anchorage.

First off is their original log cabin Visitor's Center. According to the poster inside, this is THE most photographed log cabin in the world...
I guess a stunning difference walking around downtown is the huge array of beautiful flowers...everywhere you look. Interestingly, Alaska state colors are pretty darn close to LSU's, so we almost felt we were wadering though the streets of Louisiana.


A real highlight of the visit was the Saturday Market. If this isn't the largest in the world, it has to rank right up there with the biggest. Covering what amounts to several city blocks, there are so many rows of booths that street signs are posted to help one find their way.

Speaking of unique, we met a charming artist (Arlene) who spends half the year in Hawaii, and half here in Alaska making pottery fired Ocarinas. This strange litle instrument sounds wonderful, and captivated both Kim & I. Of course, we bought a couple! Unfortunately she doesn't have a website or any way to order them, so I guess you need to visit Anchorage to get yours.

Be sure to check out the video of Arlene playing her own instruments at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CvZTLQuOq0

Just behind the Market, is Ship Creek, and the King Salmon were running right here in downtown. Pretty interesting to be fishing in the heart of their warehouse district, right under an elevated highway!

Among other unique things, Anchorage boasts many, many miles of bike/hike trails throughout all areas of the city. Now imagine you bike ride being interrupted for ten or fifteen minutes by moma moose and her calf in the heart of the city! With the airport fence a few yards to her left, and the high bluff over the ocean on the right, we had no choice but to wait here out...

One can't possibly miss seeing Alaska's own singer/songwriter Hobo Jim. Jim's been around for many years, writing & singing originals about the heart & spirit of this land. His big hit came when he wrote a song about the "Iditarod Trail". You can learn more about Jim and his music at http://www.hobojim.com/.


We were treated to a very personal concert when Kim & I and one other couple were the only attendees for this night's performance. Rather than sing as usual in the large theater, Jim moved us into a intimate coffee bar setting for his singing. Need I say, it was an enjoyable evening!

Nancy Lakes

Just north of Anchorage we found another of Alaska's beautiful offerings, the Nancy Lakes Recreational Area. A great campsite combined with scenic paddling on blue-green, crystal clear glacial waters made this definitly worth the stop & the mention.

The series of lakes offers one of the best paddling trails in Alaska. We sampled a few miles on day, had the entire lake to ourselves and really enjoyed the peaceful surroundings.

Lynn Lake, reported to have some great fishing, had several nice cabins including a couple complete with the often seen Alaskan floatplane.

Camping here was a treat, especially since we grilled our packets of moose backstrap & hamburger that had been given to us by some nice residents up the highway.

ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!

Talkeetna - Stepping Back in Time

We arrived late in the quaint 1910's town of Talkeetna to find very little RV space available. Bob & Joy had mentioned the "town square park" which we found at the end of Main St nestled against the banks of the Talkeetna River, which is part of the Susitna drainage. Although reserved for tent campers only, we saw other RVs boondocking in the area, found us a quiet corner near the River, and bedded down for the night.

The town was truly established in the early '30s with the construction of this dirt airstrip, which served as the main street for many years. Along with the strip, the Fairview Inn was built at one end to serve the incoming gold prospectors, and now serves as the town bar. The town is now the primary launch point for climbers flying into McKinley basecamp. The local motto is "we're a drinkin' town with a climbing problem". Both the airstrip & the Inn remain today, an essential ingredient in serving up the uniqueness of this historical setting, now turned tourist town. http://www.talkeetnahistory.org/

The airstrip is litle used today, replaced with a modern center for flying just on the outskirts of town. It's interesting to see & hear the rumble of those Pratt 985's on the Beavers overhead, glance up, and see a plane with skis on it (for landing on the glacier at Denali basecamp) when the weather is in the 70's!

Adding to the charm we were met next morning by this reminder of the past.

As we strolled down what is now Main, Kim found a colorful example of the town maskot, the decorated moose.

I was particularly intrigued by the ability of the local culture to adapt to modern tourism, noting that almost every shop in town had some connection to a flightseeing service.

The street is lined with historic buildings, bustling with tourist, and loaded with good smells from the local bakeries and cafes. We managed to sample just about all the goodies in town, from breakfast rolls at the Lodge to Alaskan Ale on tap at the Inn.

As with most of Alaska, we saw many signs and truck/license plate combinations that are very familiar thoughout the State, and a few that were a little unique.

Walking back up Main to our rig, we bid farewell to a fun little place and a couple of new friends!