Homer, Halibut Capital of the World

Homer lies at the end of the Kenai Peninsula on Cook Inlet and Kachemak Bay.  Kachemak Bay is an amazing place where fish and shellfish of all kinds abound.  Halibut is the main focus for fishing but Salmon, Razor Clams, Scallops and Oysters and all sorts of other fish are here as well.  After a beautiful drive, we arrived at our new RV park with a stunning view from atop the bluff overlooking the Bay.  The view is breathtaking.  A short walk down the bluff is the beach with its rocky shoreline.  Winds blew across the water cold and crisp and pretty constant.  Homer has an interesting feature, the Homer Spit.  The spit is a narrow strip of land that juts out between the inlet and the bay.  When we drove out, it reminded me so much of being at the beach of North Carolina’s Outer Banks.  There are all sorts of restaurants and shops and places to go fishing on either side of the road.  The crowds are thick with folks who have come to -- yep, fish for Salmon and Halibut.  Everything is weathered and is witness to the constant winds.  Across the bay, you can see the Kenai Mountains that are glaciated.  There are both state and national parks in the distance.  These are only reached either by boat or float plane.  There are many tours that will take you to the area to view the volcanoes, glaciers and of course, the bears.  It is the time of year when the bears are fishing and preparing for the winter that will come.  We have been lucky enough to see Grizzly Bears fishing in British Columbia so we have decided not to take tour.  That said, I would so love to go over and just see the land.  I am, however, still struggling with my foot and long hours of walking are just not possible.

We enjoyed visiting the historic little village and taking a drive up Skyline Drive for a bird's eye view of the area.  From there we could look down on Homer and see the spit and surrounding area from above.  All along the drive are cabins and homes that cling to the hillside.  I cannot image how wonderful it would be to wake every morning and look out and see this land.  It is wild and untamable.  These waters can be quite dangerous as the winds can whip up high waves without warning.  We are camping next to a couple of veterans who retired from the service and are now living outside of Fairbanks with their families.  Every day they go out in their boat (not a big either) to fish for Halibut.  Sitting outside their RV is a freezer full of Salmon and Halibut, the fruits of their labor.  Gregg told us there is over $1,000 worth of fish in that freezer and more inside their RV.  Folks who live up here really depend on the fish to sustain them through the long, dark months of winter.  I like Salmon and Halibut but not to be the main part of my diet.  These guys are so nice and friendly as is everyone we have met here to date and we enjoyed chatting with them.

We have taken advantage of the bounty of fish too.  Our first afternoon we had lunch at the end of the spit.  I had the most wonderful Halibut ever!  The next night, I had scallops and Jim had Halibut.  I love scallops but these were so sweet and fresh, man I could get used to living here!

We had planned to visit Saldovia, a small village located across the bay yesterday.  Unfortunately, the rains rolled in and the bay was too rough to make the crossing.  Again today, the weather is rainy and cold.  It is unfortunate but not unusual at the beach.  Still, we have enjoyed roaming about seeing the quaint little shops and talking with locals.  I have to remind myself that traveling is more than going from place to place seeing the land and animals.  It is about meeting people and hearing about their lives.  There are many veterans who were stationed here in Alaska that have retired here.  It is great to have a chance to talk with them and hear of their experiences.  Tomorrow we head back up the Kenai to Seward.  The weather is calling for rains.  Well, no matter, we will still enjoy whatever comes our way.

From the bluff, the view of the Bay was amazing.  Across this Bay lies Saldovia a tiny village of 375 souls.  In its hey day, it was a major fishing center.  Now, tourism is what sustains their economy.  Its remoteness is not for everyone but many love that way of life.  The only way in or out is by ferry or water taxi.  If the weather is bad, there is no other way across.

A steep walk down from the bluff lead to the beach.  It is rocky and the sand and rocks are mostly black.  The winds invite birds to ride their currents.  We saw Bald Eagles many times flying high.  Charlotte was so interested in the water but Savannah wanted no part of it.  I cannot blame her, the water was very cold.

This is a sample of what the Spit looks like.  All the building are rustic much like any other beach area.  Small boat docks are behind these buildings.  These docks service the ferries and all sorts of charters.

Of course, restaurants offering the freshest seafood also abound.  Interspersed between buildings are all sorts of places where RVs cluster together.  It is the height of the fishings season and everyone is hoping to catch their limit.  There is an area called the hole that is stocked with Salmon and other fish.  There is one entrance from the open water so the tides bring in other fish.  At any time of the day or night, fishermen line the bank trying their luck.

I took this picture from Skyline Drive.  Below is the Homer Spit reaching out into the Bay.  No matter how many times I see the blues and deep greens, I am always amazed all over again.

From Skyline, the glaciers are seen clearly as they flow to the Bay.  There are so many glaciers all over Alaska.  Their power and majesty dominate the scene wherever no matter where they are located.  I hope climate changes do not rob us of these wonders.

At one place on Skyline we turned down a narrow dirt turnoff.  At the end, the bluff dropped off and gave us a great view of Homer and the Bay.  Someone had put a bench among the berry bushes.  Jim went over and sat down to enjoy the view.  I can imagine whoever placed it there coming here to contemplate and soak up all this beauty.

As we sat on the bench, overhead we heard the now familiar sound of Eagles.  Look closely.  There are two of them riding on the invisible currents of air.  A nice way to end a day.