The harbor town of Homer is an artsy and active community on the southern tip of the Kenai Peninsula. It is the gateway to the Cook Inlet, the Gulf of Alaska and the Pacific Ocean. The Homer Spit formation is a narrow peninsula that is a terminal moraine (glacier beach) formation deposited 14,000 to 15,000 years ago by a glacier that filled and ultimately carved the Kachemak Bay basin. The area caters to visitors and provides numerous recreation opportunities, from fishing and beachcombing to shopping and boating.
Glacier-studded mountains and crystal-clear waters add to the charm of the galleries and shops which make up the Spit and offer views and endless options to fill the long days of summer. Homer is considered the Halibut capital of Alaska. The plethora of charter fishing boats is a year round industry. Unfortunately, the wind and the rain foiled our plans for both deep sea halibut fishing and for glacier hiking.
Instead, we explored the galleries and shops on the Spit. We chatted with artists, and locals at the Salty Dawg, an iconic pub on the spit.
We explored the docks looking at all the commercial fishing boats and charters in the harbor including the Time Bandit from the series Deadliest Catch.
The rain cleared out and the winds kicked up, We were able to take a few short hikes in the wilderness where the wind was not gale force. We also found a short hike behind the Pratt Museum in town. We did not spot any big or scary wildlife, however we did have a pink bear and wooden seal sighting.
We were fortunate to be invited to the home of Homer residents, (friends of friends) who shared their beautiful view along with a fabulous meal and lots of great stories with us.
Heading back towards Anchorage, we first stopped in Anchor Point at the Norman Lowell gallery. Norman Lowell painted the scenery of Alaska from his arrival in 1958, until his advancing blindness compelled him to finish his work in 2017. The studio and galleries are free to the public.
Close to the tunnel to Whittier is a National Forest with a short hike to Byron Glacier. There were blue skies and light winds, the perfect opportunity to stand on some snow in August! We hiked to the glacier taking in the surrounding vistas, burbling streams and snow capped mountains. Photos and words cannot capture the splendor of the sparkling surroundings on a fantastic afternoon.
Alaska is a vast state bursting with natural beauty. We covered a minute portion and look forward to exploring more of this magnificent frontier.
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