Alaska/Canada 2017-11: Kenai Peninsula 2 - Ninilchik, Homer, & Anchor Bay
We left our friend Chuck's near Ninilchik with his recommendation to visit the village of Ninilchik on the water and the Russian Orthodox Church and cemetery on the hill above.
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Next was a stop in Anchor Point at the Normal Lowell Art Gallery, an interesting place created by an interesting couple.
Doug wisely thought it might be rowdy on the weekend (it was), so we moved to family-owned Homer Spit Campground for the next 2 nights, first on the water and then “inland,” but it was quiet and we had showers and laundry.
We walked a lot in Homer and had dinner out for the first time this trip: halibut—what else?—for Doug and fish sampler for me.
Boats were not the only ones out fishing. Bald eagles nested on top of a light standard near our campsite, which prompted the lady next to us to keep her tiny dog on a leash at all times.
We also paid homage to Jack London with a brew at the Salty Dawg, where Doug’s flying buddy JR once found where London had carved his name into the wood bar.
Built in 1897, the original cabin of the Salty Dawg was one of the first in the new town of Homer.
Long before it became a saloon in 1957, the Salty Dawg served many different functions, grew in number of buildings, and was even moved from one site to another.
It's impossible, but I kept trying to capture Homer's vistas.
As with everywhere in Alaska, we left Homer reluctantly .
En route north, we stumbled on the boat launch at Anchor Point, an amazing service performed by gigantic tractors up and down the steep banks.
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Kenai Peninsula flora:
We'd been a week on the Kenai Peninsula, and there was much more to explore. Next stop: Seward.
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Russian Orthodox Church, Ninilchik.
Onion domes, crosses, & ubiquitous cow parsnip.
Whimsical & ghostly.
Charming village of Ninilchik.
Traditional cache for meat storage on Norman Lowell Art Gallery grounds.
I was taken by the appealing yet unsettling curvy, pointy nature of his work. Things seem about to unroot themselves.
From Anchor Bay, we continued on Hwy 1 to its end: Homer. We'd already seen in the past few days how spectacular the Kenai Peninsula is. Even so, the driving down the hill into Homer were breathtaking.
Our first view of Homer.
Homer sits between Kachemak Bay and Cook Inlet on the southwest point of the Kenai. The Homer Spit, a sliver of gravel bar, extends 4.5 miles out into the water. We camped for 3 nights on the Spit, the first in the city campground on the water.
Glaciated mountains across the water from Homer.
City of Homer Campground on Homer Spit.
Doug wisely thought it might be rowdy on the weekend (it was), so we moved to family-owned Homer Spit Campground for the next 2 nights, first on the water and then “inland,” but it was quiet and we had showers and laundry.
Site on the water at Homer Spit Campground.
Our "inland" site was somewhere among all the big guys.
Homer harbor.
We walked a lot in Homer and had dinner out for the first time this trip: halibut—what else?—for Doug and fish sampler for me.
Boats were not the only ones out fishing. Bald eagles nested on top of a light standard near our campsite, which prompted the lady next to us to keep her tiny dog on a leash at all times.
Bald eagle absconding with seagulls' breakfast.
We also paid homage to Jack London with a brew at the Salty Dawg, where Doug’s flying buddy JR once found where London had carved his name into the wood bar.
The Salty Dawg, known by some for its visit by Jack London.
Built in 1897, the original cabin of the Salty Dawg was one of the first in the new town of Homer.
Jack London carved his name in the wood bar of the Salty Dawg.
Dollar bills & other items paper the ceiling & walls of the Salty Dawg.
Long before it became a saloon in 1957, the Salty Dawg served many different functions, grew in number of buildings, and was even moved from one site to another.
It's impossible, but I kept trying to capture Homer's vistas.
What a place to set up shop!
Fishing boat heading out 5:30 PM.
Tanker & trawler passing.
The glaciers! The clouds!
Fishing boats heading out, 7:00 AM.
7:40 PM.
One returning to harbor, another heading out, 5:00 AM.
Returning to harbor, 5:30 AM.
As with everywhere in Alaska, we left Homer reluctantly .
A last look.
En route north, we stumbled on the boat launch at Anchor Point, an amazing service performed by gigantic tractors up and down the steep banks.
Compare men to tractor: the tractors are huge!
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Getting ready to back boat trailer into the water.
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Boat trailer in water waiting for boat to come in from Cook Inlet.
Boat heading for trailer.
The Alaskan Gamefisher is just about ready to be hauled out of the water & up the hill.
It's a steep hill. Note the size of the tractor wheel on the left.
This vantage gives a little better idea how steep the hill is.
"North America's Most Westerly Highway Point." Several years prior we'd been on Washington's Olympic Peninsula at Cape Flattery, the westernmost point in the continuous US.
Just another moose in Homer.
Kenai Peninsula flora:
Totally Tangerine Avens.
Himalayan Blue Poppy.
We'd been a week on the Kenai Peninsula, and there was much more to explore. Next stop: Seward.
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