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Day 02: Anchorage, AK to Homer, AK

Trip Log for 27 May 2012

  • Miles Driven: 244.4
  • Sunrise: 04:47 AKT / Sunset: 23:03 AKT

Today was another long day, mostly because I didn't sleep well again. This was a first for me but I could actually hear someone snoring all night long from another room. We had a very tasty breakfast with our B&B host, Irene, and some other guests. She told us many entertaining stories about all the mountain climbers who use her place as a "base camp" of sorts; they stay there before they go to climb Denali and leave their important stuff (like passports) with her for safe keeping. Then they return and crash there before heading back to Europe. She was a wonderful host and I highly recommend the Alaska European B&B if you're ever in Anchorage.

Before we headed out of town towards the Kenai peninsula, we had to make a grocery run and get provisions for the next several days. We stopped into a Fred Meyer which is one of those "all-in-one" stores and it really did have everything we needed. That is, we were planning to go by REI after to get freeze dried food, isobutane camp fuel and bear spray but this store had those too! We also managed to grab our very first Alaska geocache in Anchorage.

Heading down the Seward Highway, we were greeted with mile after mile of snow-capped mountains along the Turnagain Arm of the Cook Inlet and into the Chugach National Forest. It turned out to be rainy all day but that didn't make the scenery any less spectacular. We made several stops to take photos and view wildlife. Near a little town called Nihlichik along the Cook Inlet where people go to fish for saltwater king salmon and halibut and to dig for razor clams, we saw a pair of bald eagles and watched as one of them flew down to the beach to feed on salmon carcasses. We were hoping to photograph the awesome volcanoes that are visible from here as well but it was just too cloudy. We'll try again tomorrow on our way back.

We decided as we got closer to Homer that since it was still raining, camping might not be the best idea since we don't have a good way to dry out our equipment if it gets wet so instead we are staying in an old log cabin accommodation called the Heritage Hotel and Lodge. After checking in, we drove down to the Homer Spit to confirm our sea kayaking trip for tomorrow morning. That area is super touristy and apparently people come to this town to fish, and fish a lot. The spit area was much more crowded than I thought it would be, with a boardwalk and hundreds of people camped out on the beaches. I'm glad to be in a warm room with an awesome view of the mountains tonight instead. To top off today, we got to see a pretty cool sight: a momma moose and her baby.

front of the house

The Alaska European Bed and Breakfast in Anchorage

Rachele holding an ammo can

Our first Alaskan geocache: OFF the hook Froggies!

train along a body of water

One of the Alaska Railroad trains that travels to the Kenai Peninsula

Wes with a camera

Wes taking photos at Bird Point where you can witness a tidal bore

couple sitting in wildflowers

Wes and Rachele in the alpine lupines (they're not bluebonnets!)

sign reading Welcome to the Alaska's Kenai Peninsula

I love these signs!

bald eagle soaring

Bald eagle in flight at the beach

snow-covered mountains

A view across Kachemak Bay

two moose

A momma and baby moose

a log cabin-style hotel

Our accommodations for the night