Last Day Homer

Our last day in Homer so Tucson says goodbye to the Eagles

On our way out we do some boat shopping

and catch a float plane coming in for a landing

We stop at the Pratt Museum

and meet some of the local residents

A beautiful collection of Indian beadwork and artifacts

A small Aquarium - at least this guy looks sad that we are leaving

Some local history

and an eye opening exhibit on the Valdez Oil Spill

This puts the extent of the oil spill into perspective

and if the same amount was spilled over the State of NY

The original Homestead

It wasn't open but we peeked in the window

The Totem Pole was carved by Sam Pratt in 1950.  Totem poles are not produced by Natives of the Kachemak Bay area

We head to a cafe by the boat yard to have lunch before heading out.  Gary spotted this Moose along the way.

The Cafe was recommended by our neighbors back in Alaska. 

It has a great view

and the Halibut Sandwich was delish!  I ordered it without the roll, saying I couldn't eat it anyway - the girl behind the counter asked if I was Gluten intolerant and when I said yes, she offered up a gluten free roll!

Heading back home, we ran across the same bear (we think) at the same location, eating salmon

These lucky rafters got a good view

 Took a video of this Magpie hopping alongside the bear

We  decided to stop at Kelly Lake for one last night before going back to work

 jFree camping and we are the only ones there -  so we take the lakefront site,

It was drizzly but we braved a hike anyway

 Tucson doesn't care that it's raining - he goes for a swim.  The boat belongs to one of the National Forest cabins that can be rented. 

The swans don't seem to mind

and neither do the Loons.

This was our last full week off.  The other couple leave next week and we will work 5 days on 2 days off.

Made them one of my Spirit Ladders

Seldovia

 Today we are headed over to Seldovia, accessible only by Ferry or Plane, on the Rainbow Connection.

 They are dog friendly, so Tucson  gets to go on his first boat ride!

 Same crew that we had on the Halibut Fishing Trip

 We spot a whale

 

 and venture over to some cliffs where there are birds.

 Get lucky and get a picture of two Puffins "kissing"

 This baby otter is almost as big as Mom!

 Watching the water behind the boat is mesmerizing

 Looks like we are almost there.

 We dock in the harbor

 The name Seldovia comes from Russian for Herring.  A herring boom in the 20's brought Scandinavians who stayed to fish and canneries thrived.  Also over 50 fox farms were started here.  Seldovia became the commerce center for all of western Alaska.  In 1931 a wooden boardwalk was built along the waterfront to  make travel through town easier.

The 1964 Good Friday earthquake changed Seldovia forever. The land sank four feet, allowing high tides to wash over the boardwalk and into its buildings- houses and stores. The waterfront boardwalk was replaced and renewed with fill from surrounding hills so the the town could be rebuilt on higher ground, above high tides.  Only one small section of the boardwalk remains.  

 The population of Seldovia was once over 2,000 but now is under 300.

 Spotted this King Fisher by the water.

We stop for ice cream and get a view of our boat.

 Now to walk it off on these steps up to the Orthodox Church - we don't need no stinking stairmaster!

 St. Nicholas Orthodox Russian church established in 1820 and still serving the community.

 We walk to a small beach

 Time for a little  Fishy rodeo

 A stunning view of the Kenai Mountains

 On the way back to the boat, I see something in the water - Jellyfish.  I had a cool video but it didn't transfer to my computer and I deleted all the files from the camera - bummer!

We return to Homer and stop in the Salty Dog for a drink

 All in all it was a nice day, but if I had to make the choice between Seldovia and Kachemak Bay State Park to hike to Grewingk Glacier, I'd choose the latter.

Tomorrow we need to head back home.