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.

Trip to Homer and Seldovia - Day 1 and 2

There were a lot of pictures I wanted to use in this posting but my computer died and I had downloaded them from the camera to the computer to save room on the camera.  Fortunately, I had transferred some of the pictures to my phone so I could easily post them on Facebook.

It was a rainy day when we head to Homer.  Originally it looked like we might get a couple of good days but now the forecast is down to one good day.

We are driving down the Sterling Highway just past Cooper's Landing when we spot a bear across the River.  We were able to pull over in the next pull out on that side and walk down to the river bank to get a good look

We arrive in Homer to some pretty good fog. 

We camp at one of the Municipal Campgrounds right on the water.  No hookups but only $20 a night as opposed to closer to $70 for FHU site up the road. 

 The view is a bit soggy

 The next morning when the rain stops I take a walk on the beach with Tucson

I notice a strange shape in the distance on one of the old Pier Pilings.

It turns out to be an Eagle

 He let me get pretty close

OK, so I used the zoom lens

Eventually, he took off

 

While walking back on the beach, I came across these painted stones.

What a great idea

Couldn't resist taking this picture

Today we drive to Wynn Nature Center to check it out.  It's a long and winding road that offers spectacular views of Katchamak Bay and the Spit

 We arrive

 There's a nice little nature center

 and a few miles of trails to explore, 

 Which way do we go?

 We start with the Bog because a Moose and her baby has been spotted here recently - but no luck

 If it's not a boardwalk it's a trail through rainforest

 I love that two trees are growing on top of this moss covered stump

 We reach the E. Fischer Memorial

 and are treated to fireweed and a view of the Bay

 and birds having lunch

 I finally spot a Moose!

We get home and start a campfire while the weather is good - it lasted about 45 minutes before the rain came back. 

Another great day in Alaska.  Tomorrow we cruise to Seldovia.

Winding down - end of August

Things are winding down and the other couple leaves on the 28th.  

Another load of fire wood for next door

  Time to replenish the supply at the cabins

 Sand and re-stain all the signs

There is the annual gathering of the Alaskan Last Frontier Men's Club,  They have all the cabins and the RV s a re filled with tent

 We are invited to the dinner and on the way I see this rainbow - how apropos!

Cooking Steaks, Chicken and Pork on the Grills

 What a treat!

Yum!

 And a Beary interesting cake for desert!

Tomorrow we head back to Homer for our final long days off.