Homer - Day 9

Thurs. July 2

Last night was the brightest night yet in Alaska. Even though we covered all the windows and skylights with blankets, the sun was still shining into the RV and it was brightly lit. When we woke up at 8am, the morning looked exactly the same as when we went to bed at midnight!

We started our morning at the RV Park’s internet/laundry room. This is a big hangout spot for RVers, we have met lots of nice people in this room Everyone is telling stories of where they’ve been and what they saw all while doing laundry and checking their email. After checking our email/blog, we head over to the Cosmic Kitchen for breakfast. A really cool little place with chorizo and eggs . . .and real corn tortillas. After breakfast we head to the Spit where all the tours/charters go out of Kachemak Bay. We decide on a 5 hr. kayak trip out to Peterson Bay. We board a small boat along with a couple from Colorado and their two boys, a girl from California who went to school at U of M, a girl from San Francisco, a couple from Germany and another couple from Ohio. We cruise 5 miles out to Peterson Bay, a beautiful heavily wooded bay with turquoise water, homes along the cliffs and lots of marine life. After a brief lesson in Sea Kayaking, we all go off into the bay with Paul our tour guide. Paul is originally from New Jersey. He came to Alaska on vacation a couple years ago and decided to stay. He lives in a little shack above Peterson Bay in the summers and does these kayak tours. The local residents all leave in September to other parts of Alaska. Paul goes up to Fairbanks.

As we kayak the bay, Paul tells us everything there is to know about the ocean, the islands, the sea life and his personal experiences here in Alaska. We encounter a group of sea lions sunning themselves on a dock, and several sea otters swimming around our kayaks. Overhead there are numerous bald eagles flying around us. Paul takes us to a small beach where we get out and hike to a stream that is loaded with blue mussels and then we Kayak across the bay to the small cottage where Paul lives. We climb up a steep set of rustic stairs to his cottage and take a tour of his shack. It’s very rustic here (remember the old "avocado" green appliances?), but he has an awesome view of the entire bay from his deck. We meet his Syberian Husky “Flight”, a very unique looking dog. Paul makes his own beer and pours us each a glass to try. He calls it “Spruce Tip Ale”. He brews it from the Spruce trees that surround his cottage. It’s cold and awesome with a slight taste of evergreen . . . lol. This was one great Alaskan adventure that we’ll never forget.

As we're walking from the boat back to the RV, we spot an Eagle resting on a pole (with his catch) right along side the RV. People start running from everywhere with their cameras! I get a couple good shots and we're off to the Land's End Resort at the end of the spit for dinner. The restaurant here has a large outdoor deck overlooking the bay with great views. After dinner we head up Skyline drive and get an awesome panoramic view of Homer and the entire spit. It's a beautiful way to end our visit here in Homer.

Temp: 67 degrees and very sunny
Wildlife Sightings: Sea Otters, Seals, Eagles, Puffins