Perched on the edge of the world, where the rugged majesty of Alaska meets the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean, lies the charming town of Homer. We docked in the deep water dock at iconic Homer Spit which juts into Kachemak Bay. Homer Spit is a long, narrow finger of land dotted with businesses that cater to visitors and provides recreation opportunities from fishing and beachcombing to shopping and boating. It is thought to be a moraine left behind by a long ago glacier the may have also been the creator of Kachemak Bay. The Spit has continuously been reshaped by ocean currents until about 1000 years ago when early Alaska Natives began to inhabit it and re-enforce it in places to keep it from washing away. To date, Homerites are keeping an eye on erosion and sandbagging as needed to prevent this vital piece of the town from being cut off from the mainland. The marina was filled with recreational and fishing boats of all kinds.
We were shuttled into town by volunteers from the Homer Chamber of Commerce to several stops that they deemed noteworthy. Our first stop was a shopping center that boasted an Ace Hardware store and we took a pass on that one. We remained onboard until the second stop which was a Salvation Army…again, we may have passed but, the coffee shop across the street caught our eye. We off loaded and enjoyed some coffee and chatted with locals in the shop. From there, we walked to the Pratt Museum where there were plenty of artifacts and reminders of life in and around Homer. Behind the museum were some walking trails we enjoyed on our way to the next stop which we walked to rather than use the shuttle. The Homer Visitors Center which again, had wildlife exhibits and a WWII exhibit which highlighted the Japanese attack on the islands of Attu and Kiska in the Aleutians.
After reboarding one of the shuttles back to the Spit we made a stop at the Salty Dawg Saloon, a well-known landmark on the Homer Spit and one of the first cabins built in 1897. It’s like taking a step back in time. Pictures, trinkets and signed money litter the walls and ceilings from top to bottom. We enjoyed a beer and made our way to some of the other shops along the boardwalk. We had a bit of a rainy and windy day but I found myself imaging what this area might look like in the height of summer. The surrounding mountains remained snow-capped but the pictures everywhere of the Kachemak Bay State Park made me hope that I’d return for a summer getaway one day. The water circulation patterns in the bay keep shellfish larvae and nutrients in the bay creating a very fertile environment. Fish and shellfish abound along with waterfowl and shorebirds and marine mammals including otters, seals, porpoise and whales. Moose, coyote and bears are frequently seen, as well. The weather didn’t permit lingering along the shore long enough to spot much of this wildlife, but I found myself wishing for more time and higher temps in Homer.
