Day 4: Homer

Homer is the southern most city on the Kenai Peninsula. We rented a house that had beautiful views of Homer and the rugged, snow-capped surrounding mountains. It was a treat to be able to do laundry, have space for yoga, and to cook our own meals. Pete made a delicious dinner of oven roasted halibut that was moist and flavorful. Patty had been craving baked potatoes, so we enjoyed those and some sauteed vegetables.

Today we spent the day kayaking in Kachemak Bay. We first were ferried (via a converted Vietnam War Rivercraft boat) from the Homer Spit to Otter Cove landing. While our boat was getting fuel, we saw an otter swim by eating a crab! The boat took us to Otter Cove, where there is a rustic lodge and 30 kayaks with all the gear we needed. We were given instruction on how to rescue if our boat "hoolied" - the Hawaiian term for a kayaking tipping over; Our guide had spent the previous 2 years leading kayak tours in Hawaii but she was quite knowledgeable about the marine life in Alaska too. We got into the boats and paddled off to view the low tide tidepools. It was an unusually low tide, so we were able to see all the levels of life that exist from the mussels to the anenomes - it was amazing and beautiful. Along the way our guide pointed out a pair of bald eagles that were building a nest. We saw many bald eagles through out the day. Next we stopped on "bear beach" but we didn't see any bears. Instead we looked at the shells on the beach, including the "hairy tritans" and some snail shells. Then we paddled up the coast a ways to a quiet beach where we would stop for lunch. We saw a loon and another otter and a seal. The weather was clear and cool, but visibility was great so we could see all the surrounding mountains. We finished the day with tea at the lodge, and then were transported back to Homer landing.

For dinner we went to Homestead, which has been around since 1961. It was 8 miles down East End Road, which the website described as "you'll doubt that a restaurant can be this far out, but we are!" Bill and I started with beer from the Homer Brewery: Broken Birch Bitter, which was a delicious IPA that was both bitter and fruity. We shared a plate of local blue mussels which were probably the freshest mussels I have ever had. They were steamed in cream with herbs and were absolutely amazing! For dinner we had another bottle of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. I had shrimp and scallops with chorizo served over cauliflower puree - the chorizo was a great kicker for the richness of the seafood. Patty had halibut but preferred the broccoli (so we took the fish home and Pete made halibut salad for sandwiches the next day). Pete had a brined duck breast that was moist and tender, served with mashed potatoes and brussel sprout hash (which means thick cut bacon). Bill's pork was overcooked but the yogurt sauce was a nice complement. We shared chocolate cake for dessert.