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Homer, Kachemak Bay, Seldovia, Kenai Fjords National Park
Click on the pictures to enlarge
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Beautiful Kachemak Bay as seen from an overlook near Homer. |
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The McDonald's in Homer has the lousy service you'd expect, but I'd nominate it as having the best view. |
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A rock formation called Elephant Rock on an island in the Bay. Notice the trunk especially (center). |
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Two sea otters play in Kachemak Bay near Cohen Island. The mother at far right carries a three-day-old pup on her breast. (Click the pic to enlarge for a better view.) |
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The tip of the Kenai Peninsula (shown here) is one of the most beautiful places on earth--and among the least accessible. Five bald eagles were spotted riding the winds atop the mountain. From the boat at this cape, we found two gray whales and a humpback, but a tidal rip and a broken engine forced the boat to seek shelter around the cape to where I took this picture. A tidal rip occurs when the incoming tide (an extra-big 25-foot tide today) clashes with currents and the wind direction. The result of today's tidal rip was 10-foot seas, water swelling upwards and breaking the surface, and unpredictable waves that can easily maroon experienced sea captains and make even the sturdiest of seamen lose their lunch... as several inexperienced tourists on our boat did. I still contend that Dramamine is the world's greatest wonder drug (my mom even takes it on the elevator to my apartment), but perhaps I will reconsider when I get old and have to take Viagra. |
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The size of Homer's tides can be seen here. At high tide, the dock ramp (center-right) will be nearly level... and this isn't yet low tide. The harbor is located on the Homer Spit, a long stretch of land jutting into the bay which resembles the shape of a spit, or a meat roasting skewer. See also: Christchurch Spit. |
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A number of colorful jellyfish call the harbor home. |
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Seldovia, population 309, is a town of 307 friendly people and two old crabs, or so the tourism board says. It's on the mainland but is accessible only by air and water because glaciers in Kenai Fjords National Park block all land access. The 1964 earthquake sent the city plunging into the harbor; it has since been rebuilt on higher ground by the Army Corps of Engineers. |
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The classic Salty Dawg Saloon, located mid-way out on the Homer Spit, provides an ideal location to relax at the end of the day. |
