laska Vacation Review - Part 2 / Homer

[GMoney]

Below is part 2 of my review, focusing on Homer. I hoped to make more progress, but I started a new job today and this work thing is slowing me down...:D

 

Homer

 

My next stop was Homer, located on the southwest side of the Kenai Peninsula, and a long haul from Valdez. What made this jump possible without having to backtrack through Anchorage was a ride on the Alaska Marine Highway, or ferry system. My ferry ride was from Valdez to Whittier, which is about 90 statute miles, and takes about 6 -7 hours. Fortunately, I was on one of high-speed catamaran ferries (the Chenega), so travel time was cut in half. The ferry does have a route directly from Valdez to Homer, but it was more than I wanted to pay, and more importantly, there were no car slots available.

 

I made my reservation online prior to leaving for Alaska, and then picked up the actual ticket at the ferry station (well marked and easy to find in Valdez). The boat left at 12noon, and we were instructed to arrive at 11am for boarding. Fortunately, I got there a bit earlier, as the line formed quickly and ended up being quite long. The boarding process was eay and painless, and we left on time. The Chenega is a fairly new vessel, and is clean, comfortable and well-appointed. There is a small snack bar onboard which sells basics (sandwiches, soups, packaged treats, etc).

 

I experienced the worst weather of my trip during this leg, and it really wasn’t that bad – 45- 50 degrees, light to moderate rain and a very low ceiling that reduced visibility – and spend most of the ride outdoors in the covered aft section of the boat. An added bonus of the ride is the scenery – even on a less-than-perfect day we saw wildlife (sea lions) and about 5 different glaciers.

 

After about 4 hours, we docked in Whittier, where the Pacific Princess and a HAL ship were also in port. The town itself was underwhelming – not much to it at all; for some reason I expected a little more, perhaps because it’s a cruise embarkation port. Regardless, the race was on to get off the ferry and through the Whittier Tunnel - the longest combined vehicle – railroad tunnel in North America that connects Whittier to the Seward Highway. Traffic alternates in each direction about every 15 minutes, unless the train is passing through, which was happening just as I arrived. Cars queue in about 5 – 7 lanes of traffic to get into the tunnel, and big LCD-type road signs provide status updates. After about a 20 minute wait for the train to pass and smoke to clear from the tunnel, traffic started to flow through.

 

Once through the tunnel, the landscape was again very scenic. The Seward Highway (AK1) is just a short drive away, and is the main (and only) road between Anchorage and Seward. To get to Homer, you take the Seward Highway south and then veers off west on the Sterling Highway portion of AK1. The final portion of the trip runs down the western side of the Kenai Peninsula through the towns of Sterling and Soldotna. I mention this only because the Kenai drive was very different from the Kennicott drive, in that there is a lot more “civilization” along the way – gas stations, stores, fast food restaurants, etc.

 

With the weather worsening, I wasn’t able to see my surroundings, and was eager to get to Homer. Upon arriving, I checked it at the Best Western, had a quick dinner, drove down to the spit (a 4.5 mile gravel bar that extends out into Kachemak Bay and is the town’s distinguishing feature) to check things out, and called it a night.

 

After a quick breakfast at the Starbucks in the local Safeway, I drove back out to the spit for my second kayaking excursion, this time out in Kachemak Bay. The tour was arranged by Mako’s Water Taxi, but actually managed by the True North expedition company located behind Mako’s. The excursion was actually my second choice; my original plan was have the water taxi drop me off at Grewingk Glacier trailhead in Kachemak Bay State Park, hike the trail for about 6 hours, and have the taxi come retrieve me. I bailed out on this out of concern for bears. In retrospect, after having encountered bears on the trail, I should have stayed with my original plan.

 

The kayak tour was good, but nothing was going to live up to the one at Columbia Glacier. Around 830am, we boarded a small water taxi in Homer harbor, and after about a 20-minute ride, arrived at their base camp on Yukon Island, where we suited up and boarded our kayaks. We started by hugging the coast of the island (spotting several bald eagles), then paddled out into the bay to a nearby island (sighting some sea otters), before returning to Yukon Island for lunch (made by Two Sisters Bakery in Homer). The afternoon was spent circumnavigating the island, observing more eagles and some interesting rock formations. The water taxi picked us up and we were back in Homer by around 5pm.

 

Notes

 

> Parking on the Spit. During the day, the spit can get very busy, and given how narrow it is, parking is at a premium. Be sure to observe signs about where to park and for how long; some folks on my tour had their car towed.

 

> If you are a single on a kayak tour, find out up front if you can get your own kayak. Most companies will want to put you in a double, which can be a drag with someone you don’t know and is new to kayaking. I was fortunate and managed to get my own kayak both times.

 

Ratings

 

> Best Western Hotel - ***. Clean, comfortable, large rooms.

 

? True North Yukon Island Kayak Day Trip - ***. The trip was in no way remarkable, but kayaking is a great way to see the local surroundings and get some exercise.

 

Up next…Seward…

[cajun-crazy]

I'm so glad you were able to do this extended vacation - what a wonderful experience.

 

New job,huh? Might mean fewer vacation days:(

 

Keep on posting - I'm waiting for the Seward installment as well as the part about the Radiance.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thanks - waiting for more.

 

Very enjoyable reading.