Portage Lake AK to Homer AK
The drive to Homer from Portage Lake was very picturesque as the road followed the Cook Inlet. In several places we had great views of the Inlet and the mountains on the other side. Once we got to Homer, we found a campsite on the Homer Spit, which is the thin strip of land that separates Kachemak Bay from the Pacific Ocean. The campgrounds are nothing special but they are right near the beach. At this time of the year the big event in Alaska is the salmon run, and we were lucky to see the start of the running of the Silver Salmon (Coho). Just outside of the campsite is a large tidal pool that is full of salmon looking to lay their eggs. In many places, the fishermen are almost shoulder to shoulder. Every few seconds, huge fish jump into the air.
A view of the Cook Inlet
The fishermen were really bringing in the fish
Close up of a salmon in a creek
Jumping Salmon. Must be frustrating for the fishermen when a huge fish jumps right in from of them but not on their hook
A guy from Germany caught this salmon in a creek. The red sack in his left hand is the egg sack. This poor fish made it all the way from the ocean but didn’t get a chance to lay its eggs.
This sign was along the fishing area in Homer. Guess they even have scammers here.
We spotted this eagle near the campground.
Small shop along the Spit
A view from the beach looking toward Kachemak Bay and the mountains beyond
We made a visit to the Homer Farmers Market. They sure grow some nice things here.
Part of our planning for this trip was to watch several TV shows about Alaska. Our favorite show is called “Alaska – The Last Frontier” on Discovery channel, which is about the Kilcher Family who homesteaded in the Homer area. With a little detective work we found that the homestead is only 10 miles east of Homer, so we decided to see what was there. We found the homestead down a small dirt road, and to our surprise we found this sign. Calling the number, we got invited to visit the homestead and learn about its history. We didn’t get to meet any of the people on the show but did get to spend about 2 1/2 hours on the homestead, and got a much better understanding of how the Kilchers came to call Homer their home. Truly an inspiring story.
Fans of the show may recognize Charlotte and Otto’s house and barn.
Todays Stats:
| Miles driven: | 189 miles |
| Hours on road: | 4 hours, 14 minutes |
| Gas prices: | $3.99 |
Route:
Our friends Sue and Paul just posted today about being in Homer. So now I got to read about your impressions of the town. That's neat that you got to visit the homestead. Hope you're enjoying some of that salmon on your dinner plate.
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