The Road to Homer

With Anchorage in my rear view mirror, I headed down the Kenai Peninsula, undecided about whether to go to Homer first, or Seward. Seward wasn't as far, but if I went to Homer first, I wouldn't be backtracking. But maybe Seward's campgrounds will be full this coming weekend, so I should go there first. Such indecision….not my normal style!  OK, so it's Homer first.  Jane (my sister) said that is where she fell in love with sea otters – they were playing in the ocean and she sat for several hours watching them. Hope I find some sea otters!

The drive down from Anchorage was beautiful as you would expect in Alaska, but even more so. First stop was Potter Marsh, a haven for migratory birds. I'm not much of a birder, but it was fun to walk the boardwalk there and watch these geese.  I stood for a while watching a territorial dispute between two families of geese that was fascinating.  Boy, can they be aggressive!

Love the reflection of sky and mountains in the water!

A bit further on, there was a viewpoint near Girdwood where they said you could sometimes see beluga whales. None today, but watching the current move in the bay was very impressive. It's fast water, as fast as a river flowing.  Perhaps the tide was going out, but I was surprised to see how fast it was going.

There is a wildlife refuge on the peninsula where the animals are separated by fences – this refuge keeps animals that have been injured, or have been saved from being put down for other reasons (one because his mother was a "garbage bear" that had to be euthanized).  It was kind of neat to see these animals up close, but still be safe. I really loved watching the buffalo rubbing himself on the tree. You could almost hear the sigh of relief when he lifted his head and walked away!

By the time I left the preserve it was getting late (almost 2 PM and I hadn't eaten lunch yet, so I pulled over for a quick picnic (cheese, crackers and part of a raw veggie tray that I have been munching on for several meals, and a few Rainier cherries for dessert – yum) then beat feet for Homer, because it was still 150 miles away and these are miles on a winding two lane road.  So here I am ensconced in my campground, and what a view I have.  Imagine eating several meals a day looking at this…. And there are no mosquitos, and I will definitely need two quilts tonight! (I actually needed my hoodie, too, part way through the night!!) Good sleeping weather…