Winter in the Desert, Summer in the Mtns: Homer

7/1/13

Rain in Seward, Fishing in Homer

Monday afternoon, July 1, finds me sitting on the second floor of the Seward library looking out onto the bay. It’s raining hard, a cold rain that chills to the bone. The hubby is asleep in the camper trying to ease the shoulder that’s acting up again. The little sport cat catalytic heater is providing him warmth as the $15 fee includes no hookups.

We are camped right on the bay in one of the city’s many waterfront campgrounds. I can almost see the Casita nestled between the big rigs sitting halfway between me and the ocean. The bay is calm, at the moment, and sea-green. The rain and mist obscure the mountains except for a steep green hill that overlooks the town.

Not too sure if we are staying another night or leaving this afternoon. Guess it will depend on how hubby feels.

I’m struggling to find the right words to describe our fishing trip last Friday. We are not real fishermen….but camping with ocean surrounding us and everyone else fishing spurs us to book a trip.

Bob’s Trophy Charters, http://bobstrophycharters.com, is next to the campground on the Homer Spit. After learning that the expense for a half day trip, $115…senior citizen rate, is not outrageous, I am getting excited. They assure me that we need not know how to do anything. Another 20 bucks is necessary for the one day fishing license. We will be fishing for halibut..limit is two a day per person.

Hubby remains calm, not nearly as excited as I am. But as we walk to the dock to board, I see glimpses of the kid coming out in him.

We are off after a short safety lecture. I did take note of where the life vests were stored.

Capt. John and his crew of two took great care of us. No pictures as we were working too hard!

I am handed a large pole with a fish threaded into a large hook. Instructions are to pull the lever down, hold the two pound weight in your hand and slowly let the line down to the ocean floor. After hitting bottom, move the lever up and reel in the line until it’s one foot off the bottom of the ocean. I follow the instructions perfectly and immediately a whale (not really) takes the hook. It felt like a whale trying to pull it up!

The crew rushes over and pulls in the halibut after I get it to the surface. It’s a keeper! (I have no idea of the size.)

I catch 4 halibut, throwing two back, before my arm completely gives out and I quit for the day. Hubby stays with it longer and we wind up with more halibut than we can keep.

Two humpback whales put on a show as we are cruising back to the docks.

The Nauti-Lady arrives back in her slip around 7 PM, an hour later than expected. We are so exhausted…it’s fast food tonight. That’s ok as we will be eating halibut for the next 7 days!

6/29/13

Halibut Homer

They say that Homer is the halibut capitol of the world and, after our experience yesterday, we would agree!

We have been in Homer on the Spit for three nights at the city campground, the Fishing Hole. The Spit is a long finger of land that extends out into Kachemak Bay and Homer lies on the southern end of the Kenai Peninsula.

But let me back up…..

Last weekend was about getting the 300 miles or so from Valdez to Anchorage and the Kenai Peninsula. After stopping at the mosquito infested campground (which taught us some lessons), we landed at the Fred Meyers (grocery) in Palmer. (Palmer and Wasilla are just before Anchorage.) The hubby is experiencing severe shoulder pain and a helpful waitress directs us to someone performing chair massage. The massage helps and he starts a regimen of ice and aleve.

On our way to Palmer we see our first “real” glacier.

While visiting a center devoted to sled dogs, we discover a city of Wasilla campground that has fewer mosquitos than our previous camp. Lake Lucille is $10 a night and we enjoy a pleasant dinner and our first fire of the trip.

I attempted to start the refrigerator by turning on both gas tanks and, after closing my eyes, blowing vigorously into the little hole that houses the pilot light. It works! Don’t know why, but the pilot light is now high which means it will cool.

After an oil change we decide to relocate to the Wasilla Wal-Mart. Free and less mosquitos!

The next day we are entering the Kenai Peninsula after driving through Anchorage without a stop….except to get our bearings.

Landing in the city of Kenai for the night, we are directed to the river to view caribou. Too far away for pictures and I’m frustrated that there are 4 snow covered volcanoes across Cook Inlet and I can’t get a picture for the haze! After a stay at the Kenai Wal-mart, we are heading for Homer.

Camping choices are numerous on the Homer Spit. We can stay at the $7 city park, the $15 with flush toilets and dump or one of the private cg’s that offer it all for $68 per night! We choose the Fishing Hole with the flush and dump.