Homer, AK - Hangin' Around

Homer is a neat town to hang around. It mixes its artistic strand, its commercial fishing strand and its tourist strand, weaves them into a tight braid, puts a bow on it and revels in its stunning scenery.

There are cool views across the bay to the mountains on the other shore.

Looks closely across the harbor and you can see a glacier.

There is my favorite, the small boat harbor but which is also the commercial harbor. Here the boats bring in their catch and off load it from their laden boats. Here is one boat having its catch ‘vacuumed’ out of its hatches by a large brown vacuum tube to be dumped into the waiting blue tubs and then taken to the factory.

This boat has put its catch into bags which are then lifted to the pier and put into those tubs. The man on the pier then dumps the fish out of the bag and lowers the bag back to the boat for use on another day. We saw the small factory where these bags are made, right in town just up from the harbor.

Here are two fish bags ready for purchase. You can buy them in many sizes and, since they are made right in Homer, you can get them to fit your boat. Such nice bags, and you’re going to put smelly fish in them? Yecch.

And, it’s fun to watch the cruise ships glide into the harbor and watch the tourist stream out to see what this new port has to offer. I think this picture is a bit trite: white cruise ship, white glaciers, blue seas. Hmm - just what is on the cruise brochures.

There are eagles all over, so common that people refer them as ‘Homer Pigeons.’

Along with tourists and fishing, Homer is an artsy community and signs of this are everywhere. Here is a home made out of an old fishing scow. When we first drove by we weren’t sure what it was but, curtains in the window, car in the driveway, mailbox on the road - all point to an interesting home.

Now, this house, right on the beach is pretty cool. Small enough to clean in an hour, big windows to look out on the bay, loft room. Now, what is not to like? Oh, yeah, there’s that Alaska winter thing.

There’s Two Sisters bakery and cafe - obviously we’re not the only ones to have discovered it. Both locals and tourists crowd the counter..

Walking the beach is always a treat. Gary caught me as I was scanning the rocks at my feet for agates. I’ve got a jar of Alaska agates and am looking for one or two more.

Remember, I told you that Homer is artsy.

We took a small walk around the museum and found this cool art piece, just hanging from a tree over the trail.

And this comfy bench just on the street.

It was a bright sunny day as you can see, we had just eaten a great treat form Two Sisters and we had nothing better to do than wander about.