Aug 1 - 2 Homer to Seward, AL

Friday Aug 1st We were up early to get to the dock for halibut fishing. http://www.alaskacoastalmarine.com/ We had tons of clothes on and extra with us. The sea was very choppy with BIG waves. We were out of the harbor by 7:05am. It was a 2 hour trip to the fishing spot. the boat was rocking and rolling the whole time. Kipp was feeling it in spite of the patches that we had all put on the night before. There were 14 people on the trip plus the captain and mate, who were both still in college.

A 9 year old was so excited to be going on a big fishing trip with his dad and granddad, until he started to throw up. The poor kid never left the cabin; he desperately wanted to go back home.

Kipp had a brief episode early but did rally for the fishing.

A three pound weight is tied to the line with a big circular hook and a major chunk of bait is tossed into the water and falls swiftly to the bottom; between 160 and 190 feet below. It takes MUCH longer to crank that thing back up, even if you do not have a fish on the line. Of course because of the high seas, inexperienced fishers and active fish on some lines the lines would get tangled. It was hysterical. In the beginning they kept throwing the fish we caught back because they said we would get bigger ones and you are only permitted to keep 2 each.

We did catch our limit of fish which ended up being over 60 pounds of fish to be shipped home. When we were done fishing it is another 2 hours back to the harbor. We were so exhausted and sore from trying to keep our balance, hang on the the rod, crank up the fish and try to stay warm that we could not get it together to cook dinner. Jeanne and I hit the hot tub as soon as we got back and made reservations at a wonderful place called Wasabi on the East End Road. They had a lot of sushi on the menu,

which we all love, but none of us could stand the thought of it after spending the day smelling fish!! We were back in our rooms and all in bed before 9. It was a great day, lots of fun but Jeanne and I decided that the next time we will use the money for a day at the spa instead.

Sat. Aug 2. All of us slept in this morning after a great nights sleep. We packed the car tightly again for the trip. Jeanne and I wanted to go to the local bead shop to find spacer beads so that I can restring her aunt's antique green crystal necklace. We walked over to find out that it did not open for another half hour. Good thing the Farmers' Market was right beside the shop. We bought some little things from the locals before Kipp and Shep found us.

We bought a few items for our dinner before we went back to the bead shop where we found the perfect beads to restore the necklace. Then it was back on the road to Seward. The further away from Homer we drove the colder and cloudier the weather became. We made a stop in a Fred Meyers store where I bought a new pair of pants because I could not get to my suitcase to change into anthing else.

We finally arrived in Seward and found the Cottage by the Bay. http://www.onthebayak.com/ Sue, the owner, is very friendly and a wealth of information.The cottage is her home with all of her things in it. She and her husband, who looks like Jerry Garcia, have a little apt. above the garage next door. Miller's Landing is a short walk up the road where we signed up for a pot luck dinner that they sponser every Sat. night. what a great meal we had for $7 each. That is certainly the cheapest thing going in Alaska! They fry up a mess of fish and everyone either brings a dish to share or buys a ticket. We did not have time to whip anything up so we paid. It was really fun. We sat and watched a guy fillet fish and feed the gulls. The gulls are very active here at the end of the day. A pair of eagles stood on the beach and watched everything in search of a free meal. Back at the cottage we Jeanne and I attempted to build a fire with wood that was not quite dry enough nor small enough, and we ended up with a wet smokey smell. Time for bed.