Wednesday, September 19, 2001
Hello from Homer, Alaska!
Start time: 1015
Start odometer: 12984
Weather: Cloudy, wet,
temperature 54 F.
The town of Homer, located at the end
of the Sterling Highway, was named after an early settler of this area.
Approximately 6000 people live here for the winter, mostly involved in the
fishing industry, and in businesses to provide typical public services. It
is very popular in the summer, being known as the best place to fish for
halibut. The Alaska record catch for halibut is 459 pounds and the fish
can be more than eight feet in length. Other water sports are enjoyed,
including boat trips to water bound communities surrounding the town.
Highlights:
- Cloudy and moist, rain off and on throughout day
- Nice drive along Turnagain Arm, with autumn colors beginning to get bright
- Saw black bear and goats high up on mountainside
- Stopped by Girdwood and the Alyeska Ski Resort
- Many beautiful waterfalls along road
- Stopped by the Chugach National Forest Visitor Center. Great
facilities and displays, watched movie about the National Forest. Nice to see
a real movie on a very large screen instead of the usual slides with a dissolve
unit or TV projection system. Great finale...When the movie ends, the
screen rolls up and curtains behind open to a spectacular view the lake
created by Portage Glacier. Also in this beautiful view is another glacier, and beautiful
mountains
- Stopped by the quaint town of Hope, a former gold mining community on the
Kenai Peninsula.
- Drove to Homer through intermittent rain, but still had beautiful views
- Thank you for visiting...
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|
On the Seward Highway, this rest
stop provided information about Beluga whales. |
Typical transportation for
Alaska. |
I drove through Girdwood and
visited the Alyeska Ski Resort. |
|
This interesting home was located on the road to Girdwood. |
More interesting glaciers off of the Seward Highway. |
I stopped for a return visit to Portage Lake. |
|
A view of the Portage Lake tunnel. |
After arriving on the Kenai Peninsula, I stopped in the town of
Hope, a historic gold rush
town. |
From the end of
Hope, looking northwest towards Turnagain Arm. |
|
Mountains near
Hope. |
This is the bar side of Seaview Cafe
and Bar... |
...And this is the cafe side, with their Trading Post to the right. |
|
The town Social Hall. |
Further west of Hope, I stopped to take a hike to an overlook. Here
the fall colors were becoming more apparent. |
The view of Turnagain Arm from the overlook. |
Routes traveled today: Ak 1
Hotel: Driftwood Inn -
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