Homer - lands end

 We got back from the Deshka on Thursday afternoon and Amanda had to rush off to work.  She said lets head to Homer and go camping.  Homer is 270 miles away but we had never been there so we were excited.  I was packing up the truck around 10pm and locked myself out of the house.  Knowing Amanda would be home much later, and my phone and keys laughing at me from inside the house...I climbed into the front seat of the truck and fell asleep.  At 2am when Amanda came home she could not find me and was worried, not until she was walking around the house did she notice I was asleep in the truck.
I went to work on Friday and Amanda met me in Anchorage at 5pm, with the dog and the truck packed.  We headed down the road to the Turnagain Arm Pit BBQ.

What a nice night to drive after some ribs and a beer.

Kenai River

At the same exact time we both shout "BEAR"  we pulled over and watched this mother gizzly and 2 young one on the side of the Kenai River.  This is the first Grizzly we have seen.  

 Heading south along Cook Inlet looking west

 That is the Homer Spit, it is a beach that extends into the bay.

 What a great night to camp.  Everyone was super friendly.  Lots of hippies and Russians.

Our campsite on the spit

Homer has a lot of little galleries and eateries 

 Homer is also the Halibut capital of the world.  We have a charter booked for July 3rd (not out of Homer) with high hopes of landing a 100+ lbs Halibut

 These are knives made out of old saw blades

The Salty Dawg is the most iconic landmark in Homer.  Built in the late 1800's this building has been a shcool, post office and for the last 60 years a bar.  

 The inside of the Salty Dawg the walls are covered in dollar bills

 Lots of hippy artists in Homer

 This statue is for all the fishermen lost at sea

 Best Chowder Crackers of all time, every time

Raw

We tried our luck at fishing.  We watch this one guy landing cod on every cast.  We were included with the rest of the fisherman going home empty handed.  

 Crowds

Cooking sausage (makkara) with her cute booties

 Sunday on the ride home we stopped off at the St. Elias Brewery.  Might be the best beers in all of Alaksa

Sheep on the Turnagain Arm just south of Anchorage.  

Solstice

June 20th was the longest day of the year (a day early since 2012 is a leap year).  So we got a call that we needed to get out of work on Thursday and head out to our friends lodge on Wednesday night.  We certainly did not need any convincing.  The weather was gorgeous, there were fish in the river and we knew a good time was to be had despite the army of mosquitos.  

Sleeping Lady 

 Amanda

 We have to take a boat ride out to the lodge since it is off the road system

Mike and Mert's lodge is on the edge of the frontier.  Sure is wild country.  

 Trophy Moose

 Trophy King Salmon

Trophies - Family photos

The view from the lodge full of clouds

Love

At midnight the clouds cleared and a setting sun on the longest day of the year was in view...along with Denali.  

 At 6am the fishing opens for the day.  We set our alarms and had high hopes since we saw and heard fish rolling all night and no one else was on the river.  Well at 5:45am there were quite a few folks ready to fish.

 Lodge - from up river

 Eagle

 Brendan and Jay - we fished for 4 hours.  Had one hook up but did not land the fish.  Brit had all the luck and did land her first salmon ever, she did not have "enough luck for all of us"

So Wild Bill had a hat on all the time.  Then his sister says Bill show Jay your new haircut.  Super mullet!  I said "this pose will be on U.S. Currency some day"  

 Amanda, Brendan, Bec - Heading out

 John and Brit - John just bought this boat and we all were a little jealous of the "lil Red Raft".  Brit is glowing from catching her first salmon (also something we all were a little jealous of)

 Jessie and Brendan

Lakota and Bill

Mert - Showing everyone where the mountains are

Red Raft showing the Big Susitna who's boss