Homer & Seldovia, Alaska

This is the second new Alaskan port-of-call for us on this trip.  Homer has been long known as the "Halibut  Fishing Capital of the World".  Our ship is docked at the end of the Homer Spit (a narrow 4.5 mile long gravel bar that extends into the bay where Homer Harbor is located). 

Homer Spit

 

We disembark the ship and walk down a long pier to the shore.  We continue walking to another gangway and a second pier where our boat - the Discovery (operated by Alaska Coastal Marine) is waiting for us.  

 

The Discovery cruises across Kachemak Bay to Gull Island – home to 8 different bird species. 

 

 

Gull Island             

After we leave Gull Island, the Discovery sails to the remote coastal village of Seldovia.  Along the way, we spot numerous sea otters floating in the water and an interesting rock formation that resembles an elephant.  At one point, it looks like its trunk is in the water and a few minutes later; it looks like its trunk is up in the air. 

         

            Sea Otters

      

  Elephant Rock Formation – Trunk Down & Trunk Up

 

It takes us 2.5 hours of scenic cruising to reach Seldovia.  This tiny town is steeped in Russian-American history and was one of the earliest settlements in the Cook Inlet region. 

 

           

                              Russian Orthodox Church                       

          

   Historic Boardwalk                        Stilted Buildings

 

We have two hours to explore the town.  We walk the historic boardwalk, photograph the stilted buildings along the river, and visit the Russian Orthodox Church.  By 3:15pm, we board the Discovery for our 1.25 hour return trip (about 13-14 miles) across Kachemak Bay to Homer where our ship is waiting for us.


For more information about Seldovia, please visit the following website:
Seldovia Alaska

Kodak Moments in Kodiak, Alaska

This is the third new Alaskan port-of-call for us on this trip.  Visiting these new ports was the reason we chose to do this cruise itinerary.  Once again, we have booked two shore excursions for today.

Because Kodiak is located due north of Hawaii, our tour guide refers to Kodiak as the northernmost Hawaiian island.   The Kodiak Island Archipelago (a chain of islands) is roughly the size of the state of Connecticut.   Kodiak was settled in the 18th century by the subjects of the Russian crown and became the capital of Russian Alaska.  As part of the Alaska Purchase by the United States in 1867, Kodiak became a commercial fishing center which continues to this day. 


Kodiak isn't a tourist town (they're getting 9 cruise ships in port this year - 5 more than last year).  So, the school buses moonlight as tour buses.  We board a small yellow school bus for our morning tour “Fort Abercrombie State Park Nature Hike”.  In 1970, Fort Abercrombie was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and, in 1985, the park was designated a National Historic Landmark.  When we arrive at this 183-acre park, we take a leisurely 1.5 mile walk along the dirt path through spruce forests, marsh land, and meadows.  There are several scenic overlooks along the trail with views of the steep cliffs, mountains, and the bay.   

         

We see a variety of beautiful and bountiful blooming wildflowers (purple Fringed Shooting Star, blue Lupine, Salmon Berry) and lots of green leafy ferns. We spot an adult bald eagle sitting at the tippy-top of a tree.  Since this was a fort, there are remnants of its historical past (WWII bunker/museum and cannon).  

         

Our afternoon tour is the “Kodiak City Drive”.  A light but steady rain is falling during our bus ride through town.  We make several stops (Deadman’s Curve, Oscar’s Dock and Mill Beach) where we are allowed to get out of the bus and take pictures.   

The highlight of the City tour for me was a chance to photograph the Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Church.  It is a pretty church surrounded by a white picket fence.  The church is open and we can go inside it.  

         

For more information about Kodiak Island, its history, and things to do – check out this website:

Kodiak, Alaska

Anchorage, AK

Because any previous Alaskan cruise we have taken ended at Seward, we take advantage of the cruise ship docking in Anchorage and book two shore excursions.  Our morning tour is the “Anchorage Flight-Seeing Safari” and our afternoon tour is the “Portage Glacier Cruise & Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center”.

 

We climb aboard a floatplane for our 30 minute Flight-Seeing Safari.  The floatplane taxis off from the water and soars into the air.  Unfortunately, there is a forest fire burning. We can't see the fire ... only the smoke that is making the air a hazy blue.  As a result, distant visibility is reduced.  We fly as far as Turnagain Arm (no wildlife sightings) and back to Anchorage.  The next time, I would take a longer flight because 30 minutes (15 minutes out and 15 minutes back) just gets us into the good scenery and we have to turn around and go back to Anchorage.   

         

Flight-Seeing Tour

In the afternoon, our tour bus takes us down the scenic Seward Highway.  In about an hour, we arrive at the Alaskan Wildlife Conservation Center (AWCC).  Here we see wounded birds and animals (like the bear that tangled with a porcupine and became malnourished because he couldn't eat or an orphaned bear cub).  After the rehabilitation is complete, the animal/bird is returned to the wild (if possible).  While here, the animals are free to roam within the large tracts of land (an electric fence defines the boundaries).  We spend most of our time watching a couple of grizzly bears (one cub and one adult).  They saunter by us - literally a few feet away.  Two sets of fence keep us out of their reach (the interior fence is the electric fence). 

         

Bears at the Alaskan Wildlife Conservation Center

A short drive from the AWCC is Portage Glacier Cruises.  We board a boat for a one hour scenic cruise to/from Portage Glacier.  Over the years, this glacier has been receding.  The glacier used to be visible from the road.  Now the only way to see it is by boat. Along the way, we see lots of seasonal waterfalls.  When we arrive at Portage Glacier, the Captain keeps the boat floating within a quarter of a mile from it.  It looks so much closer than that. 

            

For more information on AWCC or Portage Glacier Cruises, visit the following websites:

Alaskan Wildlife Conservation Center
Portage Glacier Cruises

Scenic Cruising - Tracy Arm, AK

Tracy Arm is located about 45 miles south of Juneau, Alaska.  It is a narrow fjord around 30 miles long.  The cruise ship slowly moves through the ice-studded water.  Imagine - some ice pieces could be as large as a three-story building!  Why do I keep thinking about the Titanic?

Seattle, Washington

The Space Needle is 605' high and was completed in 1962 for the World's Fair.   It is an iconic landmark that any visitor to Seattle should see ... but there is another location that’s an even better place!