Weekend in Homer

Finally, our first weekend in Homer, about 4 hours south and west of Anchorage.  Homer is on the southern end of Cook Inlet and at the mouth of Kachemak Bay.  One thing that we found out is that pretty much everything shuts down in Homer around Labor Day -- and certainly before Oct. 7 when we got there!  We had a GroupOn coupon for Peninsula Suites, a new place that opened in June with a cottage, a log yurt, a tree house, and two subterranean rooms overlooking Cook Inlet, with a beautiful view of water and mountains. 

This is "Otter Cottage" -- it had a gas fireplace for heat, and it was very comfortable - just one room with a small kitchen, double bed and couch, TV and table and chairs.  We got their on Friday night, and since a guest hadn't checked in yet to one of the "subterranean rooms," we were able to go in and look at one of those.  Look and see how it's built into the hillside - pretty neat!  

The round part up above is the entrance, and the underground units are built in a horseshoe shape.  Right out our window was a beautiful vista of the mountains and Cook Inlet, and we took a beach walk just about a mile up the road with a longish hike down to the beach from the bluffs and back up again. 

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Homer was mostly shut down for the season, but we took a beautiful drive along Katchemak Bay, stopped at the Bear Creek Winery, the Homer Brewery (and brought a growler home), lunch at Sweetberries Cafe, and then the beach walk at the end of the day.  Sunday was a long exploration on the route back home -- a drive along the Kenai Peninsula and another couple of beach walks



-- a walk on the nature trail at Kenai Peninsula College, and then a stop near Hope, AK where we took a picture of the Chugach Mts. from the old road, now used as a walking and biking trail.  The mountains on the drive back are spectacular, and as you can see, already snow-covered on top -- more than on top!

Last Day for Farmer's Market

So sad -- last day for Spenard Farmer's Market -- my favorite Saturday morning routine, yoga at 8 am and across the street to the Farmer's Market.  Today what went in my bag was fresh beets with some great looking greens, carrots (Alaska carrots are really good), some tiny purple potatoes, the last of the celery, mixed greens for salad, fresh mint, and a jar of homemade salve for the winter.  I know those of you from warmer climates have these things all year long, but it is special here -- food has to be shipped a long way, and it's a reminder not to take it for granted!

I'll savor these last "fresh out of the ground" things until late spring next year.  I also get a homemade piroshki with cabbage every time that I go for a combination breakfast-lunch prepared right there.  I'll miss those too!

Brian has a small job today and is looking forward to getting new business cards in the mail today or tomorrow!  He's taking some classes here on cold weather building and preparing to launch a business on his own in home remodeling -- something he was doing in Central New York too.  We've been social butterflys all of a sudden -- we've been busy the last two weekends both nights for the first time since we got here -- we've got friends!  It takes a while to become a part of a new community!