Alaska Highway, Day 6

July 4^th

Alaska Highway, Day 6

Turnagain Arm, AK to Homer, AK, mile 1798

We are driving through heavily forested areas and crossing lots of rivers that look like amazing fishing streams. The water is low and crystal clear. We really want to get to Homer to see our friends, Willie and Marcee so we pass these streams by but decide to  fish them on the way back. When we arrived in Soldatna, (Link to Soldatna information,history and pictures) we found a car wash and scrubbed a month’s worth of road grime and mud off the coach and jeep. Surprisingly it only took about $20.00 but we used our own brush and soap. We are only about an hour away from Homer at this point. Can’t wait to get there ….. the end of the road.

We call Marcee and she is in town doing some shopping and gives us directions on where to meet her. She says to make sure we stop at the top of the hill to see the view before we come down into town…..WOWSER’S …. Check it out. Link for pictures of Homer

Homer is nestled up against the mountainside with a long arm of land that extends out into Kachemak Bay (Catch – a – mack) called the Homer Spit. This is where the harbor is with all the fishing boats, the fishing charters & tourist shopping and the home of the “Time Bandit” from the Deadliest Catch TV show. They even have their own souvenir store, LOL. Marcee says she knew Andy and Jonathan when they were just punk kids…. and now they are home grown celebrities. Link to Homer information,history and pictures

Willie and Marcee have lived here for 30 years…. since back when the men were men and the sheep were nervous. Jim met them in San Carlos, where they also have a sailboat, a sleek little sloop named Gale Song after the gales that howl thru here in the fall and winter. They sailed her all the way from Homer to San Carlos, Mx.  5 or 6 years ago. They live on an amazing 5 acres east of town about 15 miles down the bay. To celebrate the 4^th of July they were having a party and wouldn’t you know it we arrived just in time. We got to meet a lot of their friends and had a great BBQ … elk, salmon, halibut, chicken in peanut sauce and lamb shanks. Aren’t potlucks great? The sun does not set until about 11:20 PM (and rises again at 4:50AM) so the fireworks were loud, but not very colorful. None the less it is certainly a 4^th of July we’ll not soon forget. Link to pictures of Willie and Marcee's house