We have an incredibly busy final week of this amazing voyage, and it starts in the unique port of Homer. One of its nicknames is, “The End of the Road” because it is the farthest you can drive westerly on a continuous roadway in North America. Their advertising promises world-class halibut and salmon fishing, whale watching, bear viewing, sea kayaking, diving, hiking, birding, camping, glaciers, volcanoes, fresh oysters, and gourmet cuisine - all in one little town.
There is the city of Homer and then there is The Homer Spit. Our tenders took us to the small boat harbor on The Spit - a very narrow, 4 plus-mile-long peninsula, jutting out into Kachemak Bay. Surrounded by snowcapped mountains, there is a gorgeous view in every direction.
The Spit is lined with restaurants, tour operators offering a variety of fishing and wildlife experiences, gift shops, and small cafes. At the very end is the famous Land’s End Resort and a row of modern housing units we imagine are condos. There are several active small boat harbors and several large RV parks, all full this time of year.
We took a taxi from our tender dock at the far end of The Spit into the town of Homer. We enjoyed a walk around town, stopping at the impressive Alaska National Wildlife Refuge Visitors Center, the Pratt Museum, the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies, and several small parks and trails.
The same taxi driver picked us up and took us back out to The Spit. He even stopped to find a geocache with us after he asked us what we had been doing around town and we thought it easiest to show him! He was a delightful guide.
We continued our wandering along The Spit, meeting lots of ship passengers out for a similar stroll. There is some serious hiking available here - 18 different trails listed in the tourist map, but today we simply wandered. It was a mellow and fun day in a low-key town.
Scenic Glacier Bay
Monday was Glacier Bay. Although it was cold, it was clear and sunny for most of the day. A team of Park Rangers joined our ship in the morning to provide scenic commentary, wildlife spotting skills and information of all kinds about Glacier Bay National Park. It encompasses 3.2 million acres of forest, shore, mountain peaks and glaciers and is often described as being “magical.”
One highlight was Margerie Glacier. Like Hubbard or Harvard glaciers which we saw earlier in the voyage, it is majestic and awe-inspiring at about one mile wide, with a face of 200 feet above the waterline. The local wildlife put on a continuous show. Sea otters, seals, whales, and eagles were visible throughout the day. The hunt was on to spot a bear along the shore - we didn’t hear if one appeared.
Having been here multiple times in the past, it was a relaxed day for us, just taking in the grand scenery and enjoying the fresh air.
Haines, Alaska
Today we are docked in Haines, Alaska, a small and subdued town. There were at least a dozen different wildlife and wilderness adventures offered as tours here: a ride through the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, canoeing to Davidson Glacier, or a 4x4 ride on the Takshanuk Mountain Trail, just to name a few of the options.
Skagway
Our group tour is taking us to Skagway, always one of our favorite Alaska towns. A high-speed ferry ride gets us to Skagway in 45 minutes, where we catch the White Pass and Yukon Railroad for a scenic ride through gorgeous scenery to the White Pass Summit. The summit, at 2,888 feet, is also the border between the US and Canada, descending beyond that point into British Columbia and on to the Yukon Territory. However, we turn around there and head back to Skagway on the new circular turnaround track that was installed in 2019.
The Railroad is an extremely popular attraction and is always sold out as a tour option. We’ve done the ride twice before, once actually biking back down to the town which is unfortunately no longer an option. The ride is narrated and tells the story of the gold rush days and the early history of the railroad, as well as highlighting the numerous waterfalls and other special geology of the route.
More ports coming up and more scenic cruising expected!
Fondly,
Wendy and Steve
See all blog posts:
Pre-Cruise, Alaska Awaits! | Our Adventure Begins! | Discovering Alaska | Seward, Dutch Harbor & Nome | Kodiak & Anchorage | Juneau & Misty Fjords
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