August 20, 2008: Homer, Alaska

We started out this morning in Soldotna, and drove, along the coast of Cook Inlet, to Homer, where we spent the rest of the day.

We stayed two nights at Land's End in Homer. This was right at the end of Homer Spit, which was a really cool place to stay!

We had a great lunch at Boardwalk Fish and Chips, on the Spit... and dinner at Fat Olive's in Homer on the Mainland.

Two other very cool places to visit in Homer:

Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center
Pratt Museum

Fly-by Bonaparte's Gulls on Kasilof Beach

Greater Yellowlegs - Kasilof Beach

Comparison of Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs - Kasilof beach

Long-Billed Dowitchers

Mt. Iliana across from Anchor Point (across Cook Inlet)

Northwestern Crow (Anchor Point)

Glaucous-Winged Gull (Anchor Point)

Mt. Iliana across from Anchor Point (across Cook Inlet)

Black-Legged Kittiwake (Anchor Point)

Now we are in the Homer area - Behind the Island and Ocean visitor center, there was lots of Fireweed!
The Homer area did a great job of posting birding locations
A Common Loon flew over on the Homer Spit
This Glaucous Winged Gull on the Homer Spit was stealing bait from a fisherman's truck!
A view of Homer Spit
Fishing gear being hauled into Homer Spit Harbor
There were lots of 'jellies' on the harbor here
The Small Boat Harbor at Homer
A storm gathers over the harbor
Someone's catch of Halibut! (Very tasty fish!)

Pratt Museum:

The Crab fishing boat 'Time Bandit' that is featured on the Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch"

Local fish of Kachemak Bay

This map shows the extent of the 1988 Exxon Valdez Oil spill disaster

Above four: Some of the museum's avian mount collection

Kachemak Bay Crabs

Back on Homer Spit:

Pacific Golden Plover

Flying Common Murres

A swimming sea otter

Surfbird

Black Turnstone

Flying Black-Legged Kittiwakes

A Common Loon came very close to shore

A juvenile Herring of Glacuous Winged Gull

Crab pots for fishing boats!

Above five: A VERY cooperative Bald Eagle

A view across Kachemak Bay

TODAY'S MENTIONED LOCATIONS (interactive)

August 19, 2008: Denali National Park to Anchorage to Soldotna, Alaska

Started off this morning at Carlo Creek, and made the longest drive of our trip, all the way back down through Anchorage to the Kenai Peninsula and Soldotna again (Forest View Lodge a second time on this trip!). We made a few brief stops along the way but it was mostly driving.

We had dinner at the famous "Gwin's Lodge" near Cooper Landing on the Kenai Peninsula, it was pretty decent... (location)

Nice mountain view as we left McKinley Creekside cabins in the morning

Our first great view of Mt. McKinley - it was wide open in the clear! More shots of North America's highest peak below...

More great mountain scenery around McKinley

We spotted a wolf along Parks Highway

Above: Male and Female White-Winged Crossbills (Rest area MP 136 on the Parks Hwy)

Another stop at Anchorage's Potter Marsh:

Above two: More spawning salmon

Above three: Red-Necked Grebes (top picture is a baby)

Greater Yellowlegs (above two)

Short-Billed Dowitcher

Photos from the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center in Girdwood

Above three: Grizzly bears at the center
The Black Bear (below) had a beehive in his enclsoure (above) to make honey for him!

Above and Below: Elk

Above and Below: Black-Billed Magpie

Moose at the Center

TODAY'S LOCATIONS (INTERACTIVE)

TODAY'S ROUTE