All good things must come to an end, and that includes vacations in Alaska. Boo. Although the good thing about our nomadic lifestyle is that we didn’t have to pack our things and fly home – like a hermit crab or a tortoise with its shell, we already had our home with us. We were camped up on Homer Spit at Fishing Hole campground. To some it might look like a ship junkyard, but to us it was a prime waterfront spot.
And all was not lost, we still had the rest of the weekend to play with. Oh hang on a minute, the weather had something to say about that.
Our planned floatplane day trip to Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park was cancelled (to be fair, much as I love watching bears I didn’t much fancy standing around in the wind and rain all day, not to mention being out in a storm in a iddy biddy plane).
Plan B started with crepes and coffee for brunch at Wild Honey Bistro. We then holed up in the cozy Basecamp for the rest of the day – journaling, blogging and planning the return journey of our trip, a beef bourgignon one pot simmering slowly on the stove.
By late afternoon, as the relentless thud and thrum of the rain finally abated (a cat on a hot tin roof could not have been louder), we emerged blinking into the light.
And then we went to the pub. Not just any pub, the rather quirky Salty Dawg Saloon, beloved by tourists and locals alike, it doesn’t get any more Alaska than this.
The whole dollar bill pinned on the ceiling (or wall or any available space these days) seems to have started as a way of putting a down payment on a future drink, whether it be sailors leaving for an expedition, soldiers heading to war, or gold prospectors plunging into the earth’s depths. They would pin their dollar in a prominent place in the bar so if all else was lost when they returned, they could at least be happy in the knowledge they could get a beer.
Made me think of the now commonplace ‘Beer it Forward’ schemes in place at local breweries, the key difference being you’re paying for someone else’s future drink rather than your own. I guess that’s what you call progress.
Being the metropolis at the end of the world that Homer is (note the End, not the Top of the world), it didn’t have a co-working office. So it kind of felt like an extended holiday to book an Airbnb for a few days to work out of. Especially one with expansive windows and views.
While our remaining days in Homer were limited, we still managed to check out the local craft brewery, closely guarded by an oddly life sized bear. At least he had his mask on.
And we still had light enough to get some fresh air after work, in between rain showers. Along the beach…
Along the prom and marina on Homer Spit…
And up a hill for a view…
If there’s one thing we know now about US locations, it’s that whatever their calling, they’ll blow their trumpet, loudly and proudly. Homer’s claim to fame is as the Halibut capital of the world. OK then, bring it on, we’re on a fish n chips awesomeness mission.
What we didn’t quite factor in was the timing. Labor Day in the US is widely considered to be the end of Summer and the unofficial yet rather abrupt end to seasonal tourist attractions. Turns out this applies to fish n chips too. A whole week the wrong side of Labor Day and all the cafes were closed – not a fish or a chip to be found.
Luckily the seafood market stays open year round 🙂 We stocked up with halibut cheeks, halibut fillets, spot prawns and more. And resorted to cooking our own fish n chips.
I’m not an oyster fan. I really wish I was. To me, oysters and champagne sounds hopelessly high end elusive and romantic. In reality, I like to drink the champagne and pass on the oysters. But with all fish, chip (and peas) avenues officially closed, I reluctantly agreed to an oyster bar instead. The important point being it was one of the few establishments in Homer still open.
And what a warming, welcoming spot the Broken Oar Oyster Bar turned out to be. The perfect blend of a tiny friendly establishment – seated maybe 10 people indoors max, the warmth of the ovens and the deliciousness of the food. I don’t know if we’ll ever make it back to Homer, but if we do this place will be on the list for sure.
