We've Made It Home-r.

Driving onto and through the Kenai Peninsula took a long time to get through – only because we kept stopping to take pictures, hike to glaciers, and take more pictures. It was incredibly scenic – almost like British Columbia was, but had its own Alaskan-like qualities I’m beginning to recognize. The mountains come right up to the waters edge, leaving little way for a road to wind in and around the abruptly protruding passes. Once we got around the final bend Homer came into view – and both Nick and I let out an, “Oh my gosh,” or two. It was by far the most indescribable place we’ve been to on this trip. We drove down Pioneer (the main street) in an attempt to find our hostel we had planned on staying at – since it wasn’t coming up on the GPS. Nick pulled up a page online from my phone looking to find directions, but instead happened to stumble upon some reviews. At one mention of bed bugs, we opted to take our money elsewhere, and find a cheap hotel in the area. We found an aged inn in old town, and got to stay in a room with both bunk beds and a double. I had to tell Nick the story of how my mom wouldn’t ever let me sleep on the top bunk because I slept walk. Now, all we really have to worry about is me talking – which, apparently, I’ve done a couple times so far (I mentioned something like, “Oh, that’s right – Winnipeg.”). I can’t help but laugh at poor Nick – I’m not sure the last time he got a good nights sleep.

When we were settled, we headed out to the spit – a long strip of land that stretched ten miles out into the waters, with small tourist-focused stores, seafood stands, the infamous Salty Dawg and low-and-behold, two ice cream parlors that seemed to do pretty well, regardless of the chilly day we were experiencing. We shared some fresh local halibut and crab cakes (HUGE chunks of meat, mmm) along with fries (the theme of our excursion) and despite the sun still high in the sky, called it a night.

We were able to go to a thrift store while there, and Nick went on a walk, and on our final night ate at the Olive Pit – some of the best food we’ve had to date. Nick’s Frommers book deemed it “Mediterranean,” but it was Italian to us. He got a meaty pizza, and I chose the artichoke, mushroom, pesto and ricotta laden calzone. They had a glass of Pinot Noir listed at $6.75, and I couldn’t pass it up. It was from California, and was pretty darn good for being cheap AND a PN – I felt like I found some hidden gem of a restaurant, but come to find out it’s pretty popular, and rightfully so. Full and content, we slept pretty well in our next hotel on the edge of town (and on the edge of the peninsula). It was hard leaving Homer, because it meant we were back to a schedule – we had to be in Haines by the 17^th to hop on the ferry, and it was roughly 15 hours away. We’re pretty tired of driving to say the least, but once we get to Haines that means no cars needed for 5 days! Plus, Dad’s coming – I can’t wait.