One month in Alaska 2015: July 28, 2015-Breakfast at Snow City Cafe, Hertz rental car, driving/sightseeing to Homer, Pioneer Inn, dinner at Fat Olives

HOMER

I have made a reservation for breakfast at the SNOW CITY CAFE-a place highly regarded by Trip Advisor posters. We had originally planned to walk there from our hotel but the receptionist tells us we should take a taxi. It is raining fairly hard. I agree and within minutes we arrive at Snow City ($6 including tip). Even at 7:45 am the place is packed. We are quickly seated and I look around. I see HUGE plates of food. Everybody enjoying what they've ordered. Our pleasant waiter brings us coffee and tells me I can order just one blueberry pancake. Normal order is 3 pancakes. I do this along with a side of bacon. My husband Richard has a hearty appetite and orders the special-Snow City hash. Cost $27 + $5 tip. Even with one pancake it was so huge I could barely finish half. It was so good!

Breakfast!

Snow City Hash is the special

Busy place

Husband's Snow City hash

My expression says it all! How am I going to finish even just this one pancake! It was full of blueberries-yummy!

The rain has let up a bit and it's only a short walk over to the Hertz car rental office. Paperwork completed and we pick up a red new Chevy Spark. We drive back to the hotel, pay for meter parking. Check out is a breeze, bags packed in our car and off we go. I have my copy of The Milepost open as I am in charge of directions. Opps! Missed Gamble. Back track, on the right road and destination Homer is our target.

Car rental office

Chevy Spark

We will take the Seward Hwy. and then onto the Sterling Hwy. to reach Homer. Scenic stops of course-Beluga Point (no whales spotted), Bird Point. I like to take pictures but my husband is running out of patience with all my stop requests. The views are lovely on the Turnagain Arm route though. There are some road construction delays.

Very cloudy

Amazing scenery

Road construction

Cooper Landing, Sterling, I ask my husband to stop at The Moose Is Loose in Soldotna. This is a bakery and sells moose themed souvenirs like books, clothing, etc. I get an apple fritter and a blueberry muffin to go. This will be our breakfast for tomorrow. There's a Fred Meyer store in this town so we also pick up a few items.

I just love moose

Clam Gulch. I tell my husband to stop in Ninilchik as I want to visit the Transfiguration of Our Lord Church. It is so quiet here. The church is lovely. Views from up here down to the town of Ninilchik. Mae opens the church for us and tells us its past and present day history. I leave a donation. Selma is in the small gift shop where I make some purchases of stationery with the church's picture and some religious magnets that I know my brother-in-law will like. Anchor Point.

Church and cemetery

View to town from the church

Inside of church

Gift shop

Finally Homer! I have booked 4 nights ($726.70) here at the PIONEER INN. This well regarded place on Trip Advisor is small with only 7 rooms. I chose this place due to reviews which gave high marks for being clean, in a good location, having great hands on owners, and a reasonable price. Rich and Amy are the friendly owners. When we arrive they are sitting out front with some other guests. Amy shows us our room #1. Wow! So much more space than I expected. Not luxuriously furnished but this is just perfect for us. A separate bedroom with king size bed. Bathroom with tub-yay! One huge area containing the living room-another single size bed, couch, TV; dining area-table and chairs; complete kitchen with electric stove, microwave, full size fridge. Amy has even provided coffee/coffee liners/cream/sugar for the coffee maker. Paper towels, trash bags, dish washing liquid. Dishes, utensils, pots, pans........While she is talking to us I'm congratulating myself for booking this place and am unaware that a good size earthquake is taking place. Amy and my husband are both taken aback. We go outside and Rich and the others said they could see the building shaking. I was oblivious to the whole thing!! We unpack and decide to drive over to the Spit as we have to check in for our bear viewing trip which takes place tomorrow. I have booked us the short and sweet trip which will last 4 hrs. I did this instead of the longer trip due to my back issues. My doctor had advised me not to do a lot of strenuous walking so this is a compromise. I hope I won't regret this decision. Cost for this is $589 pp.

Entering Homer

Pull over area had all these lovely small garden plots

Our rental car drives great and is just big enough for the 2 of us and all our luggage!

Our home for the next 4 nights

Living room area with extra bed

King size bed in the bedroom

Bathroom

Stove and coffee maker

Well equipped kitchen

The Spit is very touristy. Lots of restaurants and shops. Small boat harbor. It's really a neat area and very busy. We easily find the Alaska Bear Adventures office. Our weights are less than I first reported-great! We get our check-in form that shows that the time of our trip is 3:30 pm. I was expecting a morning time but this is fine. I'll just switch things around that I had planned for the day. Also I learn we will be going to Hallo Bay/Katmai and not Chinitna Bay/Lake Clark National Park. We are given directions to where the plane is located-K Bay Air-and we decide to drive there to make sure we can find it tomorrow.

Office on the Spit

K Bay Air where we will meet for our bear viewing trip on 7/29/15

Boy, I'm really hungry now. On my list of restaurants is FAT OLIVES. It is not far from our hotel. We have to wait a bit as the place is packed. Amy from the hotel is also there with friends. I can smell pizza!! We order a small pepperoni/mushroom/banana pepper pizza and 2 Mediterranean salads, drinks-all for under $30 which includes the tip. The pizza was great but the salads took the prize. They were delicious.