One month in Alaska 2015: July 31, 2015-Breakfast at Cosmic Kitchen, Richard-Alaska Coastal Marine/Central Charters & Tours-fishing for halibut, Spit sightseeing, dinner at Fresh Catch

HOMER

We are up so early I can barely keep my eyes open. Today Richard is going on a half day halibut fishing trip. Alaska Coastal Marine/Central Charters & Tours. Cost $145 and $20 for the fishing license which we got yesterday. Check in is at 6:30 am!! Richard has his orange juice and bagel with cream cheese. It's much too early for me to eat. We hop in the car and set off driving to the small boat harbor on the Spit. There's very little traffic but the sunrise is spectacular. I get Richard to pull over so I can take a few pictures. We find a place to park the car for free and make our way to the ramp where the boat Born Free is located. I think it was Ramp 3. We are the only ones here but are soon joined by 2 best friends who are touring Alaska in a RV. They are wearing matching plaid jackets. So cute! Soon the crew arrives-2 guys and 1 girl. There will be 16 passengers fishing. Richard has a camera with him so I tell him to take a few pictures. I can only hope he will as he's not into photography like me. I take a few more pictures, wish my husband luck, tell him to have a good time, and I head back to the car.

Sunrise

Beautiful!

The fishing boat

Richard is looking forward to his fishing trip

Other trip passengers

I drive back to our hotel and crawl back to bed where I sleep until almost 10:00 am! Now I need to think about breakfast. Not far from our hotel is the COSMIC KITCHEN. I order one egg OE, toast, and coffee. Bill was around $7-8. Now I'm feeling better. Time to do laundry. Driving back and forth to the Spit I've noticed a self serve laundromat. Washboard. I gather our dirty clothes together and in no time I'm there. It is a huge place. Plenty of washers and dryers. There's a regular bar here!! I purchase Tide $1 for the 1 load I have. The washer costs $4.50 and the dryers go by the minutes. Pricey. I forgot how much I ended up spending on the dryer but I do remember putting in a lot of quarters. It's 1:00 pm-time to pick up Richard. Thankfully the clothes are pretty much dry.

Laundromat

I find a good free parking spot and walk over to where the slip is located. There's Richard standing with a large white plastic bag in his hands. He has caught his allowed limit of 2 halibut. You are only allowed 2 per day. The 1st one you decide to keep can't be over 29" long. After this one the size doesn't matter for your 2nd choice. Once you make your 2nd choice if you catch a better/bigger one you're out of luck! Richard actually caught around 12 but the others were released back to the sea to live another day! The crew has filleted the fish on the boat. We go to the Coal Point Seafood Processing Plant. His bag of fish are weighed-10 lbs. 7 ozs. Inside the office we choose to vacuum pack/freeze. Charge $11.77 It will be in 1 box with gel ice. Box $12 Gel ice $3.50 They will make each vacuum pkg. around 1 lb. filet weight. There's a charge for insurance $5 and the Fed Ex delivery $98.06. Tax $2.05 Since we're not going to be home for almost a month we elect to have the box sent to our neighbor across the street. We call him to let him know the box should be arriving Tuesday 8/4/15. Total cost to ship the halibut home $132.38 ouch! It's a good thing I really like halibut.

Getting ready to fish

Helping the fishermen and women

Tossing one back

Elma, Jason, Captain Drew-the crew

Happy!!

Filleting the halibut on the boat

Coal Point Processing

This is how the halibut arrived

After all that is done we drive back to our hotel to drop off the laundry and for Richard to change clothes. Then we head back to the Spit and walk around sightseeing. Lands End Resort. Homer Ferry Terminal. Seafarer's Memorial. We decide to stop at the Salty Dawg Saloon for a drink. There are dollar bills stuck to the ceiling. Richard has an India Pale Ale from Denali Brewing and I get the Salty Dawg-vodka and grapefruit juice. Boy, is it strong! Damage $11. More sightseeing. Homer Harbor but no sign of the crabber Time Bandit from the TV show Deadliest Catch. Fishing lagoon again. Boat graveyard. Pratt Museum but it's closed so we look through the windows to the inside of the Harrington Cabin. We try to find some of the historic places in town. The old Inlet Trading Post built in 1937 is now a deli/Bunnell Street Art Center. Inlet Inn Hotel is the Driftwood Inn. The Harrington Cabin we've seen-built in 1935 and located next to the Pratt Museum-a log cabin structure. The Kranich House built in 1944 at Pioneer and Main. I have no luck finding the others on my list-Hansen House, Olson Lane's cabin.

Main road to the Spit

Lots of places for RVS and campers with tents

Shops on the Spit

Land's End Resort

Shops

Salty Dawg Saloon

Richard

You had to see it to believe it!

Boat graveyard

Harrington Cabin

Looking through a window to the inside of the Harrington Cabin

Out house and garden

Old Inlet Trading Post is now a deli/Bunnell St. Art Center

Bishop's Beach

Lots of RV parking places

Dinner tonight was supposed to be Little Mermaid but I didn't make a reservation and nothing is available. The place is very small so if you want to go there make a reservation. The lady there recommends FRESH CATCH so that's where we end up. A much larger place so no problem getting a table. I order the halibut fish & chips and Richard wants the salmon special. Bill $67 which includes tip. Food was very good. We go next door to Frosty Bear for ice cream. One last stop at the fishing lagoon but nothing much happening so we continue back to our hotel.