8-2-2013 Homer Bear Creek Winery and Halibut Cove

Today was our day to checkout Homer.  It doesn’t take long to ramble through this quiet small town.  Sharon had made a list of places to check out.  One of those was the Bear Creek Winery.   We did a wine tasting and tasted some good ones.  It was after noon by the way. We bought a few bottles to take home (Christmas is coming!) and enjoyed talking to the staff about the history of the Winery.  They also have a lodge at the winery that overlooks the Kachemak Bay and the Grewingk Glazier.

We then stopped by a local manufacturing facility that specialized in making products out of canvas and fleece materials.  They started making boat covers and expanded their business using their imagination to develop all kinds of products made of canvas.  It goes to show what you can achieve when you apply yourself.

 

 

We had made arrangements to take a short cruise over to a small island, Halibut Cove.  We took a privately owned boat, the Danny J, over to have dinner and explore.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Bob booked the reservation, he inquired what was available to see while on the island.  They suggested a beautiful overlook with a cottage that resembles a light house.  We arrived about 6, dinner reservations weren’t until 7:30, so we had plenty of time to hike over to the cottage.  Bob had stuffed a bottle of wine into his backpack so we could relax and enjoy the ambiance.  Found the cottage, and it was a beautiful setting.

 

 

 

 

 

We spent an hour enjoying each other’s company and reflecting the many wonderful places we have visited, not only on this journey but other trips that we have taken in our 40 years of marriage. We have been truly blessed.

 

 

 

We were the only ones that strolled over to the cottage.  Didn’t know they missed a beautiful opportunity to observe the best view from the island. 

 

There are a couple of art galleries where local island artists display and sell their handiwork.  Not that we need any more pieces of art, but it is always interesting to see how other people interpret their vision.  One of the artists actually uses octopus ink which is really different.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The community of Halibut Cove is quaint.  Most of the homes and facilities are connected by elevated boardwalks. The tide can rise as much as 23 ft in the spring and early fall.  But at this time of the year the boardwalks are very high above the water.  Guess it is always a good idea to plan ahead.  There is an isthmus that was constructed between the island and the State Park that is adjacent to the island.  It was built to protect the cove from the horrendous storms and tides that develop in the winter months.  If the isthmus was not there the cove would be destroyed. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back in the early 1900’s there was a herring processing plant near the cove that employed over a 1000 people. They would use salt for processing the herring and dump the byproducts back into the bay that eventually destroyed the largest herring spawning grounds in the world. After the herring industry vanished the land was homesteaded by several families.  There is no other way to get to the property other than boat, which means all of the materials to build their homes and businesses came by boat or taken from the facilities that were left behind when the factories closed.  The main building for the restaurant was purchased and floated in place when the tide had risen to 27 feet.  This is a quite an amazing story.

The restaurant, the Saltry, was named to honor the industry that originally established the community.  Our scallop dinner was delicious.  We had the best seats in the house overlooking the cove and observing the eagles and water fowl feeding in the cove.  The restaurant is built right into the hillside.  There was a starfish pond adjacent to the fire place.  It started to rain, but we were kept dry by the roof overhang. Many others had to relocate tables under the roof to keep from getting wet.

 

 

 

We had headed over to the cove on the Danny J. This boat was built in 1942 and used during WWII as an officer’s liberty boat.  It has been restored to its original condition.  We returned to the Spit on the Stormbird, bit larger boat.  It was built in 1953 and served in the Korean War as an enlisted man’s liberty boat.

This experience will be long remembered and one that we will look back on fondly for years to come.

I encourage all of you to explore every opportunity to its fullest potential.  Do not be afraid to open a few locked gates and walk down uncharted paths.  You will have some the most enjoyable memories and experiences that life has to offer.  Don’t forget your bear spray!