Alaska has been at the top of my destination wish list for as long as I can remember. I always thought perhaps I’d never make it there, because it was a little far, rather expensive to plan a trip, and the possibility of it being too wild and dangerous for me. But over the past year, the stars aligned due to several differing factors and situations. After nearly an entire year of planning, I found myself exploring the Last Frontier with my father-in-law Ken.
We started in Anchorage as most do, then made our way through Chugach State Park before heading south to famous Kenai peninsula, where we first visited Seward before heading west then south to Homer. The town of Homer is famous for being a creative artist-centric port with lots to do. Many visitors use Homer as a jumping off place to head to Katmai National Park and Kodiak Island. But there’s lots to do from the port spit.
We started our day at La Baleine Café for breakfast, which was a wonderful experience. They specialize in creative dishes that aren’t too wild to scare me off, yet they regularly use local foods in inventive ways, yet always keep to a healthful focus. Our host offered us up a bowl of carrot and ginger soup which was a perfectly balanced soup, finished with a violet flower floating on top for a nice subtle touch. I had the crab melt with fries, which blew me away. Not only was it beautifully crafted, it had a gorgeous aesthetic as well. My sandwich was a delicious and fresh tasting mix of flavors. It was made up of avocado, tomato, arugula, purple flowers, cheddar, and fresh local crab on toast. It was spectacular! But what really surprised me was how damn good the fries were. The crunch, herbiness, and savor value was off the wall. I asked how they were made, and the chef told me they make the batter in house with seaweed, salt, garlic and powdered mushrooms. They’re on to something. One thing I noticed about Alaska is that they know their potatoes. The top three fries I’ve ever had in my life came on this trip to Alaska.
We started our day at La Baleine Café for breakfast, which was a wonderful experience. They specialize in creative dishes that aren’t too wild to scare me off, yet they regularly use local foods in inventive ways, yet always keep to a healthful focus. Our host offered us up a bowl of carrot and ginger soup which was a perfectly balanced soup, finished with a violet flower floating on top for a nice subtle touch. I had the crab melt with fries, which blew me away. Not only was it beautifully crafted, it had a gorgeous aesthetic as well. My sandwich was a delicious and fresh tasting mix of flavors. It was made up of avocado, tomato, arugula, purple flowers, cheddar, and fresh local crab on toast. It was spectacular! But what really surprised me was how damn good the fries were. The crunch, herbiness, and savor value was off the wall. I asked how they were made, and the chef told me they make the batter in house with seaweed, salt, garlic and powdered mushrooms. They’re on to something. One thing I noticed about Alaska is that they know their potatoes. The top three fries I’ve ever had in my life came on this trip to Alaska.
We hiked along the spit, visiting the shops and artists, then wandered around a few areas just outside of town. After lunch, we scheduled a dinner cruise of Kachemak Bay with the fine folks at Lady of the Sea Adventures. Their Wildlife Tour and Dinner Cruise set itself apart among all other cruises offered in the area, because of the intimate experience of their classic and beautiful 72-foot motor yacht, which is maxed at six people per trip. Three levels on the boat allow for fantastic viewing of wildlife, white capped mountains, and open ocean for as far as the eye can see. There’s 360-degree viewing on the top deck, and this lovely vessel also sports three staterooms for overnight journeys.
The dinner and wildlife cruise boasts the chance to see sea otters, seals, eagles, humpback whales, puffins, porpoise, orca, murre, cormorant, and other less common species. While other cruises yielded more wildlife, this was a nice relaxing trip around part of the bay, shared with other nice folks, some locals and some tourists. This intimate experience was nice from start to finish, and our captain, host and chef were all very kind and provided much information on the wildlife and local history. It was nice being able to ask questions about anything that we found an interest and curiosity.
We ventured out toward the Cook Inlet and along the coast of Kachemak Bay, visiting Gull Island, before we saw the most sea otters I’ve ever seen before. I saw a handful for the first time on my wildlife adventure of Resurrection Bay and Kenai Fjords National Park, but this cruise with Lady of the Sea brought us to areas where I counted nearly a hundred, many hanging together in large rafts of sea otters. We enjoyed oyster appetizers while watching these cute little furry guys, then as the variety of wildlife tapered off, the boat anchored in the bay and we were served a unique take on halibut with a surprising, yet very delicious desert. It was a great experience from start to finish, with zero let downs and an overall great memory was made with the crew of Lady of the Sea. If you find yourself in Homer, don’t miss this opportunity to explore and dine on a stunning yacht.
The dinner and wildlife cruise boasts the chance to see sea otters, seals, eagles, humpback whales, puffins, porpoise, orca, murre, cormorant, and other less common species. While other cruises yielded more wildlife, this was a nice relaxing trip around part of the bay, shared with other nice folks, some locals and some tourists. This intimate experience was nice from start to finish, and our captain, host and chef were all very kind and provided much information on the wildlife and local history. It was nice being able to ask questions about anything that we found an interest and curiosity.
We ventured out toward the Cook Inlet and along the coast of Kachemak Bay, visiting Gull Island, before we saw the most sea otters I’ve ever seen before. I saw a handful for the first time on my wildlife adventure of Resurrection Bay and Kenai Fjords National Park, but this cruise with Lady of the Sea brought us to areas where I counted nearly a hundred, many hanging together in large rafts of sea otters. We enjoyed oyster appetizers while watching these cute little furry guys, then as the variety of wildlife tapered off, the boat anchored in the bay and we were served a unique take on halibut with a surprising, yet very delicious desert. It was a great experience from start to finish, with zero let downs and an overall great memory was made with the crew of Lady of the Sea. If you find yourself in Homer, don’t miss this opportunity to explore and dine on a stunning yacht.
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