Of all the places in my mind, though, I have to choose my favorite not simply because it meets all of the above criteria of good memories, pleasant associations, and a location that will never leave my list of travel destinations, but also because it is right down the road. This place, in fact, is at the end of the road: the Homer Spit.
The Homer Spit was a place I discovered on accident. My touristy weekends during my first few years in Alaska never took me that direction down the Kenai Penninsula-instead, my wanderings south always seemed to end somewhere between Girdwood and Seward. It wasn't until a dinner party when someone mentioned the Eagle Lady that I even considered the idea of heading down to Homer.
It was March of 2008 when I first packed the car for an overnight trip to Homer. I arrived late in the afternoon, and Herbie-my trusty travel companion-and I spent the rest of the sunlit hours on the beach. I collected rocks and shells, smelled the sea air, and tried not to freeze. Herbie was smart enough not to get in the water, but explored every inch of beach exposed to him.
Our reason for the trip had been to see one of the last eagle feeding ever to take place on the Spit-and the sight of almost 400 bald eagles waiting, feeding, perching, and flying over the tiny area near the end of the Spit was beyond description. My favorite memory of that morning was the young eagle who walked (waddled?) up behind all of the photographers, examining them with the same curiosity and enthusiasm that they were snapping pictures with.
Beyond the eagles, though, I fell in love with the wide open expanses of water, the smell of the air, the sight of the dark gray stones intermixed with beach treasures-shells, white quartz stones rubbed smooth by the waves, and driftwood of every shape and size. Even the cold was invigorating, and Herbie felt the same way-we were both instantly in love with everything about the Spit.
We've been back several times since, and the Spit never fails to disappoint. It will always be one of my-our-favorite places.
Ahhh, the sea breeze and the salt air - one reason many of us decided to stay in the coastal regions of Alaska once arriving from elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteHi Winsor,
ReplyDeleteI am a native Coloradan and also grew up there. I enjoyed reading about you and your furry friend on the beach at Homer. I have taken one of my labs there, and can totally relate to the adventures with your dog! I agree the Homer Spit is one of the most beautiful places on earth. There is nothing like watching the birds come and go from there – any time of year you can see something flying around (ok, birders, I know that’s a very generic thing to say) My dog also loves the smells and to run up and down the beach. I see your dog also likes large sticks, aka tree trunks. Ben tries to bring them to me on a regular basis – don’t know why he doesn’t pick up a stick he can carry!
The Homer Spit has a lot of history to it, and I think will be one of the places on the Kenai Peninsula that will be most impacted by climate change. In developing climate change curriculum for our center, it is definitely a place to include and to monitor. Most of the students around here at least know where it is and many have been there, so it is a great reference point for them to think about how things like changing weather patterns and sea levels might have an effect. And they can study the effects on the landscape and the wildlife - including the impact humans have such as the Eagle Lady. Not saying it’s good or bad, but it’s a great example of the impact humans can have on animal behavior and how once again, all things, including humans, are intertwined!