Journey to Haines Alaska

It was dark once we'd left my family to their own at the Anchorage Airport. Just past midnight, it was raining. It had been raining the whole drive. No sun had been out and with the cloud cover, darkness crept in faster and with more authority. We decided to make a stop at CARRS to pick up a few items, like more of those divine coconut macaroons, yum! I bought a lot of them. So many that I knew when I bought them that by the time I finished them I'd be burnt out on them, I knew this and I still bought all of them because I didn't want to get back to Utah and be craving and fantasizing about them. We sat in the rainy parking lot of CARRS discussing our remaining trip. Where were we going to go now. Options always make it hard for Darren and I to make decisions. We are indecisive, unsure and want to do "all the above" even though it never seems to be an option to do "all the above." We pondered and openly discussed in the dark rainy parking lot directions we could go, what we would do there, where we'd go from there, how much time it would take, how many hours of driving, how many miles, stops along the way, etc. It is a lot to consider really and being that Darren and I work on spontaneity only makes things more open to possibilities.

There was only one way out by car from Anchorage so we knew our itinerary for a couple hundred miles worth. We pondered traveling to Fairbanks and drive across a portion of the Denali National Park. We pondered driving up to Prudoe Bay, just to say we'd been as far North in the United States as the road could take us. We pondered about just driving the exact way we came. We pondered driving to Haines Alaska and catching a Ferry all the way down the inside passage to Bellingham Washington. We pondered every possible way we could think of.

We couldn't decide. So we figured we'd best start driving and at the very least, get to the first "Y" in the road and make a decision at that point. I told you. We run on spontaneity. With darkness still in charge and rain misting down upon us, we began our journey home. The highway out of Anchorage was quite active at this time of night but everything got quiet almost instantly once outside of Anchorage. We passed Fort Richardson, Chugiak, Eklutna. We were

headed towards Palmer and suddenly barricades started to show up and a flashing sign said the Glen Highway was closed. Shoot! Where do we go now? Follow the detour signs! In the dark. In the rain. We got lost. We took off on Highway 3 which took us towards Wasilla. We searched for more detour signs, but found none. We came to Wasilla, pulled off the quiet highway and got out the iPhone and the Alaska map to find a way back over to the Glen Highway. It was confusing. Nobody was around and everything was closed. It was about 2 a.m. and we were in Wasilla, Alaska... lost. We were burning up time and we were anxious to figure out which way to go.

Finally we located a dark wild road and took off down it in hopes it would lead us where we wanted it to. I kept asking Darren, "Are you sure this is right? It feels so wrong, we've been on this road forever. We're not that far from that highway we want."

Apparently directions are not my thing. Really, I think Darren was just lucky. Eventually we made it to the Glen Highway and continued our solitary drive in the rainy darkness. The road went back and forth in classic "S" shapes. Cliff on one side, mountain on the other. I knew the view was beautiful along here as we'd driven this during the daylight on our way in. I knew there were beautiful lakes along this stretch with raging massive mountains reaching for the sky. We drove pass the small town of Sutton and drove another 15 miles. Darren pulled off the road. It was near 3:30 a.m by this time and Darren was exhausted and I knew I couldn't drive. I'd been dozing off as it was. Darren let Kenai out and took her for a walk down to the raging

river he could hear. It was a little creepy sitting in the dark truck all alone for 10 minutes. Your imagination likes to think of every possible bad thing when you're a little spooked. Here we are along a dark, desolate road, stopped, along a river that surely is swarming with fish and where there are fish, there are bear and to my left was a thick forest of trees.... It was a relief when Darren and Kenai came back to

the truck. We put the seats back, pulled light fleece blankets over us and went to sleep.

We woke up about 9 a.m. to the occasional car or truck passing by. It was Sunday and still very quiet outside. I was surprised we'd slept that long but then again we knew that we wanted the drive down to be a little more leisurely and perhaps after two weeks we were more tired than we thought we really were. We got up and I took Kenai down to the river this time. Surprisingly it was a little more civilized feeling than my mind had led me to believe a few

hours earlier in the darkness. There were a couple travel trailers on the other side of the river with four wheelers sitting outside their doors. Kenai ran around for a few minutes, we didn't see any bears, got back to the truck and headed out again.

From Wasilla we had the option to go to Fairbanks from there on Highway 3 but had decided to head towards Tok instead. We arrived in Tok, Alaska shortly. We knew this was the last spot for cell phone coverage for a while depending upon which way we went so we made a call to our folks, warned them of the lack of cell phone coverage, fueled up and headed for the Canadian Border. We drove along the awful stretch of neglected highway, fingers crossed that we didn't

bust another lug bolt on the wheel and then finally reached the Canadian Border building. We passed through with much more ease than on our journey up. I don't think they had any internet connection there so it wasn't so official feeling with barcode scanners and what not. The questions were much shorter and we were on our way quickly. By this time we had decided that Haines Alaska was to be our next stop. We had really started to fantasize about taking the ferry all the way down and Haines would be our last place to do this from. We also had heard that Haines Alaska was a place to see before you die...we didn't need much more convincing so we went for it.

From Tok we went the same way we had come. The first "town" was Beaver Creek and then

Kluane Lake and then the town of Haines Junction was to follow. We stopped somewhere to let Kenai get a drink along a little lake that had a little decrepit dock and friendly bread loving ducks. By the time we got to Haines Junction it was about 10 p.m. at least. The sun was setting. It was surprising how much faster night was coming compared to two weeks earlier. The

daylight begins to disappear rapidly. Haines Junction was a town with no fuel that I could find both when we were driving in and now, driving out. There were gas stations but all were abandoned looking. So we continued on for Haines. We stopped along the way to let Kenai out

at a little lake with a tiny dock. Darkness again crept in with authority as it was still raining. As we began our trek towards Haines the fog thickened greatly. We were driving over mountains as far as we could tell. All you could see was the stretch of 20 feet of road in front of you and for the most part, all you could tell was you were alone and maybe driving through the sky. There was nothing on either side of us through much of this drive. I wondered what the view was like. I'm sure it was amazing. As the fuel gauge approached "E" and as the fog thickened I stayed more awake. Even though there were relatively no cars on this segment of road there were several porcupine encounters. Porcupines? WTF! Amidst the fog and darkness and rain were porcupines crossing the road

. Go figure. It was eerie. We thought for sure that if we were to run over a crazed road crossing porcupine that a flat tire would be a for sure thing.

One poked his head out here, another was crossing the other half of the road and the third, with some special-ops type movie style vehicle maneuvers hit our differential and we felt a solid thud under the floor boards of our truck. Luckily the larger that I envisioned porcupine missed our back tires. Phew!

We approached the U.S./Canadian Border yet again. The only way to Haines by car from Anchorage or anywhere in Alaska is by crossing back into Canada and then back into the U.S. By this time it was about two or three a.m. and the U.S. border patrol was a sight for sore sleepy eyes. We had been driving straight since Tok Alaska. The Border Patrol informed us that if one were trying to go from the U.S. to Canada at this time of night that they'd be out of luck because the Canadian Border was only open certain times but that the U.S. Border is open 24

hours, thank god. Our truck fuel gauge was literally on E at this point. We were still about an hour from Haines and the Border Patrol informed us that all the gas stations would be closed until until around 8 a.m. We didn't want to wait that long because we wanted to be on the Ferry out of Haines if possible. I knew the Ferry Station would open early, probably six so we drove for a little and found a spot to pull off the road to get a couple hours of sleep.

The town of Haines is next. Thanks for reading.

Hailey Rose

Take a breath and relax - Homer Alaska

Do it with me, take a deep breath and slowly let it out. Could you smell the fresh ocean air? Could you hear the seagulls and the waves gently rolling in? Woosh... woosh... the sun is out, it's about 65 degrees and it's time to just relax. Find a comfortable spot in your favorite chair or out on the deck, snuggle up with a good book or a sketch pad or.... just sit and stare out into the distance and day dream about the glacier you see, the mountains, the boats, nature....life. I did a lot of this in Homer.

We were in Homer for about 10 days and in Kenai for a couple days. Kenai Alaska,

located on the Kenai Peninsula is about an hour and a half drive from Homer. The Kenai River is what has made this town and it's neighboring town of Soldotna famous. The Kenai river, in the summer months, is a rip roaring huge river of the most beautiful blue green water you'll ever see. I've never seen a river with a color like this river has. Some of the best and biggest Salmon ever caught have been caught on this river. In fact, the world record of the largest salmon ever caught was caught on this river. The King Salmon weighed in at 97.4 pounds and was caught by Les Anderson in 1985. Les Anderson owned the Ford dealership in Kenai and I got to meet him myself when I was about 12 years old. My eyes were big and round while listening to him tell me about the fish he had caught. All I remember

was that it took hours and he had to go into the river to keep from being spooled by the monster of a fish. During the month of July 50,000 - 80,000 King Salmon swim their way up the Kenai River in search of their spawning grounds. If you are so lucky to catch the next world record, and if you went and bought your derby ticket earlier that day you win $50,000. Pretty exciting.

Homer was much more peaceful and relaxing than Kenai. All the dip netters were in Kenai the weekend we went trying to catch their fish limit. Alaska residents are allowed to catch a certain amount of salmon per person which they catch using huge handheld nets and I think the whole state was in Kenai. The nets seem to be about 6-8 feet long and the opening to the net seems to be about 3 feet across.

You can pretty much figure if you see a truck or boat with a big dip net on it, that they are Alaska residents as they are the only ones who can catch their fish this way that I know of. I was anxious to get back to the quiet beach house back in Homer. We stayed at our friends house on the Kenai River for one night, caught a couple fish in the river and went home. The fish were pretty quiet the day we fished the river. I suspect the fish were all getting caught by the dip netters getting their allocation of fish down stream. It was nice to get back to Homer and away from all the chaos.

Back in Homer we took an afternoon to go over to a little place called Halibut Cove. Halibut Cove is only accessible by boat or plane. The boat ride is about 30 minutes from the Homer Harbor on a calm day. We took our husky dory out for a trip.

This was mostly to take some pictures and to show Darren the infamous Halibut Cove. The best part about visiting Halibut Cove in my opinion is the view as you are floating into the cove. The homes and cabins all whisper mystery to me. You can see the rickety wooden steps coming down the sheer rock faces to their little docks where they have or have had their boats tied up. Trees surround each of the cabins giving each place the look of seduction and adventure. What more could a girl want? Mystery. Seduction. Adventure. Perfect. My kind of place.

A boardwalk connects most of the homes and you are welcome to walk down in it during a certain time of the day. I suppose the boardwalks are all privately owned and

not just anyone is welcome to walk along them at any time of the day. The boardwalk leads you past some homes, little pastures, and into artist galleries. Luckily we showed up during the time it was "okay" to walk on the boardwalks. We spent about 45 minutes taking pictures and wandering around. We

ventured into a couple art galleries, smiled at some of the locals, one man said it was a waste to have so many young people just wandering about and not working. ... that's nice, badger the young tourists who may spend money about not working. We all smiled and walked by. For all he knew, we didn't speak English as there are many foreigners visiting.

We took the boat out a couple more days, and did some fishing. We caught a lot of fish but they were all "junk" fish for the most part. We caught lots of Irish Lords. Irish Lords are one of the ugliest fish ever. They have this huge open mouth and big ugly bulgy eyes with a little meatless narrow body. We must have caught 30 or 40 of these. We also caught some flounder and sole and some baby halibut that were just too cute to eat. It was fun though. It was nice to be out in the ocean, land in sight of course since we were in such a small boat, but out in our own little space of peace and quiet with the boat bobbing beneath us, the birds flying by and relaxing. It was cold though. Don't think for a minute we were out in shorts and t-shirts. We all had our Under Armor on with several layers of clothing

complete with hats and gloves. It is always a lot cooler on the water than on land. We saw lots of otters floating around on their backs with rock in one paw and shell in other, floating, calculating our distance from them and then all at once rolling over quickly and diving down. It made me wonder if they dropped their rock and meal or if they still held onto it once they rolled and dove. We explored up China Poot Bay another day. China Poot held more mystery, seduction and adventure in it's

scenery than Halibut Cove did. We didn't spend much time there. There weren't any fish biting and it was much more secluded and private feeling so there weren't any

boardwalks to walk down which was okay. I preferred viewing from the ocean anyway. I don't know the history as to why it's called China Poot, but the main mountain you see that looks just like a volcano is called Poot Peak. I would like to climb that mountain one day. There's a funny ledge that pokes out on one side, you can see it in the photos. I want to stand on the edge of that ledge and look out over the wilderness. One day maybe I will.

I loved going down to the beach. We all went down a couple times and Darren and I

went a couple extra times. I liked looking for treasures on the beach. Nobody was on our beach. It was all private beach, no public access. Just private owners all along it so it made for all sorts of things to be found and lots of peace and quiet. The tide swings in Homer are huge so you have to watch the tide and know when it's time to go so you

don't get stranded somewhere against a cliff when the ocean rolls back in. Kenai loved the beach. She loved all the sticks and the water. She is such a funny dog. If you tell Kenai to get something, she will get it. She will attack it. Stick, rock, clam, sand... whatever. You can point to the ground and say, "get it!" and she will dig and dig looking for whatever she is "getting" all while growling and barking her aggravation at trying to get it. Silly girl. I think the beach was Kenai's favorite part.

By the time it was our last day to take the boat out, we all had pretty well learned what our jobs were when putting the boat in or pulling the boat out of water.

My job was to collect the launch fee, fill out the little paper and put it with the money in the lock box then to run down to the dock where my father was launching the boat in and hold onto a line. Darrens job was to undo the line and crank that held the boat on the trailer and to hold a line once on the dock as well. My sisters jobs included bringing down the gear, loading boat, undoing the string on the steering wheel that kept the motor from twisting sideways and to assist in keeping other boats from bumping into us by pushing them away from us. It was really fun. We all had our jobs.

We all had found our place and without each other it would have been more difficult. It was fun to work as a team.

The moose came to visit again the day before we left. Kenai regularly barked at the moving brush in the night. She knew the moose were there, I'm sure she could smell them. I couldn't see them or smell them but I trusted what Kenai knew was true. It was surprising to see how much larger the moose calves had already gotten since when we had arrived. They looked like stout ponies you could ride. The mother moose was still very annoyed that we had moved into her space and made sure to let us and the dog know this. I told mama moose that she would have the yard all to herself again in just another day. I don't think she understood me.

Mama moose and the calves explored the area around the trucks and boat. Mama moose nibbled on my truck antenna and the calves licked the salt off the boat motor. Finally they decided to move on again. I figured this would be the last time I saw the trio as our time in Homer was ending the next day. It was kind of sad.

The day to leave came all to fast as it always seems to come when you're on vacation in a place you really love. Cassie, Darren and I went to some garage sales and stopped up on the ridge for some pictures of both the ocean and of the wilderness on the other side of the ridge. The fireweed was in full bloom by now and it moved like purple waves across the open meadows. It was truly beautiful. I decided then that I wanted to paint what I saw. It is on my to do list.

We got back to the cabin, shut her all down and we all said goodbye to the cozy little beach house. It was kind of sad to leave it. She was sitting there, like as though she was happy to have someone come stay in her and then sad that she would be all alone again. Just her and the moose for the fall, the winter and the spring until next summer when we would all be bustling about her and relaxing all in one. Does that make sense? To me it does.

We put the boat away, put the truck away, positioned the Bronco until our next arrival. Luggage was dragged from the house, down the steps to my truck. Sleeping bags, totes, found beach and garage sale treasures carefully organized and stacked to the ceiling of the truck shell. Kenai was sad. She looked at us when we told her to get in the truck and then looked around, like as though asking us if this was it. Her eyes asked, are we coming back? Come on Kenai, time to go. I think she knew and she reluctantly jumped in the truck and went in her crate.

The drive into Anchorage was sad too. We all knew our trip and adventure that we had been enjoying all together was coming to an end. This was it, the end of the trip. As with every vacation, you have to go back to reality at some point. At least for Darren and I, we still had a week of adventure to go but I thought about how quiet it would be.

There had been six of us staying in a two bedroom beach house with one in operation sink and two toilets. I had gotten to know my sisters more so in those 10 or so days than I had in the last 5 years. Being that we don't live together, it was surprising how much we had all missed out on. Experiences had been shared, stories had been shared and I grew to love my sisters even more.

Advice, thoughts and dreams had been shared and I knew none of us would ever forget this trip. That one summer in Alaska when dad went with his four girls. That trip when we were all young, that trip when we all learned something about ourselves and each other. The trip where we all gave each other nicknames. The trip we would always remember. We all had grown closer and we all knew it. I couldn't think about all of this at the time. I knew it, but couldn't think about it. I can't be seen crying. I'm the oldest, I am to be the strongest. I focused on the rest of the trip Darren and I still had ahead of us. We all hugged, wished each other safe trips and they walked through the airport doors and they were gone.

Thanks for reading, more to come.

Hailey Rose

Gimps is what they call me now.

There's a part about this trip that I haven't told you about. A painful part and I thought I would share. It is kind of gross so I am warning you right now to not go any further if you have a sensitive stomach. :)

Two days before we began our amazing road trip I did something really stupid. It's one of those things that just happens within a split second and as soon as it happens you just know it's bad.

You hear this sickening SNAP! and POP! The pain shoots up, you feel the blood rushing and the heat building almost instantly all while you feel faint and about to pass out but you hold yourself together.

What happened? I sprained my ankle. I jumped off of a pickup tailgate. All of 4 feet and I landed wrong. My left ankle gave way, and my foot twisted underneath with all 140 pounds and the force of inertia coming down on it all at once. It was bad. Real bad but I had hay to pick up hay on the tractor so I kept going. I worked for another couple hours picking up hay and it was painful the whole time. I literally could not walk on it and every hop I took made me want to pass out or throw up or both. But, I made it... got most of the hay in and went home. I was so mad at myself! How could I do this right before the trip of our lifetime. I was mad, so mad I bawled. I felt like I was going to ruin this whole trip for poor Darren. And sweet Darren, I don't know what I'd do without him in my life, was so sweet and so kind and so perfect! I could never ask for a better man because there isn't a better one. He made me lie down, put my poor foot up, iced it all up just beautifully with frozen peas and corn, made me take some advil to help with swelling mostly and after all that he wrapped my ankle up so nicely with ACE bandage. He wouldn't let me go to work the next day and I am so glad he did because I would have gone in.

My ankle was fat, real fat and painful. I couldn't walk and it was so aggravating. I had so much to do. Things to load, pack, etc. By the day we were to leave it was feeling much better. The swelling had already gone down quite a bit. A purple color was setting in but I could actually gingerly walk around.

Once on the road though, I couldn't keep it elevated like I had been and the blood began to pool more and more. A pounding throbbing numbing sensation would start in my ankle and slowly creep up my leg more and more as I would drive. So then I'd stick my left leg up somewhat out the window and continue driving. Good thing nobody was around on the roads as I'm sure it would be an interesting site to see and probably illegal. Three days in a truck with a badly sprained ankle was not good for it. Are you ready to see the picture? Picture one is of me taking off the bandage and picture two...is my disgusting foot. I felt like my foot looked like it belonged to a walking ghoul or zombie. It looked dead but I could still more my toes... it was a strange feeling. My sisters were disgusted. But so sweet to help me around.

The black and blue was intense and went all the way into my toes and up my leg. My sisters soon came up with a fantastic nick name for me. GIMPS! and GIMPY. They would call for me and greet me like as though as was a puppy or something... "Aww! Gimps!!" it was kind of embarassing in public when they'd do it but I knew it was all love. So now you know, I've shared it with you. The painful part of the trip you now know about.

My ankle is still swollen but the black and blue and purple has gone away. I can walk pretty normal now but I cannot run without the pain bouncing up and down my leg telling me to stop. More like saying... "What the **** are you doing?" :)

Thanks for reading.

Hailey Rose

aka Gimps!

Homer Alaska

Homer Alaska is as far South as the road system extends from Anchorage. This is where the road ends. You cannot go any further by car, simple as that.

I have heard, although I cannot prove that actor Clint Eastwood had a vacation home here in Homer and Tom Bodett, the "we'll leave the light on for you" Motel 6 guy use to (maybe still does?) have a home here. Tom Bodett was actually the one who kind of "put Homer on the map" sort of speak. According to Tom Bodett's tales, Homer is the "End of the Road" and is "at the end of the Sterling Highway surrounded by wilderness and ocean."

Homer Alaska is well known in many circles, by many people all around the world. Although the town isn't as quaint and small fishing village feeling as it once was 15 years ago when my father and I first went up together, the town still maintains that feel in some ways. Some of the "nick

names" Homer Alaska goes by are:

"The cosmic hamlet by the sea"

"The end of the road" - Tom Bodett

"Halibut fishing capital of the world"

and my favorite... "A quaint little drinking village with a fishing problem."

There is lots to do in Homer Alaska. Fill your days with Halibut fishing or bear viewing. Go catch a theatrical performance at Pier One Theater out on the Homer Spit. Take a walk down the beach or bicycle down the Homer Spit. Walk the boat harbor, go to the museum, go for a hike or enjoy some berry picking. There are some great horse back rides and four wheel trails. There really is so much to do and the list goes on.

Want a beer with the locals? Stop by the Salty Dawg Saloon out on the Homer Spit next to the Boat Harbor. Mingle with the fishermen fresh off the boat, hang your dollar bill on the covered ceiling and wall. Carve your name into the table and don't mind the underwear and bras hanging all about to remind you that things get wild in this little saloon. Enjoy some pool in the back or some darts. The local beer tastes pretty good too. A must stop and see, even if you don't drink.

While you are out on the famous Homer Spit, be sure to go see the Lands End Resort Hotel. It's literally at the Lands End of the road on the Homer Spit with a great view. Many places in Homer are more like a view with a room. The rooms are usually decent although I haven't stayed in one for several years and the food isn't something to write home about but at the least, go enjoy some soup, slow but nice service and the extraordinary view from their dining room. All of the boats go by here because it's the only way to the Harbor which makes for lots to see and enjoy, especially if you like boats like Darren and I do. We

enjoyed some clam chowder while watching the boats

come in.

The shops on the spit are fun for us girls to go through. Being an artist myself, I enjoy seeing

the locals art work on display in the many shops. They really tout the "Alaskan Artist" thing up there. Alaskan artwork varies from photography to carvings to paintings to sculptures to ... just everything. There are lots of artists in Alaska and I can see why. The views, the terrain, the life (minus the winter i think) is very inspirational. I work on inspiration, so that is important to me. I was looking for some fresh inspiration from this trip, and I found it.

We went to the Farmers Market one Saturday and really enjoyed the performance by Shamwari (i may have spelled that wrong but it was something like that). Caitlin really enjoyed it because she plays percussion, xylophone type instruments and some drums in school and does performances throughout the year. The performance was great. It wasn't just music. The musicians were full on entertainment to watch. They were really into the rhythm, the beat, the vibe, the feel. I wish I had my camera. I'd done what every photographer should never do and

that's leave the camera at home!! Bad move as I would have had some great photos to show you. The band consisted of several women, 4? and one guy. They were all really into playing their instruments and looked like they were just having a total blast! People were all gathered around, clapping to the beat, smiling, talking, laughing, little kids two and three years old were dancing about with rocks they'd picked up in their hands, and it had just a great overall fabulous vibe. The musicians very talented. We were amused by the man playing, he looked like a nice guy but it also looked like he really enjoyed his pot back in the day or maybe still does... haha, he had this spacey look, it almost didnt look like he was even playing, but then the next

song started and this clearly... was "his song" as he was really into it. It had a real up beat bongo wongo kind of rhythm and he perked right up and you could feel his excitement and enjoyment beaming off of him while he played. He looked so happy. You just had to be there really. It was a great performance. I would totally buy a CD from them but I can't find them online. :( The Farmers market was small and cozy. They had all sorts of veggies, herbs, and things I'm not sure what they were. There was some photography, bags, and other little things too. I didn't buy anything, nothing "spoke" to

me to purchase it so I didn't.

For lunch one afternoon we visited the Cosmic Kitchen. They have two locations. One on Main Street and one on the spit. I'd heard they served great breakfast but by the time we got there we could no longer order breakfast so instead we had some mexican food which really was surprisingly good. Even though the food was good, I'm not sure I'd go there again just because I had a hard time getting past the nice braless cashier girl who looked like it'd been a few days since her last shower and the cook with the long dirty dreadlocks. I'm not saying they weren't nice ... I'm just staying... I'm not into it. But, like I said, the food was good. I had a burrito and it had green beans in it among other veggies and it was quite delicious. I'd never had a Mexican

Burrito with green beans in it. We ate at the one on Main Street and sat outside on the deck. It was trying to rain and it was about 50 degrees. It was nice. While I

enjoyed the strangest burrito of my life I day dreamed about myself and my sisters having an Alaskan Restaurant up here one day. Maybe when we are all 60 years old or so, we'll do it for a mid life crisis thing. :)

While you are in Alaska, you just have to keep in mind that you are in Alaska. That may sound so obvious but when you get there, you'll know what I mean. You are in Alaska with it's great menagerie of people. You have all types. Hippies, "hairy unwashed bush people", artists,

natives, actors, fishermen, tourists from all around the world, Russians in their full traditional attire which is actually quite elegant looking... etc. But, that's kind of what makes it a cool vibe too. You CAN fit in in Homer Alaska. Wear whatever you

want, do or say whatever you want... and you fit in. It's comical, but serious and all in all, interesting. I LOVE Homer. I love Alaska, complete with all it's interesting people.

This is probably a long enough blog for today. I'll have more soon.

Thanks for reading.

Hailey Rose