Day 1 - Seldovia Trip

This morning we headed down to Homer on our way to Seldovia where my parents own a cabin. It is about a 5 hour drive. This is Clark and Grandma at the Turnagain Pass rest area where we stopped for a break.



Shortly after arriving in Homer we found our way to the cabin at the Highliner House that we had rented for the night. We wanted to stay in Homer so we could do a few things there first before heading across Kachemak Bay to Seldovia.



Our main highlight of the day was the Creatures of the Dock tour put on by the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies at the Homer Dock. To begin the tour you have to find the "yurt on the Homer Spit." That is when you know you are in a small town - your address is "the yurt on the Homer Spit."



This tour turned out to be a great hit. I've been to Alaskan boat harbors all my life but I had no idea there was so much living on the bottom side of the dock. I knew it was going to be interesting when the guide gave us all a plastic mat so that when we laid down on the dock we wouldn't get too dirty. It didn't take long for us to see how they worked. Here is Lauren and Emily using their mats:



I love this photo! That is (left to right) Jeff, Clark and Grandma laying down on the Homer dock:



Katie wasn't about to be left out:



The first thing the guide pulled out from under the dock was this sea star (NOT starfish! sea stars are not fish!).

My kids were freaking out about holding it. How on earth did I raise such city kids!? Check out these priceless expressions:

Next we pulled out a sea urchin. Again, check out the priceless expressions on Kate's and Emily's faces:





And for the very best expression, check out this photo below. I suggest enlarging it by clicking on it. The guide was showing us a Christmas Sea Anemone. When you'd put your hand on it's tentacles they would stick to you - it was awesome. Emily was not interested:



But our persistence finally paid off. Emily eventually held another sea star:



And even found her very own tiny one:



It was really a great tour and the kids had a blast finding little crabs, sea stars, sea anemones, jelly fish, and lots of other "critters."

We rounded out our evening by seeing some of the unique little shops along the Homer Spit and even found a little fudge shop where we got some dessert.



Tomorrow we will fly to Seldovia.