SELDOVIA

July 2 ~ Monday ~clouds with patch sun and no wind.
A perfect day for a cruise to Seldovia from Homer! We leave Schnabl's and Ninilchik a little after 8am for the drive south to Homer 40 miles away. The dark blue lupine and the lavender geraniums along the road and in the meadows are very brilliant in the sunlight...pictures just don't do them justice, but I gave it a try. We have time before the boat leaves so I 'do the Spit'***that would be browsing the little shops on the Homer Spit... I even find a free internet place if you are a customer...so I HAD to get a scone and breakfast sandwich for us...I HAD TO! We checked in at Central Charters...only had to pay $52 with tax for both of us due to the coupon we had in our 2fer booklet. Our boat, the Discovery, is 75 feet long with an upper open deck and a lower open and closed deck, comfortable seating over 60 people, some tourists, some residents of Seldovia.
Left the harbor, after walking down the dock at about a 45 degree angle due to very low tide, at 11 am with an informed and interesting captain, made a loop around Gull Island (I'd hate to be THAT housekeeper!), thru Elridge Passage, past Elephant Rock (looks just like an elephant with huge ears and trunk) and into Seldovia Bay, passing rafts of sea otters that sometimes look like just bobbing heads, but are really cute and fun to watch. Docked about 1pm amid a school of jellyfish and wandered the stretts of Seldovia, stopping to eat at The Tide Pool...very good food (spicy seafood chowder)...very good view (harbor and mountains)...very hungry raven (kept eating the french fries) and taking pictures of...the Russian Orthodox church... the harbor...the old boardwalk and just watching people, boats and planes going about their business. Boarded at 4pm..."today, tomorrow, the next day...everyday...at 4pm" according to the captain...and high-tailed it back to Homer in 1 hour and 10 min. A very relaxing day...
Back in Ninilchik...no bear...