Another rainy morning and another delicious sleep in. Our time at the yurts has come to an end, however, so a quick clean up and we are down at the dock ready for Dennis to take us back to Seward. It’s a half hour trip back up Resurrection Bay and once again, the what must be stunning when it’s fine, mountain scenery is obscured by cloud. No worries though, as Dennis is good at spotting creatures and quickly points out an otter swimming nearby. I grab my camera and clamber out onto the bow of the little boat…so cute…but totally the wrong lens, I can’t get in close at all…black dot with cloudy, snow covered mountains, then it dives…gone. One of the other guests has a terrific shot and I feel a little jealous, then guilty for feeling jealous. Another otter, says Dennis, this time I dig through all my clothing for the zoom lens and in a flash, I’m out front again. Bingo! So cute, the otter almost seems like he’s posing for me, lifting his tail out and clapping his little paws/fins? Awesome, happy Lisa.

Before we leave Seward we call into the Alaskan Sealife Center, a place for rehabilitating animals. There are some permanent residents as well and we enjoy the chance to get close up to puffins, salmon, anemones and a very large octopus. It’s a great place for kids with lots of interactive activities and underwater viewing tanks. The guides are numerous, friendly and knowledgeable. It’s worth an hour or two.

The drive from Seward to Homer takes a couple of hours and passes initially through pretty, mountainous countryside, then gives way to low hills with fast flowing, icy blue rivers. We quickly come to the town of Cooper Landing and it’s evident that the number one thing to do here is fishing. Pickups fill every car space by the road, coolers in the trunk, gear piled up. The rustic looking shops advertise bait, lures and ammo. There are many campgrounds, most filled with RVs. On one section of the river, I couldn’t actually count the number of fishermen that were lined up – hundreds. Poor fish wouldn’t have a chance. There are strict limits, however, and you do require a permit.

About half way to Homer, we pass signs warning of moose crossings, 144 moose have been hit already this year in this area. I haven’t actually seen a moose yet and am starting to doubt their existence, when, off to my right, I spy a very large horse with two other smaller creatures. I think that might be a moose I tell Gordon. He is doubtful but obligingly turns the car around. Yep, it’s a moose…we get onto a small, gravel road that leads us nearer. Oh, great luck…those creatures are baby moose. Pretty, fawn coloured calves about the size of a large dog. Mum is protective, I take pictures of her but she shields her babies, putting herself between us and them. We watch for a while, then resume our journey south.

Homer is a scenic town, on the southern tip of the Kenai Penisula. It’s renowned for its spit that goes out over 4 miles into the bay. The Spit is home to a collection of restaurants, shops, RV parks, the boat harbour, a fishing lagoon and a boat graveyard. Its beaches are backed by the snow capped mountains on the opposite shore. We briefly visit the Spit (and return another day) to check in for our sea plane flight. This requires a weigh in we are both nervous about and includes a briefing. All is quick and painless and we head off to Fat Olives for a gourmet, wood fired pizza dinner and some local beer now we have calories to spare.