Post 7-23-2014 Homer, Pratt Museum and Mermaid Cafe

Post 7-23-2014 Homer,  Pratt Museum and Mermaid Café

After a full night’s sleep (10 hours) we had coffee and bagel as well as my daily banana. We decided to start our day with a visit to the Pratt Museum. Took Boomer along since he just loves being with us even though he may have to wait in the truck. He’s used to it.

The museum was about what I expected. It was more of a heritage center than a museum and it was a “hands on” place for the children. That’s great for them and I fully support parents taking their children to these type places so they can learn about their heritage and their environment. However, it is a bit rough on us “old folks” with all the screaming and yelling, it sounded like a playground. BUT, we got through it. Had to remember the wonderful times I had with my grandchildren. They were always excited to go with Grampa.

There were plenty of marine exhibits and the Athabascan Indian heritage and habitats. Can’t remember the particular tribe of Indians as there are so many of them and each tribe has many different dialects. We really did enjoy the marine exhibits and there was a live camera feed from Gull Island, 8 miles away, that was showing us what the bird life was doing there. Interesting. Nita was able to finger point (touch screen) and move the camera around. One bird was trying to build a nest even though it was a species that doesn’t normally build one. They just lay their ovate shaped eggs on a rock. The ovate shape is larger on one end than the other and that helps it remain on the rock. It rolls in a circle when it moves.  Isn’t Mother Nature wonderful?

The Founders

Early Miners Cart

Spiny Urchin--ouch!

Sea Otters

Rain Jacket made from Seal Stomach

Indian Artist Creation

Puffin can actually fly nderwater

made from glacier silt

Krill-Bayleen Whale

Who are you?

Athabascan Created Quilt Top

Lynx

Another Athabascan Creation

In front of the bus

                                     

Season dial 

Elk Skin Boots

Time for lunch, so we headed to the Mermaid Café for a taste of their “Cajun” Sausage. OH, WOW, did we hit pay dirt. The owners, Jeff and Kelly Lockwood are a rather young couple who aspire to serve mostly gourmet foods with a Creole twist and specialize in Cajun sausages along with other simply delicious Charcuteries’.  Jeff is from Lafayette, Louisiana and Kelly is from Maine. They have been in Homer for several years in the fishing industry and this is their first year in the cafe business and things look good for them. Just keep serving those delicious and mouth watering Cajun Sausages and the "out of this world" salmon. Can't wait to come back one day and get more of it. Homer is a beautiful city. I like it here and transfer to the rotary club and the Masons

The furnishing is quaint in that it has a backwoods table and chairs décor and the café appears to have been built as part of the original home. The exterior of the building is a bit rustic. The café shares the building with a book store.  We had “Charcuterie” which consisted of sugar cured salmon served with farmers cheese, mustard, mostarda (candied nuts with mustard flavor), pickles and crackers. Our second choice was “Sausage Flight” which consisted of four flavors of fresh pork sausage: chaurice, garlic, juniper and fennel-orange served with Dijon and Creole mustard. Talk about mouthwatering, we thought we were in New Orleans. It was utterly delicious.

 Our waitress, Erin, was from New York and simply loves it here in Homer. She’s excited to be the café’s first waitress and really enjoys meeting new people and making new friends. She wanted us to meet the owners, which we did, and she was at our table every chance she had. What wonderful service and friendly “folks”.  We wish Jeff and Kelly all the success in the world and for you Erin, we wish you the same. With your demeanor you’ll make it. Just don't ever give up.

Quaint old bldg

My Honey-Love Ya!

Kelley and Jeff Lockwood 

Our Waitress -Erin

Samon--umm delicious 

Cajun Sausage--damn, we ate it.

I'm drinking beer again.

Post 7-22-2014 Homer, Maura's and Johnny B's Show

Post 7-22-2014 Homer, Maura’s and Johnny B’s Show

Another beautiful day except for the wind and being just a bit chilly. Mountains and glaciers in plain view and very low humidity, if any. We think of “all y’all” who have 90 degrees temps with matching humidity and feel thankful we aren’t in it with you. It’s just gorgeous here.Homer was named for Homer Pennock, a gold miner who established the first developmemt on the Homwe Spit in 1896.Today's population is 5,400 residents. It is one of the few placws, if not the only place where several glaciers and active volcanoes can be viewed at the same time

We spent the late morning (noon for some of us) wandering through the Islands & Oceans Visitor Center where we learned more about the efforts of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, to preserve the precious environments for our dwindling wildlife, especially the marine and avian (birds) habitats. The Refuge, along with hundreds of other centers throughout the USA, is trying to restore the habitats of the marine animals and bird wild life that are vanishing. The amount of ongoing research underway is just amazing. We watched an award winning movie, “Journey of The Tiglax”, the Refuge’s research and service vessel. The Tiglax, (Native Alaskan meaning “Eagle”) transports scientists and researchers and support people to islands in the Aleutians for periods of time, up to three months, to research the habitat and wild life and look for ways to improve them. They study the migratory destinations and research their food chain.  The ship also conducts research on the food chain, i.e. plankton, shrimp, feed fish, halibut, salmon, etc.

We stopped at Mermaids Café for lunch because they advertised Cajun Sausage but, alas, they weren’t open so we found an artistic place called Maura‘s on Barrett St in “Old Town “. Thankfully it is off the “spit and away from the main crowd of most tourists”. We always look for this type place because they are always more friendly and take time to talk with you. We’ve been so fortunate to find these type places and this one was no different. 

The building was built in 1937 with Douglas Fir and Cedar. It served as a merchandise store, hardware store and boarding house. Part of the building is now Bunnell Street Arts Center and the upstairs is a Bed & Breakfast.  One would think that the café is what used to be the  kitchen and dining room (small, huh?). Nice and cozy interior with greenery and soft music with tables on the porch also. The small green building off to the left is also part of the cafe.  There was a French-like atmosphere throughout and the decor

We had a delicious BBQ Sandwich and a bowl of Tomato Basil Bisque Soup with coffee for lunch. Nita and I both really loved the soup as well as the BBQ. I hope we can remember the recipe for our use. 

Katie, our waitress was a tall and very attractive, dark haired, writer, song writer and poet, who shared part of her life story with us. She’s from Colorado and first visited Alaska with her grandmother at about age 12 and apparently fell in love with the place. She returned and worked at the Anchorage Newspaper for several years and relocated to Homer because of the artsy place that Homer is known to be. She is a wonderful person who appears to be full of life and has a good head on her shoulders. Thank you Katie for sharing with us and becoming another friend. We wish you all the success you are seeking. Read our blog and if ever in the same area as we, please contact us.

                                        
                                                 Katie--our wonderful waitress

Delicious Tomato Bisque soup

Next, we stepped next door to the Arts Center to gaze in awe at some of the paintings and crafts on display. I thought we were in a museum for a minute. Of course, everything on display was for sale and there were many that were very tempting, but, alas, no where to put them. The wonderful artist minding the shop readily explained the history of several of her paintings, and about a ceramic like basket made by a young man in his twenties who gained a scholarship for his abilities. Thank you Asia for your friendliness and for sharing your knowledge with us. 

Asia Freemam 

 Freeman

Painting by Asia

Artist Bowl

A painting by Asia Freeman

Just off the road was an aerie (eagle’s nest) with a young eaglet sitting in the nest. We pulled off and took several pictures of it with the zoon lens that came out pretty good. Hope the picture comes out OK for you. 

We also had the opportunity to catch “Johnny B‘s” Show at the Pier One Theatre on the Homer Spit titled “Rhythm of the North“. What a great show. If you ever come to Alaska, you must come to Homer and catch his show. It is a fun, hilarious and moving one-man show featuring stories, award winning Alaskan wildlife videos and photography by Daniel Zatz, and some of the best boogie woogie piano you’ve ever heard. 

Pier One Theatre

Johnny B

Johnny musically takes you through his career using videos. He was a Pied Piper in a van that when the back opened up, there was a piano.  He played at schools and local events wanting to express his love of music to the children. He has a masters degree in music and was a school teacher before becoming a performing and traveling musician. He settled in Alaska about 30 years ago and makes Homer his home. His love of Homer was evident throughout the program. He referred to his many, many wonderful “friends” as “community”. Johnny, thank you for a wonderful evening of entertainment. We especially enjoyed “Letting Go”. It was heartwarming. Maybe we can meet up again some day.

A motor home on the spit

Table with rock playing pieces.

Fishing for Salmon