Ok, we have our schedule about worked out...

We leave on Monday afternoon, taking a nonstop flight to Anchorage.  Jenny has upgrades that we hope will put us in the front of the plane.  We arrive in Anchorage about 7pm.  We will check into our hotel, 

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/ancum-springhill-suites-anchorage-university-lake/,

 very nice Marriott property (sorry Lex), then we're off to dinner.  Tonight we will be dining here:  

http://moosestooth.net/  

Jenny has been to that restaurant on previous business trips.

The hotel has a free breakfast.  Free is my favorite price. After enjoying our FREE breakfast, Jenny may have to make a quick appearance at the hospital in Anchorage, then we're off to Homer.  Homer is at least a 4.5 hour drive, and the scenery is supposed to be spectacular.  

For the next three nights we'll be staying at The Driftwood Inn.  Jenny has to work on Wed., Thurs., and Fri., so I will have to struggle along to find something to do on my own.  Somehow I don't think I'll be bored.  Home is famous for 'The Spit', a 5 mile strip of sand that extends out into the bay.  The strip is loaded with touristy things for people who visit on cruise ships.  It also is the home of 'The Fishing Hole'.

The fishing hole is a man made cove where salmon are released every year by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources.   They go out into the ocean for 5-7 years, get really big, then return to the cove to spawn.  Tide goes in, fish swim into the cove.  Tide goes out, and the poor guys are trapped.  During the King Salmon run, people stand shoulder to shoulder trying to catch these fish using lures or cured salmon eggs as bait.  When we are there, the Silver Salmon will be running, and I'm thinking that there will be a lot less fishing pressure.  These salmon are 9-14 pounds and very tasty.

On Friday, we have to move out of The Driftwood and begin paying for our own lodging.  Friday and Saturday nights we'll be at this unusual Inn

:  http://web.me.com/seasidealaska/SEASIDE_FARM_ACCOMMODATIONS/WELCOME_TO_SEASIDE_FARM.html

The lady who owns this place is Jewel's (the pop singer) aunt.  She's a bit of a celebrity in Homer.  Here she is singing a song that she wrote and performed decades ago:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GfpFV6snfc

I sense that she's an aging hippy, probably in her early 60's.  The accommodations seemed funky, and the room was cheap, so we decided to go for it.

On Sat. we plan on going Halibut fishing, if we can afford it.  This is a major expense, so we'll have to see how it goes.  Homer is known as the Halibut fishing capital of the world, and they pull in many over 300 pounds every year.  Homer is also known as a drinking town with a fishing problem.

More soon.