Tag: road

Spit

What is the definition of spit?

  1. A slender pointed rod for holding meat over a fire.
  2. To eject from the mouth
  3. To rain or snow slightly
  4. A small point of land usually of sand or gravel running into the water

Now can you figure out which one I mean by this title?

Read on to see if you are right.

David had to go to the Kenai Peninsula to work and I went with him, so I could visit my friend Stella. Stella and I decided to take a day trip to Homer.

We got up that morning and headed out for our 80 mile trip to Homer with a few stops for photo ops on the way down.

We stopped on top of the hill leading into Homer to take some nice scenic photos.

I also got some nice flower photos there.

We then drove on into Homer and out on the Spit. The forces of nature that built the Homer Spit might have washed it away years ago, if humans had not intervened. Winter storms roaring out of the northwest try to separate the 4.5-mile strip of sand and gravel from the mainland almost every year, but rock walls and perseverance keep it intact.

https://www.homeralaska.org/the-homer-spit.html

Once again I got some nice photos from the Spit.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homer_Spit

While on the Spit you can’t leave without taking a few shots of the marina. Guess who happened to be in the marina, Time Bandit. If you are fans of the Deadliest Catch you will know what I am talking about. I myself have never watched the show. I guess because I live here.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FV_Time_Bandit

After leaving the Spit we stopped at Grace Ridge Brewing. It is not as well known as Homer Brewery but I think they have great beers. Check it out if you are in Homer sometime.

Home
https://www.graceridgebrewing.com

We decided to head home but not before we had some lunch. We had seen a place on our way in we wanted to try, The Lighthouse Grill.

The food was excellent and very reasonable priced. I would highly recommend this place and plan to take David there soon.

https://www.facebook.com/lighthousegrill96

Now that our bellies are full we can make our trip home with a few photo ops on the way.

We decided to drive down a road we had not been down before that went to the beach. Look what we found there.

Bald Eagles eating on a dead halibut.

Just a couple more photos of the view.

Stella and I had a wonderful day in Homer. It is such a cool, little town. I highly recommend visiting when you come to Alaska.

The question now is have you figured out which definition was the one I was referring to?

I hope you enjoyed our day trip.

Thanks for stopping by!

Advertisements

Last Leg

Well this is our last leg of the trip. We will be home today. It is only 426 miles to home. It should take us around 9 hours or less since I am driving.

Our last stop in Canada was in Beaver Creek. This is what the local visitor center has to say about it.

The historic community of Beaver Creek is a small border town on the Alaska Highway, the most westerly community in Canada, and Yukon’s gateway to Alaska.  Beaver Creek is nestled in Yukon’s breathtaking, spruce-filled wilderness.  The population of just over 100 is community-minded and friendly; people who value their quiet lifestyle, pristine landscape and surrounding wilderness. 

Continue reading “Last Leg”

Hitting it Hard!

We are getting closer to home and are now just wanting to get there. We want to try to make it to Beaver Creek, the last town before the border, today.

We left Dease Lake around 8:30 and you won’t believe what we saw to start our day off with a little wildlife.

Continue reading “Hitting it Hard!”

Beaches, Lighthouses, Rocks and Food!

We left our hotel in Brookings, Oregon at 8:20 and headed to Harris Beach.

Harris Beach was named after the Scottish pioneer George Harris who settled here in the late 1880s to raise sheep and cattle. The park boasts the largest island off the Oregon coast. Bird Island (also called Goat Island) is a National Wildlife Sanctuary and breeding site for such rare birds as the tufted puffin.

Find out more about it here:

http://www.best-beaches.com/us/oregon/oregon-beaches/harris-beach

To see my photos follow the link below.

Continue reading “Beaches, Lighthouses, Rocks and Food!”

Pacific Coast Highway

We left our hotel at 7:48. The day started out great until my bank called. They told me that someone had tried to cash a suspicious check. The check was a very old one I had that was my old address and old name. They had to open us a new checking account. At least, the debit cards were still working. Thank goodness for my bank.

It seems my youngest son let someone stay in our home while we were gone. He was supposed to take care of the house and my dog Alice. I filed a police report but I know nothing will ever come of it. I finally got hold of my son who told me Alice was with him and that he thought he knew who did it. I was not sure what else was stolen until I got home. I believe my son is back on drugs. He wasn’t even at the house while we were gone.

Continue reading “Pacific Coast Highway”

Highway 33 to the Pacific Coast Highway

We left our hotel at 8 but we had to gas up first. The gas is definitely more expensive in California than any where else we have been including Alaska. We also found out that it is cheaper if you pay cash, with a card it was $4.29

Continue reading “Highway 33 to the Pacific Coast Highway”

Gila Cliff Dwellings

We got up the next morning thinking it won’t take long to run up to the cliff dwellings. It was only 38 miles. People were telling us it would take us 2 hours to get there. We are thinking it can’t be any worse than some of our roads. Even my girlfriend, google maps, said it would take us 2 hours. We just thought yea right and took off.

Well people were right. We left Silver City at 8:30am and arrived at the dwelling at 10:15. Yes it was a very windy road but well worth the trip. We saw some deer along the way and crossed the Continental Divide twice today. Once we were 7080 feet and the other one was at 6375 feet both of which were posted so you know when you cross. We also had our ole hippies with us.

It wasn’t too bad of a walk up to the dwellings. I was a little slow because at spots if was a little steep. I wasn’t the only one taking it slow.

This is what Wikipedia has to say about the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument.

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument is a U.S. National Monument created to protect Mogollon cliff dwellings in the Gila Wilderness on the headwaters of the Gila River in southwest New Mexico. The 533-acre (2.16 km2) national monument was established by President Theodore Roosevelt through executive proclamation on November 16, 1907.[3] It is located in the extreme southern portion of Catron County. Visitors can access the Monument by traveling northbound from Silver City, New Mexico approximately 37 miles on NM 15.

Considered by archaeologists to be on the northernmost portion of the Mogollon People’s sphere of influence, the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument is home to two prominent ruins sites among a collection of smaller sites located within the Gila Wilderness inside the Gila National Forest. The Monument landscape ranges in elevation from around 5,700 to 7,300 feet above sea level and follows the branches of the Gila River. The terrain around the ruins is rugged and arid, and contains steep-sided canyons cut by shallow spring rivers and mesas and bluffs forested with Ponderosa pine, Gambel’s oak, Douglas fir, New Mexico juniper, pinon pine, and alligator juniper (among others). The area geologic history stems from the Oligocene epoch and volcanic activity that subsequently covered the area with ash. The Monument’s hot springs are remnants of this volcanic history.

The Monument consists of 553 acres (2.24 km2) and contains the remains of a Mimbres Culture community in various locations, two of which are most prominent. The namesake ruins’ developers made use of natural caves to build interlinked dwellings within five cliff alcoves above Cliff Dweller Canyon.[4] The TJ Ruins[5] are located on a bluff overlooking the Gila River.[6] The Mogollon Peoples are believed to have inhabited the region from between 1275 and into the early 14th century, during the Pueblo III Era.

Archaeologists have identified 46 rooms in the five caves on Cliff Dweller Canyon, and believed they were occupied by 10 to 15 families. The “Heart-Bar Site” or the TJ Ruins (named for the former ranch which the mesa takes its name from) located on TJ Mesa are largely un-excavated.[7] It is not known why the community was abandoned.

Hopi oral tradition refers to migrations occurred based cycles calendars, and in response to changing environmental conditions. Other ruins include Javalina House, about 1/3 mile above the main ruin, West Fork Ruin, currently under Highway 15 across from Woody Corral, Three Mile Ruin along the west fork of the Gila River, and middle fork of the Gila River at the 11 room Cosgrove Ruin. Dendrochronology (tree ring dating) determined that the wood used in the dwellings were cut between 1276 and 1287. The region provided for growing, gathering and hunting food.

To visit the namesake dwellings, requires visitors to hike a well-traveled mile (1.6 km) long trail loop with several foot bridges over a stream. The entire walk takes about an hour. The hike begins at an elevation of 5695 Feet (1736 Meters) and ends at 5875 Feet (1790 Meters).

If you are ever in area this is well worth the side trip.

Hope you enjoyed my visit to Gila Cliff Dwellings.

We are off to Tombstone next.

Thanks for stopping by!