A Mountainous Journey: Day 2: Come Thirsty

The second day of the Come Thirsty Alaska Church Worker’s conference was focused on service, and leisure time to allow for site seeing and fishing. The pastors, deacons, Alaska Mission for Christ Missionaries, DCE’s, Concordia Portland’s Church relations representative Jim Pressnell and even President Paul Linnemann of the NW district dispersed into the community of Homer to do various service projects.

I went with a group to pick up trash along the highway (the only highway that leads to Homer). As I recall Paul Linneman, Jim Pressnell and some others went to build a shed for the Center for Alaska Costal Studies. Other projects included painting the nursery at Faith Lutheran Church in Homer and random acts of kindness like washing windshields in the local grocery store parking lot, and collecting food for the food pantry.

Pastor Gary, Pastor Joe, & Pastor Jon working on the foundation

Shed foundation for Coastal Studies: President Linnemann, Pastor Joe, and Pastor Jon

Snapped this photo of a moose along the road while I was picking up trash

After serving the afternoon was free time. Gretchen (the Homer DCE) took me up a scenic drive to overlook the Homer Spit which is the nation’s second largest spit, projecting 4.5 miles into Kachemak Bay. I also got to see the Time Bandit from the famous T.V series "The Deadliest Catch".

The Time Bandit in her home port of Homer

Gretchen and I with the Kachemak Bay in the background and the Homer Spit

4.5 mile Homer Spit with beautiful mountains surrounding

We also took a drive out on the Spit so I could do all the tourist things. I quickly saw why Homer is the Halibut capital of the world. Heavy undertones of fishing were everywhere I looked. Every shop, every boat, every local. Driving around I joked when we passed a trailer home with what I would guess to be close to 3/4 of a million dollar boat outside. Clearly the priorities of the natives is not in their home (or trailer home) but their boats and fishing equipment. Gretchen, who lives here said "yup, that's Homer for ya"

Buttwhackers!

Homer Marina

The Spit

I stopped by the ever famous Salty Dawg Saloon and got to walk up and down the cute little shops on the Homer Spit. For as much hype and souviouners that there is the Salty Dawg Saloon was rather small-literally. The ceilings were maybe 7 feet high on the inside. The Salty Dawg has a very historical importiance and history.

The Salty Dawg started out as one of the first cabins built in 1897, soon after Homer became a town site. It served as the first post office, a railroad station, a grocery store, and a coal mining office for twenty years. In 1909 a second building was constructed, and it served as a school house, post office, grocery store.

It was acquired in the late 1940′s by Chuck Abbott to be used as an office for Standard Oil Company. In April of 1957, he opened it as the Salty Dawg Saloon. The Alaska Territory became the 49th state of the union in January 1959. Earl Hillstrand, the late State Representative, purchased it in 1960.

After the March 1964 “Good Friday” earthquake, he moved the structure to its present location. The distinctive lighthouse tower was added to cover a water storage tank, thus completing one of Homer’s more historical and recognizable landmarks.

With all that said it serves a variety of Alcoholic beverages including many beers and several local Homer brewed beer including "Old Inlet Pale Ale". I'm not one for beer but I have now been to the most Northern and Southern (with road access) brewery and saloon's in Alaska.