To Halibut Cove

On Friday, we visited the magical Halibut Cove across the bay for an art gallery opening.

Halibut Cove is that tiny speckle of white dots hidden in the mountains to the right of the boat.

It's a real life ewok village for people! The entire town consists completely of small buildings on a boardwalk system in this hidden cove.
This is the art gallery, situated in this fantasy land with mountains in the backdrop.

The snacks were so ridiculous they have to be included. Here's elk-filled mushrooms.

Quiche with microgreens.

Focaccia with red wine sauteed onions and goat cheese.

Halibut and cilantro.

Strawberry and custard on a sweet cracker thing.

Coconut chocolate deliciousness

Another view of this ridiculous place.

Obligatory beautiful emo beach photo.

Each one of those white dots is the beginning of a mussel

There was also a beautiful horseranch in between the boardwalks.

No amount of photos can sufficiently display the beauty and magic of Halibut Cove.

In other news:

• Today is one week since Nicki touched a cigarette.
• It's been three and a half weeks since I shaved.
• After a week to mull over the finale of LOST I am still satisfied with how it ended.
• Aside from out two awesome human roommates, Ryan & Skippy, we share a roof with 2 dogs and 2 cats. After four days I am sold on getting a dog (eventually)

From Anchorage to Homer.

This moose was running down the road next to us! It was one of three we saw on the way.

That jut of land below is Homer, our new home.

Bald eagles are everywhere. This is one of five or six we saw as we arrived in Homer.

We're in Homer now at the place we'll be living. Everything is unbelievably beautiful. I walked to work this morning and nearly ran into many things because of the mountain view.

Other cool things:

• My first project at work includes an oral history of homesteading from the ancestors of Jewel, the famous Alaskan singer.
• I haven't had a cigarette since I left St. Louis.
• Griffin's beard looks fabulous.
• We're surrounded by three active volcanoes.
• We live with the two most amazing dogs and two cool ass cats. (Of course, the cats don't compare to George.)
• I just found out today that otters hang out right by the shore a mile away!
• No permits are required to carry and conceal guns.
  

From St. Louis to Anchorage.

The airline overbooked one of our flights, so we volunteered to take a later flight. In exchange we received free dinner at SEATAC, some travel vouchers, and bumped up to first class from Seattle to Anchorage. Here is the first class snack tray, which came with a bottomless glass of wine.

Our first view of Alaska. This is at midnight.

Warning sign on Coastal Trail

Anchorage


Reindeer Sausage

Glacier Brewhouse Sampler

Good Beers

Great Label

After the Glacier BrewHouse we headed to
Snow Goose Restaurant & Sleeping Lady Brewing Co.
We started with another sampler.

(taste testing done outside in the shadow of mountains)

All this beer made us hungry. I got a Caribou burger. It was denser than beef but not as chewy as bison and certainly worth eating again. Being covered in melted swiss and caramelized onions didn't hurt.

Nicki swears this Alaskan salmon from Anchorage may has ruined her from

eating salmon from the Midwest ever again.