“We wish there were an Alaska DO!”- the 2018 Alaska Mini-DO: Homer, AK July 4-7, 2018
 

After the announcement of the postponement of the certain to be amazing Cordova/Valdez DO until 2019, the local Alaska contingent began to receive a flood of inquiries – FTers were threatening to visit our great state with or without a DO - there was even enough chatter on FT that an AK DO speculation thread was started! Soon, talk of excursions and BBQ’s at casa Bob W ensued, and ultimately the decision was made that if some were going somewhere, everyone else ought to be going there too.

With the assistance and co-sponsorship of Bob W and GrjApp, I am pleased to announce the “We wish there were an Alaska DO” - the 2018 Alaska Mini-DO.

Who? you
When? July 4-7, 2018
Where? Homer and Anchorage, Alaska
Why? If you’re asking, you’re probably in the wrong place

Before we go too much further, we should clarify that this DO may stray a bit from the patterns of some of the recent Alaska DO’s. Specifically, we’re sticking to the road system this year, and there will be no officially DO-sponsored flat tires on the itinerary. Sorry to disappoint – I realize, many of you fantasize about repeating the experience of putting 24 people in a 15 passenger van in bush Alaska. In fact, flat tires aside, there will be a limited formal itinerary of any kind – rather, individuals will be encouraged to pursue the many activities Homer has to offer, and join with other DO participants in activities of common interest. Please share your ideas and coordinate within the thread.

Transportation:
Homer is an incredibly scenic 4.5 hour drive from Anchorage. Participants are encouraged to rent cars and carpool – ride sharing can be facilitated in the wiki. Alternatively, RAVN Alaska (earning and redeeming AS miles possible) flies non stop from Anchorage multiple times per day (that said, the activities in Homer and the surrounding areas will likely require transportation, so access to a rental car is likely to be necessary).

Lodging:
There will be no hotel central; Homer has a wide variety of B&B’s and vacation rentals, as well as a limited number of hotels. Camping options are also plentiful. As with transportation, participants are encouraged to coordinate in the thread, and share any deals they come across, or suggestions they may have.

Schedule:
July 4-6: Homer. We anticipate scheduling a day trip to one of the communities across the beautiful Kachemak Bay (stay tuned, likely July 5)
July 7: BBQ in Anchorage at Casa Bob W (details TBA)

So, save the date and stay tuned for further developments. We hope you’ll be able to join us for another adventure in AK!

Schedule

This schedule is in the works - continue to watch for updates as plans become more firm.

• Wednesday, July 4
  • 6:00 Pre-dinner brews at Grace Ridge Brewing Company
  • 7:30 Group dinner at Cafe Cups. Currently at capacity - contact ANC RED-EYE to cancel your RSVP or to be put on the waiting list.
• Thursday, July 5
  • 10:30 - 5:30 Rainbow Tours Seldovia Wildlife Tour Group discount of $10 off per person has been arranged - PM sent with group discount booking instructions - please contact me via PM if you need this information.
• Friday, July 6
  • Explore Homer as you see fit!
  • 0730 - 1600: A couple of us are planning to do the Full Day Naturalist Guided Natural History Tour at Peterson Bay Field Station with the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies. Any and all are welcome to join. This is available at 2 for 1 pricing in the Alaska Tour Saver. Heads up that it does have some redundancy with the Seldovia tour in that some time observing birds and marine mammals at Gull island is also part of that tour.
• Saturday, July 7
  • BBQ Finale - Casa Bob W, Anchorage.
    • noon - Sous chefs welcome
    • 4 p.m. - all welcome
    • 6:30 p.m. - dinner is served
    • late - closing time

Attendance

Homer only

1. jazon256*
2. jazon256 +1*

Homer + BBQ

1. ANC RED-EYE*
2. GrjApp*
3. Bob W*
4. Long Train Runnin*
5. rxgeek*
6. rxgeek +1*
7. cocobird*
8. violist*
9. lili*
10. krazykanuck*
11. Zorak*
12. AKDan*
13. AKDan +1*

*confirmed for the Welcome Dinner, Cafe Cups - Wed, 7/4 7:30 p.m. (currently at capacity - contact ANC RED-EYE via PM to change your RSVP or be added to the waiting list)

BBQ Only

1. monitor
2. monitor +1
3. bdnyc
4. bdnyc +1
5. bdnyc +2
6. nomadic.relief
7. kirkwoodj
8. AKronin
9. beckoa**
10. beckoa +1
11. beckoa +2
12. violist +1
13. RoamingGeek

**beckoa's real status for all FT gatherings: - Copper - I won't know until the last minute as work may get in the way or I may have to fly to NRT, or KOA, or OMA or somewhere else for one reason or another or I just can't make up my mind. (credit to Oz Fest - couldn't have said it better myself!)

Catch you next time:

1. GRALISTAIR
2. jackal
3. Ceres
4. FortFun
5. Governator
6. CDKing
7. bk3day
8. PV_Premier (?)

Activities to consider (Homer and en route)

Following is a list of recommended activities for participants to consider. This list will be updated as additional recommendations come from the thread. I've tried to include links and insider information where applicable.

En route between Anchorage and Homer:

• 26 glacier cruise
  • a great option to get out on the water and see numerous glaciers. This tour is based in Whittier, a quick detour off the route to Homer. I can provide a referral which will get you Alaska resident pricing - PM me for details.
• multiple scenic view points along the Turnagain Arm (one of Alaska's most scenic drives)

Homer Sights and attractions:

• Islands & Ocean Visitor Center (1 hour)
• Pratt museum (1-2 hours)
• Homer Spit shops/cafes (1-2 hours): don't miss a stop at the Salty Dog Saloon (and consider purchasing one of Alaska's most common hoodies!)
• Bishop's beach (1-2 hours)
• Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies tours
  • We will likely organize the "creatures of the dock tour" as part of the program - stay tuned

Half day/day trips/excursions/adventures from Homer:

• Bear viewing flight to Katmai
  • I personally have gone with Alaska Bear Adventures and would recommend them
• Halibut fishing: Homer is known as the Halibut fishing capital of the world!
  • Central Charters and Rainbow Tours are well known options, though I have never used either company so cannot recommend for or against.
• Halibut cove Excursion: Danny J ferry and the Saltry restaurant for lunch or dinner
• Rainbow Tours Seldovia Wildlife Tour and exploring the historic town of Seldovia
  • We have organized a group rate for this tour on Thursday 7/5. Please contact ANC RED-EYE via PM for details on group rate bookings.

Breweries (and a winery??)

• Homer Brewing Company
• Grace Ridge Brewing Company
• Bear Creek Winery

Restaurants:

• Fat Olives
• Two Sisters Cafe and Bakery (lunch)
• Cafe Cups
• Wasabi
• Captain Patties Fish House - home of the best fish and chips I've ever had!

Transportation options to/from Homer:

1. Recommended: rent cars in Anchorage and carpool for the 4.5 hour drive (coordinate in the wiki). Check out Autoslash for the best rates. Consider off airport locations (which can be cheaper). The drive south from Anchorage along the Turnagain Arm is one of Alaska's most spectacular drives, and is an attraction by its own merits!
2. For those with limited time, or those wanting to earn or redeem AS miles: fly from Anchorage. RAVN Alaska has multiple daily flights for ~$100 or 7,500 miles each way. Note that RAVN flights can be combined with AS flights (but not other partners) at regular domestic award pricing *including 1 free stopover in each direction* (i.e. ANC for the BBQ).
3. Insider tip from Bob W - the fly/drive hybrid: " Another option to get to Homer is to fly into Kenai and rent a car there. You cut about 2.5 hours off of the drive each way. The drive from Anchorage is spectacular, so I would definitely prefer that if travel time is not an issue. If you fly to Kenai, take Grant Aviation. They fly mostly a variety of 9 passenger planes and at a much lower altitude than RAVN. On a clear day the views simply cannot be beat. I do day trips to the Peninsula and fly Grant just because of the spectacular views."
   • Worth noting that RAVN Alaska (same Earning/redeeming AS miles as above, as well as AS codeshares on through tickets) is also an option, but this would lose the option to essentially double as a flight-seeing tour that Bob W points out above.
4. I don't know of any bus service, but these guys seem to provide a shuttle service. Based on the crummy website, I'm pretty sure we can't recommend this, but we'll include it for the sake of completion. Wondering how much it costs? So am I. As far as I can tell, the first 50-100 pounds are $58. Over 100 lbs? That'll be an "additional 30 cents per pound." Heads up that "Large items will incur 20% bulk fee." I don't like the idea of a 20% "bulk fee" appearing on future passenger tickets... Finally, they "are not responsible for damages due to improper packing." OK, we'll stop there ;)

Car Rentals in Homer:
Should you decide to fly to Homer and rent a car locally, Autoslash likely can't help you, but prices may well be competitive with Anchorage:

• http://adventurealaskacars.com/
• https://www.pioneercarrentals.com/reservations/ (Senior, Corporate, and AAA discounts honored)
• I find conflicting evidence of a Hertz Local Edition - I am going to guess it no longer exists. If anyone confirms otherwise, please post in the thread and I will update here
  • Homer Airport HLE
  • Phone: 907-235-0734
  • Station Code HOMT01

BBQ Info

We're going to do things a bit differently with the BBQ this year. Namely, we're going potluck!

Grilled meat (tri-tip and chicken) will be provided and prepared. Water will be available for drinking (oh, and wine...but we'll get to that in a second). Basic dinnerware and serving utensils will also be provided. Each attendee will need to bring a dish to pass (4-5 servings); signups available in the wiki in specific categories to ensure that we end up with a varied menu. Categories include:

• Apps and snacks (suggestions: chips and dip, hummus, meat/cheese tray, veggie tray, etc)
• Veggie side (suggestions: green salad, grilled vegetables, etc)
• Starch side (suggestions: bread, potato salad, pasta salad, baked beans, etc)
• Dessert

For those participating in wine sharing Despite Alaska following the Pacific Northwest tradition of being a primarily beer state, this BBQ has traditionally been a wine event! Bob W's Wall O' Wine™ (WOW) will be freely flowing; it is suggested that you choose the "BBQ + Wall o' Wine" option in the RSVP, which includes a donation to the WOW to ensure it doesn't run dry ;) Alternatively if you have a special bottle you'd like to share, choose "BYOB" - suggested $25 per bottle.

For non-wine drinkers Water will be provided. Feel free to BYOB for other soft drinks, beer, or any other desires.

A couple of housekeeping details:

• Date: July 7, 2018
• Time
  • Sous chefs - starting noon
  • others - starting 4 p.m.
  • dinner - 6:30 p.m.
  • closing time - late
• Location: Casa Bob W - If you need directions to Casa de Bob W please PM him for the address
• Costs/Payment
  • $35 per person BBQ + WOW contribution
  • $10 per person for BBQ + BYOB
  • Payments will be via PayPal/Chase Pay - info to be provided via PM
  • RSVP: please RSVP by Saturday June 23 in the wiki and sign up for your potluck items there.
• Prep: please be mindful of limited prep space with your contributions. If you would like to bring something that will require prep - please contact Bob W via PM to coordinate in advance, and please plan to arrive with the Sous chefs

I feel obligated to point out that we out did ourselves on the flat tire goal in Kodiak with not just one but two flat tires between the town of Kodiak, the trip to Pashagshak and then to the top of Pillar Mountain.:D

Hmmm, so I am pretty sure I can make the bbq at the very least, might even get 2 nights in ANC if I can get from work to in my seat onboard in 75 min ... what sort of rebooking policy does AS have if you misgauge things? :D

Just cry. Works every time.

Not sure if the most appropriate response is :mad: or :p

Going to do my best to make this. Very little sounds better than escaping the Texas summer for Alaska! Currently scouting some very :rolleyes: flight options. A double connection on DL, or 8 hours trapped on a UA narrowbody? :p

Put me down as interested as well!

;) Honestly, I would imagine they would be pretty forgiving, but hard to say for sure.

Hope you both can join us.

Wiki updated with all 3 of you in the "maybe" section!

Will try for BBQ at least.

I may be able to make this happen. Put me on the maybe list.