Jodie Cravens
Professor Dan Pund
English 101/Def. & Ex. 751 words
October 7, 2015
The Cosmic Hamlet by the Sea
The word unique is of French origination from the Latin unicus or un meaning one. From it's early introduction into the English language in the 17th century it has been used to describe something that has no equal or the only one of it's kind, but the definition broadened in the 19th century to include that of something unusual or special. Those adjectives accurately describe the city of Homer, Alaska, warmly referred to as, "A quaint drinking village with a fishing problem". Aside from the drinking and fishing, it's location, beauty and wildlife are examples of what a unique place it is.
Homer is located on the shore of the Kachemak Bay as far south on the Alaska Highway as you can go, giving the town another of it's nicknames "The End of the Road". It's distinctive landmark is the Homer spit, a 4.5 mile gravel bar that is the longest road into the ocean in the world, unique in it's traditional, absolute definition as being the only one of it's kind. The spit is a hub of activity in the summer tourist season but come September completely shut's down like an abandoned ghost town. Only one business, The Land's End Hotel and it's restaurant, The Chart Room stay open, catering to the locals dining out and other Alaskans looking to get away for a quiet weekend.
It's hard to describe the thrill of driving into Homer for the first time and seeing the full view of Kachemak Bay and it's deep blue water surrounded by the stunning Kenai mountains and steep, icy glaciers. On a clear day, three giant volcanoes can be seen on the far side of Cook Inlet. Although usually sleeping peacefully, Augustine, Iliamna and Redoubt remain active and are capable of putting on quite a show. The spit itself has justifiably been named one of the top 100 beaches in the United States. The views are incredible and the stunning sunsets in late summer are a perfect backdrop to the tent strewn sands. Although the spit is the biggest attraction, Homer's allure doesn't stop there. You need to drive farther east to see the lush vegetation Homer has to offer. The undeveloped lands with tall birch trees, grassy meadows and brightly colored wildflowers growing in the summer are just as spectacular as the views of the bay. Winter in town is something tourists don't usually experience but my favorite time of year. The trees are bare and regal. The crisp air sparkles with reflected light from the pristine white snowy ground. Any time of year, Homer's magical beauty is truly extraordinary.
Like the rest of Alaska, there is an abundance of wildlife in Homer, but it's unique location offers a wide variety of species. The Kachemak Bay is home to 125 species of fish and many marine mammals. Sea otters, Orcas, Minke and Humpback whales, Harbor seals, Steller sea lions and porpoises thrive in the bay. The city is a birder's paradise; the bald eagles and sandhill cranes are spectacular and thousands of migratory seabirds warrant the annual Shorebird Festival in the spring. Majestic moose share the town with it's resident's frequently walking down Main Street with their calves or munching on a leafy bush in someones front yard. Fierce black and brown bear live nearby but are thankfully more reclusive than their moose neighbors and rabbits and porcupines are common visitors to nearby farms.
I've given you these few examples of the definition of unique by describing the city of Homer, Alaska or what is known to many as "The Cosmic Hamlet by the Sea", but there are so many qualities that make this place incredible. Some are truly one of a kind and others are just magical and rare, but all define a very special place that is unlike anywhere else. I lived there for two years, continuously longer than anywhere else as an adult and I think of it often. As said by Paul Gruchow, "When the uniqueness of a place sings to us like a melody, then we will know, at last, what it means to be home" or in this case Homer.