We left Denali just as the good weather also seemed to be leaving. Heading south on the Parks highway we stopped at a viewpoint from where you can see Denali on a clear day - it wasn't a clear day. Everyone heading north that was stopping for the view was disappointed, but we had already seen it in all its glory. The closer we got to Anchorage the more the traffic increased, we went from one lane to four! A quick stop at the visitors centre for more info on our next area of discovery. Grocery replenishment then find an RV Park in the city of Anchorage. The first was a yard on a busy highway, the second the office had already closed. The after hours instructions were find an empty space and pay in the morning, but you would not get the code to the washrooms or the internet until the morning. We moved on. The office at the third was also closed but there was a list of available spaces and a telephone link to obtain washroom door codes and wifi password - it was already 7pm, we stayed (just one night). From Anchorage we were heading south to the Kenai (Kee-nye) peninsula. The question was do we stop along the way then retrace back to Anchorage in one go (there is only one road in) or do we drive to the furthest point and work our way back with lots of stops. Our first stop going out would be Girdwood with good hiking but the forecast for the next 3 days was rain so we went for the long drive instead, hopefully the sun will be shining when we stop at Girdwood on the way back. The drive took longer than anticipated, first we battled strong winds along the 'Turnagain Arm' coastal road, we climbed through big mountains, some still with evidence of last winters snowfall. The scenery changed into a meandering river, the rain let up and the sun glistened on the turquoise water with the riverbanks heavily dotted with fishermen (and fisherwomen). Salmon season is here! Back on the coast still heading south with views across the Cook Inlet and a horizon of snowy mountains. Our destination was Homer where the road ends. Homer has a spit that reaches out across Kachemak bay. We headed down the spit in search for a spot on one of the campgrounds. The first had no services other than portaloo, the second (with services) was full, the third had no services at all not even a toilet and looked full, the last one at the end of the spit was rammed. They had one spot left, we took a look at it. Instead of having views across the water looking at mountains and glaciers the pitch was surrounded by Camper vans. The site was full of clampets, there wasn't room to swing a cat and the facilities looked crap and it was also expensive. We left retracing our steps back up the coast. On the outskirts of the town we found a lovely site by a cliff edge overlooking the bay, alas the toilet block had been demolished and was not yet replaced, we carried on North some more. A few more miles and we found a KAO site which also overlooked the bay, we pulled in. They had one spot left, right next to the toilets for 60 Dollars - WHAT! Forget it, we drove some more. Thanks to our 'Milepost' guide book to Alaska we found another site tucked down a minor road at Anchor point, they had one spot left, 50 Bucks but with views and including showers. The site was a small peaceful haven, it was now 7pm we took the last spot available. After 2 long days of driving we just wanted a wash and to cook dinner but the booking in process took an age. Besides the very friendly lady struggling with her computer she also wanted to chat about anything and everything. It seems that this part of the Kenai is incredibly popular for sea fishing and this is peak season. Homer claims to be the Halibut fishing capital of the world. Our final resting place for the day was also full of fishermen and the site even has fish gutting tables which were in use as we arrived. There are other reasons to visit Homer besides fishing, all of which involve some cash. How much cash we had no idea as for days wifi connections have been rubbish making research impossible. Finally we a good connection so now to decide what we do in Homer. Bear watching, this involved flights to Katmai where you can see up to 40 bears (close up) during your brief visit. We found the prices were 500 dollars each upwards, we had already seen bears roadside for free - no thank you. There is sea kayaking, but the tides here can be so strong that they boat you out somewhere safer then you kayak with a guide - 200 Dollars each! That's a bloody expensive paddle - no thank you. You can get a water taxi across the bay to hike on the Katchemak mountains and then a water taxi back - 70 Dollars each. An expensive hike - no thank you. We drove back to Homer the next day with a plan that looked like it would be dashed by rain, rain and more rain. The closer we got the brighter the sky became and the rain passed over. We hired a tandem (hurray) for 29 Dollars total for 4 hours, but the guy said enjoy yourselves you can keep it until 5pm if you like, no extra charge. We cycled through town and onto the spit, the distant cloud was high enough to reveal the glaciers on Katchemak. We saw a pair of bald eagles keeping a close eye on their baby in it's nest. The spit houses a large marina, lots of stilted gift and fish and chip shops. There is also a tidal lagoon which was lined with people trying to catch silver salmon which were repeatedly jumping out of the water. I chatted with one guy and he told me to look at the water just out from the edge and wait, within a minute the water was heavy with fat salmon swimming across my line of sight, a minute later they were back heading the opposite direction. Just behind the lagoon were gutting tables and some lucky folk were already cutting up their catch. The spit is heaving with boats ready to be launched for fishing trips and empty boat trailers from those already trying their luck. We exhausted our exploration of the spit and headed back inland and uphill. It got hotter and we started to overheat in our cold weather cycle kit. Our view of the mountains was being obscured by buildings and trees, I spotted a great photo opportunity from a plot where builders were busy putting in foundations for a new house. I asked if we could trespass to take a photo, it transpired that one of the guys owned the place and was a keen cyclist. He told me he rides long distance events including London- Edingurgh - London (LEL) and Paris - Brest - Paris (PBP). Another Audax rider, incredible. He had ridden PBP three times he was a bit put out when I told him I had ridden it 4, he joked about breaking my legs. Then he revealed he didn't complete LEL (but I did back in 2001). Back on the saddles we laboured uphill - only 7 gears to choose from. Our visit to Homer seemed like it was doomed with full and overpriced sites, bad weather and expensive days out. Not so, pedalling was a great and inexpensive way to explore the place, with amazing views and a quiet, peaceful place to park up away from the clampets and chaos of the spit. We were both happy to be on a tandem again.