Picture: Jennie Sampson, owner of the Kodiak Sportsman’s Lodge, holding one of her gourmet dishes.

Boat position at Old Harbor: 57°12.479’N; 153°18.083’W

We were touched how kind and generous people are in Old Harbor. Since it is such a small community, there is no Internet service or restaurant but there is one small store. We walked past the Kodiak Sportman’s Lodge on the water front (http://www.kodiaksportsmanslodge.com) and asked the owner, Gary Sampson, if we could buy some Internet time from him. He told us we could use it at no charge so we went back later that evening. While we were using the Internet, Jennie (Gary’s wife and co-owner of the lodge) offered us an appetizer consisting of delicious salmon log and crackers. Not only that, Jennie invited us for dinner the following evening. We rarely meet people as kind and generous as Gary and Jennie. The food was one of the best seafood meals that we have ever had anywhere. We also got to speak with some of the guests from various parts of the US. They seemed quite satisfied with their fishing package at the lodge. They said that everything was inclusive; lodging, meals, fishing and processing and packaging the fish for shipping. There was a wilderness feeling once inside the reception and dining area which is decorated with preserved wildlife and other artifacts, including a grizzly bear at the entrance. In turn, I think the guests enjoyed hearing about our sailing adventure, including the North Pacific crossing. Visiting Old Harbor and having dinner at the Kodiak Sportsman’s Lodge was one of the highlights of our trip.