Homer Alaska
We are outdoor type people and we would rather vacation in the woods, on the river, or anywhere without many people, but we do visit small towns too. We would much rather have all of blood sucked out by voracious mosquitos all day than visit Disneyland or any other big city for that matter. This was one of those occasions where we decided to stay on the grid and visit Homer Alaska for a couple days just to get away and have some fun. Homer is a small tourist and fishing town on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula about four hours from Anchorage depending on traffic and weather. Many shops and restaurants are only open in the summer months so keep that in mind if you plan an early or late trip to avoid the crowds. We went in late April so there were no crowds, but about half the tourist shops were still closed until mid-May. The Kenai Peninsula is considered Alaska’s playground so expect traffic jams and crowds during the summer.
Jessica
No visit would be complete without visiting the Homer Spit, which extends about five miles into the bay. Most tourist shops, tours, and fishing charters are located there so expect to spend some time looking around. This is also where the harbor is at so all the seafood is really fresh. We looked around at all the shops that were open and took a boat tour of Kachemak Bay, which we highly recommend because you get away from the crowds and get to see spectacular scenery along with plenty of wildlife. We prefer looking at scenery more than doing the “Tourist” stuff so this was very fun to us because we prefer to be away from the crowds and big cities. We spent the better part of a day looking at the shops so plan for about a two-day trip at a minimum. Parking may be hard to find in the summer, but there is a trolley service to the spit so you may have to park in the main part of town during the busy season.
The Salty Dawg Saloon was one of my stops while we were there just so I could say I have been there. It was neat to see and there are definitely dollar bills hanging everywhere inside, but it was too dark to get any good photos inside so you’ll have to use your imagination or visit it yourself. It was by the boardwalk near the docks so I had to look inside while the other two were checking out other places. I did have to get the souvenir shot glass to add to my collection.
The views of Kachemak Bay are impressive and virtually impossible to capture with a camera so these photos don’t do the area any justice. There are many things to do there such as boat tours, hiking, and many others, plus fishing of course. Once you have had halibut fresh out of the ocean you can never go back to any of that store bought frozen stuff again so you have been warned. Halibut season hadn’t opened yet so we didn’t get any fresh halibut this time. The restaurants that were open did have fresh seafood chowder so you definitely have to try that if you get the chance.
There are beaches to walk if you have never done so along with many other trails throughout the area that allow you to get away that offer more breathtaking views. Beachcombers can find goodies, and trash, that has washed ashore from all around the world including Japanese glass ball and plastic fishing net floats. Be mindful of the tides as you can get easily trapped or swept out by the fast-changing tides if you time your walk wrong. Fishing is a big industry there and fishing for halibut and other fish is highly recommended because you can’t find a fish fresher than the one you just puled out of the water yourself.
Homer definitely offers something for everyone including fishers, hikers, sightseers, tourist shoppers, kayakers, microbrew enthusiasts, photographers, and anyone seeking a great fresh seafood meal. The drive is very scenic and you’re likely to see moose and other wildlife so keep your eyes on the road too as you go. You can also fly into the Homer Airport if the drive is too far for you.
About The Author
