Having lived in Alaska for over 40 years, I want to show you my Alaska. The small, unincorporated towns along the highways and in fact one of the towns has a cat for the honorary mayor, and the not-as-well-known tourist spots are the pla...
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Having lived in Alaska for over 40 years, I want to show you my Alaska. The small, unincorporated towns along the highways and in fact one of the towns has a cat for the honorary mayor, and the not-as-well-known tourist spots are the places I want you to see. Cruise the Inside Passage ending in Anchorage, or fly to Anchorage or drive up from the lower 48 – any way you choose to get there, I can help you with that. Then let’s go wild!Drive south on the Seward Highway to the Kenai Peninsula, my favorite playground! The highway follows along the coast of the Turnagain Arm for the 1st hour, the most scenic drive in the world to me. Watch for the whales, mountain goats, and glacier-fed waterfalls, and be prepared to turn into one of the many pullouts for photo opportunities. If you’re lucky you will see a beluga whale or a whole pod of those white bubble-headed beauties! There are many points of interest along the whole drive and once you get around the Arm you go straight up into the mountains until just outside of Seward, or Soldotna, depending on which highway you take at the junction.Seward is home to the Kenai Fjords National Park, with boat tours throughout the day with several guide companies. This year, the 67th Seward Silver Salmon Derby is August 13-21, 2022. Or go next summer and see the Mount Marathon Race, the toughest 5K on the planet, every July 4th and root for a winner, or just park at the beach and watch the otters roll around and eat. Speaking of eating, there are restaurants all over the place, and the ice cream shop has the best hand-dipped cones! Locally owned coffee shops for all the caffeine junkies are plentiful, too.Soldotna is a salmon fishing mecca! I worked at a lodge on the Kenai River and every guest fell in love with the area. Bears, moose, mountains, eagles, and fish. I went every single summer and would go again in a heartbeat. Beauty beyond belief. I can put you with guides to go on the river for fishing (or hunting in the fall) or tell you where to bank fish and my lodge contacts are the best. There are 3 Starbucks in Soldotna and the Moose is Loose Bakery, a must.Ninilchik is an Alaskan Native Village about 40 miles south of Soldotna. Home to a Russian Orthodox church up on a bluff overlooking the Cook Inlet, also home to the recurring Alaska Salmonfest the 1st weekend of August with 3 days of fish, love, and music. Food trucks, camping, live music, beer gardens and the Cannabis Corral. Location is the Kenai Peninsula Fairgrounds in Ninilchik. Its always raining for this music festival, bring dry shoes.The Sterling Highway ends in Homer and it is stunning! Home to the Islands & Oceans Visitor center, the largest seabird refuge in the world. Center for Alaska Coastal Studies offers hands on experiences in one of the most ecologically diverse places on the planet. On Pioneer Avenue there are art galleries, museums, peony gardens, more coffee houses, micro- breweries and the Alaska wild market.On the Homer Spit it’s Bald Eagle land. Grown eagles, goofy teen eagles and babies all over due to the boat harbor and fishing. Campgrounds, beaches, hotels and the world famous Salty Dog Saloon, the Spit is uniquely Alaska. Visitors always say they wish they scheduled more time in Homer.This is just a small sample of the many sights and experiences you can choose to be a part of when you decide to see my Alaska. I can’t wait to show you.