Kenai Penninsula

Leave Ancorage and it's limited experiences and get going. Our successful trips out of the city took us to Seward, Homer(less successful) and through nearly endless vistas of mountains and snow. Seward was the best part of the trip, and we could have been happy there for two days, but we only had one. The highlight was a boat trip into Resurection Bay to see wildlife. Until May that is the only option, as the two companies only have one trip a day. Later in the spring and summer there are trips to the Kenai Fijords, where glaciers compete with whales for excitement. The town also has a rewarding Sealife Center, built with the Valdez settlement. The main street was the quaintest street we saw in our trip, nowhere near as junky looking as Homer or Ancorage. We only got to shop in a few stores, and later wish we had spent more time and money in Seward rather than traveling onto Homer.

Quick Tips:

The town of Homer, the end of the line of connected North American roads, is totally avoidable except "in season." April is not in season, and there is little to do but drive around. Saturday night/Sunday morning was particularly quiet. The former "hippie hideout" has turned into a church going community. The views from the hillside across the bay are spectacular, and later in the season the snow melts away, but at least the town livens up.

The best thing to do in the Anchorage area is to drive to Talkeetna and fly around Mt McKinnley. Unfortunately, the weather gods who smiled at us on the Kenai part of the trip did not for this part, and we were unable to make our flight. Co-conventioneers did make the trip, missing part of the convention, and said the trip was wonderful.

Best Way To Get Around:

Although there are rail and bus options to Seward, the automobile travel is very easy. You just have to understand these are huge distances compared to what you are used to in the lower 48. Plan accordingly, know how much time it should take. To see Seward, Homer and get back to Anchorage takes at least 3 days, or you will just be driving without stopping.

Here the off-season gods were in our favor. I called the cruise company we were going to use and asked them if they had any packages. They offered us a package for $99 a person that included the $69 day cruise and one night in the Windsong Lodge, double occupancy. The room was beautiful, the view above the parking lot was excellent, and the price couldn't be beat. Unfortunately, the restaurant wasn't open yet, but we had already eaten in town.