Experiencing all that is the Kenai Peninsula

We used Anchorage as our home base for a lot that we did down on the Kenai Peninsula. Had we realized how much we'd be doing down there, it would have been wiser for us to stay down there at least one night, maybe two!

We found the people nice and inviting, and very interested in helping visitors. It was pleasant to know that they weren't just out for the tourists' money!!

As for highlights, I must say that fishing was high on the list but perhaps most impressive was our trip to Kenai Fjords and the Exit Glacier just north of Seward. This may be your best opportunity to get really close to a glacier body of ice. We did it as an afternoon trip out of Anchorage.

Quick Tips:

As I stated above, if you are planning to do a lot down in the Peninsula you may want to consider staying in the area. Moose Pass and Cooper Landing seemed to be somewhat central to all that is around that area. There is the Summit Lake Lodge which has a nice restaurant too, right near the intersection of the Seward Highway and Sterling Highway in Moose Pass. Throughout the area, there are a number of B&B's and fishing camps.

Speaking of fishing, you can find a lot of fishing charters and private guided trips out of most communities on the Kenai Peninsula. You will need to have a general idea of what you want to fish for, however. There are trips that do just salmon or just halibut. You can also do the full day that includes some of both.

We enjoyed doing the salmon guided trip from a boat, but we also saw folks doing fly fishing on the Russian River, which flows into the Kenai River perhaps the most known river in the area for King Salmon.

Best Way To Get Around:

A car is essential if you want to get out and explore. Shop early as car rentals can be very expensive in the summer. There is the Alaska Railroad system which seems like a fun way to get around and to see the countryside throughout Alaska.

Expect it to take about two hours from Anchorage to Seward and about three to Soldotna. There are other places to explore, like Hope and all of the other fishing communities throughout the region. Homer is probably the furthest distance from Anchorage at around four hours.

Summer on the Kenai Peninsula is ALL about the fishing. We did the half-day (afternoon) King Salmon guided fishing trip with Sports Den of Soldotna. Owner Jim Golden was very helpful in taking care of all the details for our fishing experience. Our fishing guide Mark was the best! Even the state of Alaska says so. He has won the "guide of the year" award for his work.

We understand that every year there are specific regulations regarding the catch and limits. This year, the limit was one King per day with a maximum of two in a season. In addition to your non-resident's fishing license, you will need to buy a "King" stamp. For non-state residents, the license and stamp was $30 total. Kids under 16 can fish for free but you must have the appropriate paperwork before you go out on the boat. The charter operator or your fishing guide can provide you will all the details you need to take care of these items before arriving at the fishing dock.

The fishing is different than anything I'd ever done, given that you basically cast right off the boat's edge, with a "diver" that takes your hook and bait to the bottom of the lake. You then either drift with the flow of the river or the guide will troll slowly against the flow to drag your bait along the bottom.

The King Salmon, also known as a chinook salmon, which strike the hook not out of hunger but more because it is there clunking them in the face. They bite at the bait and hopefully the hook more out of reflex than anything else.

There is a lot of moving up and down the river, with the hope of being in the right place at the right time to catch a fish.

The boats are very comfortable with plush cushion chairs that swivel and rotate 360 degrees. It was all and all, a great experience on the river.

It was a lot of fun to watch others on the other boats catching and fighting them to the boat.

This year, the fishing restrictions on the Kenai River were such that you could only keep fish that measured under 44 inches in length or over 56 inches. My husband was lucky enough to land one that was 42" with a total weight of 32 lbs. After cleaning and fileting, we had just over 16 lbs. of salmon filets to ship home to Iowa.

They take care of all of that down on the fishing dock. Cleaning his fish, packaging it into single one pound packages, flash freezing and shipping overnight via Fed Ex cost us $115.

Like Master Card says . . .

licenses for two . . . $60
charter fishing trip . . . $315
cleaning and shipping . . . $115
tips to those who made it possible . . . $30

Catching a King Salmon in ALASKA . . . priceless!

In another entry, I've talked about our experience with Sports Den's guided fishing tour. The King Salmon fishing trip is something that many do while in Anchorage. We highly recommend it!

The other fishing that we observed on the Kenai Peninsula was fly fishing on the Russian River just above where it intersects with the Kenai. Fishermen (and women) here are looking to catch smaller varieties of salmon. When we drove by the area in the morning, there were people literally shoulder to shoulder. I don't know how anyone got any fishing done in such tight quarters.

The photos attached to this journal were taken around 7:30pm. As you can see, there are still a lot of people in the river fishing. With waters around 50 degrees, I don't know that I would be able to stand there for hours fishing.

Throughout the Kenai Peninsula keep your eyes on the lookout for bald eagles. We saw several, especially near bodies of water. You may also see moose and bears (both grizzlies and black bears).

If you have a full day to explore the Kenai Fjords National Park, you should really consider taking one of the boat tours that takes you right into the deep fjords throughout the Gulf of Alaska. Unfortunately, we only had a half day so we just got to visit and experience the Exit Glacier.

Exit Glacier is at the end of the Harding Ice Field and was named because it was the point where Harding exited the ice field. This is the only accessible glacier in the park that is approachable by auto and foot. You can either take the one-half mile foot patch to the base of the glacier or the 7/10's mile loop trail that goes up along side of the Exit Glacier.

There is a roped off area to discourage visitors from venturing into the danger zone. Unfortunately, there always seems to someone or a group of people willing to risk their lives by disobeying the rangers' warnings. We caught a photo that will help to put into perspective just how HUGE this glacier is. (It is attached to this journal.)

At the base of the glacier is the silty run-off that moves at a pretty fast pace. On this particular day, it was warm and sunny so there was a very swift current off the glacier. Unfortunately, the glacier is melting at a very quick rate. As you walk up the footpath, you will pass signs along the way to indicate where the glacier used to be in a variety of years, dating back to the early 1900's.

On the day that we visited, there had been two black bear sightings. One right at the main entrance to the Exit Glacier area near the old guard's toll booth. The other was up on the 7 mile trail that leads to the top of Harding Ice Field. The report was that there was a female along with her three cubs, all of whom climbed a couple of trees when humans approached their area.

If you do head to the area and plan on walking up to the glacier during the summer, be sure to take bug spray as the mosquitos were very thick!

We had a late dinner on this night, having ventured down from Anchorage in the early afternoon to visit Kenai Fjords and to enjoy the Exit Glacier.

Because it was late, we had the fish & chips which featured fresh cod fish, lightly battered with a tempura style mixture. Adding a salad, we had a complete meal for around $10 per person! They offered a dessert tray fo home-baked pies and cakes, but who could think of eating any more?

The overall atmosphere was very casual and family oriented, reminded me of our hometown diners of the Midwest. We enjoyed the view of the small boat harbor just outside the windows as we relaxed and ate our meal.

Service was outstanding, attentive and friendly too. They did have a full service bar for those who don't have to drive back to Anchorage .

We stopped here after a long day of fishing on the Kenai. Once you leave Soldotna, there is really very little in terms of restaurants. This was an oasis on the highway!

The lodge and restaurant sit on the shores of a beautiful lake with the snow capped mountains high above. The dining view was very nice and peaceful.

The atmosphere was cozy and warm and the service very good. We both had steaks for dinner, which were a bit pricey (around $22 for 8oz cuts). They had nice flavor, so no real complaints. The steamed veggie mix was a perfect side dish!

We didn't sample the desserts, although we were quite tempted! As the tray passed by our table, we were both considering it but with a long drive still ahead of us, we didn't think it would be a good thing to do given the assumed richness of their treats.

One of the best things this restaurant has going for it are the tourists staying at this remote lodge and travelers from Seward or Soldotna who have little other in the way of options. After this location, heading into Anchorage your next option is probably an hour down the road in Girdwood.