Homer

Scattered throughout the commercial district are a wide range of restaurants and numerous art galleries. Few small towns have the culinary variety of Homer, where there are coffee bars on nearly every corner next to gourmet sandwich shops and fine restaurants. The art galleries along with museums, a live theater and music venues lend credence to Homer’s reputation as the cultural capital of Southcentral Alaska.

On the other side of the bay from Homer is Kachemak Bay State Wilderness Park, a 350,000-acre paradise of glaciers, mountains, protected coves for paddling and an extensive trail system to explore on foot. Kayakers, backpackers and campers hop on water taxis and to escape the bustle of Homer to an idyllic wilderness.

The Homer Spit, a 4.5-mile long needle of land stretching halfway across Kachemak Bay, is a hub of bustling activity during the summer. It hums with throngs of tourists, people camping on the beach, charter boats heading out to catch a record-breaking halibut, beachcombers, and birders amazed at how many bald eagles they can spot. This is where visitors book a fishing charter or simply rent a rod and reel to try their luck at the Homer Spit lagoon, fondly known as the Fishing Hole. King salmon can be caught here from mid-May to the end of June, while silver salmon run in August.