|
MAJOR ATTRACTIONS:
Kenai Peninsula
The Seward Highway, connecting Anchorage with Seward on the
east coast of the Kenai Peninsula, has been designated a National
Forest Scenic Highway. It follows Turnagain Arm through Chugach
State Park and Chugach National Forest lands, and gives you
access to attractions such as the Alyeska ski resort, the
Hope Highway, Portage Glacier (one of the most visited attractions
in Alaska; be sure to ask about the ice worms), and Kenai
Fjords National Park.
In Kenai Fjords National Park, with its approximately 650,000
acres of coastal wilderness, you can see whales, sea otters,
sea lions and seals, and numerous tidewater glaciers fed by
the 700-square-mile Harding Icefield, which can be reached
by charter boats from Seward. The park's Exit Glacier can
be reached by road.
 Seward is a departure
point for many cruises headed south through the Inside Passage,
and in 1998 look for the opening of the Alaska SeaLife Center,
which will be the world's first marine science facility designed
from the outset to combine research on preserving our oceans
with wildlife rehabilitation and public education. On a tour
of the seven-acre waterfront site in Seward, you'll interact
with scientists, see marine wildlife being rehabilitated and
learn more about marine ecosystems.
Sterling Highway, also on the Kenai Peninsula, passes through
the Chugach National Forest, and through the Kenai National
Wildlife Refuge -- home to more than 6,000 moose -- on the
way to Homer and Homer Spit, with its five miles of beaches
and excellent fishing.
The peninsula's Kenai River is one of Alaska's best-known
sportfishing destinations. The river flows next to the town
of Soldotna, a bustling service center for the area
and also a place where you can charter a boat and find a fishing
guide. A local resident caught a 97-pound, 4-ounce world record-breaking
king salmon here in 1985. It's on display at the visitor center.
The town of Kenai--not to be confused with the peninsula,
river and refuge of the same name--is 11 miles from Soldotna
via the Kenai Spur Highway. Visitors can also fly-in to the
full-service Kenai Municipal Airport, just 20 minutes by air
from Anchorage. The town offers summer baseball, golf, and
fishing for recreation. Sightseeing should start at the Kenai
Visitors and Cultural Center, located in downtown, which provides
brochures, wildlife displays and restrooms. The Holy Assumption
Russian Orthodox Church in Kenai is one of the oldest and
most picturesque in Alaska.
You can also drive to Anchor Point, the westernmost highway
point in North America. The Alaska Department of Fish and
Game, 907-465-2376, can tell you more about fishing the Kenai
and other spots. Their web address is www.state.ak.us/local/akpages/FISH.GAME/adfghome.htm
The Sterling Highway ends at the tip of Homer Spit, a 5-mile-long
narrow bar of gravel jutting out into Kachemak Bay. The ferry
terminal, cruise ship dock and boat harbor are found on the
Spit, as well as charter fishing boats, shopping and other
services. Turnoff the Sterling Highway before the Spit for
downtown Homer shopping and services. Homer's Pratt
Museum is a good place to learn about Kachemak Bay sea life
or take a marine tour of the bay.
Homer is a jump-off point for trips to: the charming waterfront
community of Seldovia, accessible by state ferry or
private boat; the artist's community of Halibut Cove
on the east shore of Kachemak Bay, accessible by private ferry;
as well as parks and wilderness areas around Kachemak Bay,
Kodiak Island and other points by charter air taxi or water
taxi.
|
