We have family that lives near Homer, Alaska. It's quite a trip, but it's one we try to make once a year to see those loved ones and enjoy the gorgeous sights that surround them. We've always flown through MSP (~2.5 hours), where we can see more family/friends with a lengthy layover, before the jump to Anchorage (~6 hours). That's not all though. To get to Homer from Anchorage is either a 4+ hour drive or a 40 minute flight on a local airline. When that airline (RavnAir) went bankrupt during Covid we found new arrangements. This time we took Grant Aviation to Kenai before the remaining 90 minute drive to Homer. Thanks for making that drive twice A! Hopefully someone in future years flies directly to Homer again.
It's certainly nice to stay with family and we were able to do that this year. We've done a few AirBnB options around Homer in the past which worked fine but they never have curtains, something I find necessary to sleep during the Alaska summers. Summer is the time to visit, due to nice weather and incredibly long days. It's when towns like Homer get all their visitors, though the rumor this year was that many traveling around Alaska were locals taking advantage of discounts and supporting state commerce.
Curious about the sun? When we've traveled to Alaska the first week of July, Homer has about 20 hours of light a day. It only gets more extreme the farther you go north. For example Fairbanks, AK, the second largest city in the state, has a chunk of summer (70 days!) where the sun barely sinks below the horizon and it never gets dark. All this contributes to one of the state nicknames, 'Home of the Midnight Sun.' I always think my relatives are crazy for how much they want to do each day, but they've waited all year for the season of light and fishing. It can't be forgotten they live the other extreme as well, the long and dark winters. One advantage Homer has over the interior of the state is a temperate climate, as the ocean keeps the temperature from ever falling much below freezing.
Homer could be described as a cute tourist town. The population is about 6000 and there are only two main roads, the Sterling Highway and Pioneer/East End. Its most distinctive natural feature is the 'Spit,' a four+ mile narrow band of land that shoots into Kachemak Bay and entirely looks like it doesn't belong. On it are campgrounds for tents/RVs, an artificial fishing hole, shops, restaurants and more. The city's harbor is there, where you can catch a water taxi, go on a deep sea fishing charter and see all the personal watercraft. The restaurants are a bit hit-or-miss and you'll always pay 'Spit-prices' but there's no problem finding seafood. Afterward we always leave room for Carmen's Gelato. Of the various shops, my favorite is AK Starfish Co for locally themed merch. I also make a point to peek inside the Salty Dawg Saloon and see all the money pinned to the walls. It needs mentioning that the Spit is a place to avoid on cruise ship days (during a normal summer).
There's plenty in town too. The restaurants often have weirdly unpredictable hours, some only open for dinner, others lunch. Sometimes they're closed because the proprietor decided to go fishing. This year we discovered Latitude 59, a great lunch spot with a few breakfast options. The Little Mermaid is highly recommended for dinner, though reservations are definitely needed. We usually hit up Two Sisters Bakery, though they haven't been open at all this summer. There are places to get coffee everywhere, several in tiny little buildings made for drive-through. Coop's is my favorite, though we haven't gotten bad coffee anywhere and we'd make a trip to get it every day. My wife loves Alaska Chai (tea lattes). If you're interested in the ecology of the area there are two great places to check out, the Islands & Oceans Visitors Center (free) and the Pratt Museum ($). The best park we've visited is definitely Karen Hornaday with its especially cool playground and stunning views.
If it feels like I'm missing something so far, I am. The natural wonders take Homer from being a fun place to one that's truly special, even within Alaska. On the drive there, you come down Sterling Highway (1) and reach Homer Overlook, getting your first glimpse at the beautiful Kenai Mountains across Kachemak Bay. These mountains remain in view nearly everywhere in Homer and stay with you the entire visit. There are places to hike through the wilderness all over, with varying levels of difficulty, including a bunch of options over in Kachemak Bay State Park. We didn't venture across the bay this trip, after doing the Grewingk Glacier Lake Trail last year. To get there you need to hire a water taxi and schedule pick up. You should also bring something to deter bears, though they supposedly stay away from noisy groups. One of the coolest things is the tides. They go in and out twice a day and the change is simply astounding. At high tide there's essentially no beach whatsoever. At low tide you can walk across hundreds of feet of sand and go tide-pooling. Check out the tide table and notice the differences between high and low plus the variance day to day.
Wherever you are, the wildlife amazes. The various beaches including along the Spit often have bald eagles. Seeing a moose walk across the street in town isn't a crazy phenomenon. We watched several come through our family's property, including a mother and twin calves. While we haven't done it, bear viewings are a popular excursion. When the tides are low enough (they need to be way down), a bunch of starfish get exposed under the Spit boardwalk. I don't recognize most of the birds we see up there. Several whales summer around Alaska and in past years we've witnessed both a humpback breach and an orca pod.
Perhaps more important than anything else in the area is fishing, both commercial and sport. Homer is called the 'Halibut Fishing Capital of the World' and the big mild flatfish are everywhere, on display hooks near the harbor and in all the restaurants. Salmon and Rockfish are also common. If you plan to visit Alaska and want to fish, look at the sport seasons and when different species run before picking a time to visit. We've learned the first week of July is between salmons, while the beginning of August was perfect for silvers (Coho) and some reds (Sockeye). In the past we've chartered deep sea outings from Homer and lake/river fishing, accessible by float plane, from Kenai/Soldotna. There are no shortage of charter companies, which are somewhat expensive but give you a great chance of bringing some in. If you don't want to pay for a charter, you can find more spots throughout the peninsula or there's the fishing hole and shoreline. The biggest things to pay attention to are which fish are in season and the allowable methods of catching them, as both change with location.
What did we do this year? A lot of hanging out at the house. We enjoyed watching our son play with his cousins. Bonfires. Board/card games. Some hiking. Time on several beaches. Coffee runs. The Spit and a few shops. Watched an impromptu Independence Day parade. No big excursions or fishing. We had a tremendous time.
Other places we like:
Fat Olives (and their enormous pizza)
Observance of Hermits (used book store)
Something else I should mention. The journey there is long and challenging, especially with a toddler. Unfortunately the return is even harder as you lose four hours and the best flight option is a redeye. It took more than a week to get adjusted back to east coast time.
If you ever want to visit Alaska or Homer specifically, I'd love to share more. Let me know!
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