Alaska's Kenai Peninsula

Turnagain Arm

In late April and May, Allison and I spent four weeks traveling through Alaska and the Pacific Northwest.  This post describes the second portion of that trip: a week exploring Alaska's Kenai Peninsula, including Homer, Seward and the Turnagain Arm region.



A sea otter in Kachemak Bay 

The Kenai Peninsula is located south of Anchorage, between Cook Inlet and Prince William Sound.  It has miles of beautiful shoreline with many glacial fjords, and a mountainous interior bejeweled with pristine alpine lakes.  We visited the Kenai Peninsula after first exploring Alaska's interior, and its coastal landscape was in marked contrast to the remote snowy wilderness between Anchorage and Fairbanks.

Visiting Homer's Boat Harbor

Our first stop on the Kenai Peninsula was in Homer, the halibut fishing capital of the world.  Allison and I relish halibut's delicate flavor, and she was excited to try her luck at catching some!  After a long but scenic drive south from Anchorage, we arrived at Homer's harbor and met Captain Pete who would be taking us out the next day on the F/V JULIA LYNN.  Pete was exceptionally friendly and generous; he gave us several pounds of filleted halibut which he had caught that day, and suggested that we take it to Captain Pattie's Restaurant which would cook it to order.  His advice was right on the money, and that evening we enjoyed a delicious dinner of the freshest fish imaginable.

With Captain Pete on board the F/V JULIA LYNN

Early the next morning we boarded the F/V JULIA LYNN and Captain Pete motored approximately 17 miles to the mouth of Kachemak Bay, where we spent the day bottom fishing in approximately 175' of water using chunks of salmon and herring for bait.  The bite was slow but steady, and at the end of the day each of us had caught and kept our limit of two good sized halibut while releasing quite a few smaller fish.  Allison also reeled in two large pacific cod.  The halibut were 10-15 pounds each rather than the hundred plus pound "barn door" giants often caught in these waters later in the season, but ours would be much better table fare.  We arranged with a local processor to have our fillets vacuum packed, frozen and shipped home, and have been enjoying them greatly.




Allison with a pacific cod

A day's catch of halibut

After our full day on the water, we made the long drive back north to the Alyeska Resort in Girdwood on Turnagain Arm.  Fortunately, in May the sun sets very late in Alaska and it was still twilight after 11 p.m. when we arrived at the hotel.  The Alyeska Resort is Alaska's largest and best known ski area, located in the Chugach mountains about 45 minutes south of Anchorage.  The resort has a large, modern hotel where we spent six nights while exploring the Turnagain Arm region and making day trips to various destinations on the peninsula.

The Alyeska ski resort in Girdwood

The Hotel Alyeska

One day we drove to Seward, a fishing harbor at the northern end of a glacial fjord fringed by snowy mountain peaks.  Allison and I hiked several miles over an icy, rocky trail to Tonsina Point where we wandered along the shoreline enjoying stunning views of the fjord.

Hiking at Tonsina Point, outside Seward

Another day, I hiked to the Crow Creek Gold Mine in the mountains outside Girdwood while Allison relaxed at the resort.  Mountain goats clambered up and down rocky slopes above the mining site.  My path crossed the route of the famed Iditarod dog sled race, which continues on over a pass leading through the mountains toward Anchorage.

Mountains above the Crow Creek Gold Mine

Curious about Alaskan history and native culture, Allison and I drove into nearby Anchorage and spent an afternoon at the Anchorage Museum.  There we viewed exhibits on a variety of topics including the divers tribes native to Alaska, and the vital, colorful role of aviation in Alaskan history.  We found the extensive displays of native clothing and artifacts particularly interesting.  That night we enjoyed an excellent meal at Orso - the same restaurant where I dined with my climbing team before our successful expedition to the summit of Denali (Mt. McKinley) in 2003.

Native clothing and artifacts
at the Anchorage Museum

An aviation exhibit at the Anchorage Museum

We spent our final day on the Kenai Peninsula exploring the former site of Portage, at the end of Turnagain Arm.  This area was the epicenter of the disastrous "Good Friday Earthquake" in 1964.  At a magnitude of 9.2 it was one of the strongest earthquakes in recorded history, causing 143 deaths, destructive tsunamis and extensive property damage.  The town of Portage was abandoned after sinking approximately ten feet and flooding as a result of the earthquake.  We viewed several nearby glaciers, including the Portage Glacier and beautiful Portage Lake which lies below it.  We also walked through the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, home to many bears, reindeer (caribou), bison and other animals.

Viewing Portage Lake and the Portage Glacier

A black bear at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

Over our week on the Kenai Peninsula, Allison and I had the opportunity to explore the region's many attractions thoroughly but at a leisurely pace.  At the end of the week, we were excited to begin the next phase of our journey: a trip through Alaska's Panhandle and down the Inside Passage on the wonderful Alaska Marine Highway ferry system.

A mountain lake on the Seward Highway