Homer, Alaska

Homer, Alaska is at the southernmost end of the Sterling Highway on the Kenai Peninsula. From Anchorage, it is about 226 miles by highway or 40 minutes by plane. Homer was made famous by Tom Bodett's "End of the Road" radio program on National Public Radio. Homer is also the birthplace of singer Jewel.

The main highlight of Homer is the Homer Spit, which is a sandbar that extends about 4.5 miles into Kachemak Bay. As you are driving down the bluff into the city of Homer, you can see the spit in the distance. If you continue down the highway, you will pass downtown Homer on your left. Following the road onto Homer Spit it feels quite magical to be on a thin strip of land with ocean on almost all sides of you.

The Homer Spit is quite a hub of activity. Most of the shops and business are built on boardwalks, including a yummy ice cream shop and my family's favorite grub, Boardwalk Fish and Chips. There are quite a few fishing charters, and throughout most of the day they are proudly displaying and filleting their fresh catch. Many places offer exciting excursions that include bear viewing, kayaking, fishing, or day trips across Kachemak Bay to the beautiful, quaint towns of Halibut Cove or Seldovia. There are many places to explore or camp all around, and friendly Alaskans are there to make it happen for you. There is a campground on the spit right on the beach, although it tends to be a bit windy, so sometimes the campground right above downtown on the bluff is the best bet. There is also Lands End Resort at the very end of the road on the spit.

The Homer Spit is also home to the Homer Boat Harbor and Ferry Terminal, which connects the Sterling Highway to the Alaska Marine Highway. Here you can catch the state ferry, the Tustemena, and travel to Kodiak, or as far out on the Aleutians as Dutch Harbor/Unalaska (I have done this - and LOVED it).

Homer is one of my favorite Alaskan towns, and also where my dad grew up, which was before the Sterling Highway was finished in 1950. He grew up fishing the local streams and walking uphill both ways to school in snowstorms. While times have changed, Homer still has a very small-town, artistic fishing village feel.