On the Road to Homer
Follow the Seward and Sterling highways through high mountain passes into the heart of the Kenai, winding through backcountry areas enjoyed by hikers, campers, fishermen, kayakers, snowmachiners, snowboarders and cross-country skiers.

Ferry System
Hop aboard one of the Alaska Marine Highway System's southwest-bound vessels and journey to the ends of the earth. Well, almost. Departing from Homer, passengers sail the northern rim of the Pacific Ocean to Unalaska and Dutch Harbor, stopping at Seldovia, Kodiak, Port Lions, Chignik, Sand Point, King Cove, Cold Bay, False Pass, Akutan and finally Unalaska and Dutch Harbor.

Ninilchik

Ninilchik's reputation as the first retirement settlement on the Kenai Peninsula dates back to Russia's ownership of Alaska.

In the mid-1800s, the Russian American Co. devised a plan for aging employees to remain in its colony of Alaska by developing settlements for pensioners and their Native or Creole (a mixture of Native and non-Native) wives and children. Ninilchik was one of those settlements.

Anchor Point
Capt. James Cook gets credit for naming Anchor Point. Cook lost an anchor while maneuvering the inlet's strong tides in the 1700s. The spot where he lost the anchor was indicated on charts simply as "anchor point."

Russian Villages
n 1968, with 640 acres of land and only tents for shelter, Nikolaevsk's five founding families carved this small community 10 miles east of Anchor Point with the financial support of the Tolstoy Foundation of New York.

Seldovia

Touting itself as one of Alaska's best-kept secrets, the small town of Seldovia harkens back to a time when fishing was the mainstay of the region's economy and roads were few and far between.

Halibut Cove

It doesn't take long to fall for the charm of Halibut Cove.

Houses and art galleries built on pilings, a restaurant with an open-air fireplace, a floating espresso stand and a boardwalk linking it all makes this small burg a must-see for any visitor.

Made in Alaska
Before you buy that ivory-handled ulu or forget-me-not necklace, you might want to make sure your Alaska memento really is an Alaska product. One way to tell is the Made in Alaska label that accompanies many such items.