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Summer Activities in Homer AlaskaHike the trails Homer is a wonderful place for outdoor explorations. Trails abound. The Homestead Hiking trail is great for year-round activities. Please be aware that this is frequently used for winter sports and many sub-trails have been created that will not show up on the map. Always listen to the traffic to help you maintain your location. While in Homer, you may wish to explore Evaline SRA offering 8 km of trails. This location is open all seasons, 13 miles out East End road. This trail has begun to get a fantastic reputation as a “wildflower lover’s feast“, Calvin and Coyle trail is in Homer city limits, leading to Beluga Lake where you can enjoy the observation deck offering a wonderful vantage point for bird viewing. Many other fantastic trails abound. Stop by the Homer chamber of commerce for trail maps and suggestions. |
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Fantastic Local Summer Activities include:
Various water taxis have fantastic tours and hikes across the bay. They will either drop you off to explore Kachemak Bay State Park on your own or take you on a guided expedition. Museums and Visitor Centers: Pratt Museum - Bear Viewing Live Cam
Kilcher Homestead - Visit a working homestead for free. Make sure to go to Bears, Brats & Brew when available. Go to the Pratt Museum where you can learn about our history, culture, flora, fauna. You can learn about the oil spill, spruce bark beetle, shipwrecks, homesteaders. You’ll find art and a nice little shop to browse. Don’t forget to take the kids to “feed the fish” Tuesdays and Fridays at 4pm! Islands & Oceans Visitor Center - Beach Walks and Slough Walks guided by naturalists and biologists, Discovery Labs – hands on learning sessions for all ages, and incredible films (schedules vary, 11, 1 & 3 daily, free).
Art – Galleries and Shops – Homer is well-reputed for its art. Every 1st Friday of the month the galleries open their doors to greet you with beverages and finger foods. The artist of the month is there to answer your questions and tell you about his or her art. Gallery receptions begin at 5pm. Often times, galleries may have classes or musicians. Take the scenic drive out East End road to enjoy the view and stop by the shops of Leo Vait, Paul Dungan and MooseRun Metalsmiths. Check out these websites for gallery schedules:
Dining Dining opportunities abound. Homer is filled with fantastic restaurants. Is your appetite leading you to an upscale sushi bar with a view, then visit Wasabi’s. Cafe Cups is an eclectic cafe with melt-in-your-mouth filet mignon. Fat Olives is an artsy place with fantastic Greek cuisine. Many restaurants open up in the summer on the spit. Finns Pizza has the freshest of fresh ingredients. For the biggest diversity of seafood be sure to check out Captain Patties Fish House. While other restaurants may offer baked halibut or a halibut hoagie or fried halibut or grilled halibut, you can find it all at Captain Patties.
Night Life Take the fermentation tour – Homer Brewing Company, Ring of Fire Meadery and the beautiful Bear Creek Winery. Then enjoy the night life at Alices’s Champagne Palace where you may listen to Works in Progress, Three Legged Mule or Hobo Jim, just to mention a few. And of course, you’ve got to visit the Salty Dawg, if for no other reason than to get a hoodie and say you did it. Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Mermaid Cafe offers family friendly music to accompany your dinner. If Johnny B’s around, you certainly don’t want to miss it! Concert on the Lawn Check out this video of a small portion of the 2010 Concert on the Lawn. This is an annual event and you did read 2010 and not 1070. Coming to Homer Alaska is like stepping back in time!
Fishing Half-day halibut charters cost around $100. Call Barb at Inlet Charters. Full-day halibut charters start at approximately $265. For the most serious fisherman, call Bruce with Seaflight Sportfishing. Would you like a more refined fishing experience? Give Captain Pete a call. He’s a great guy! For a guided bank fishing excursion, call SilverFin Guide Services for give Steve Larson a call (907) 299-0824! You can even rent your own boat with Homer Boat Rentals. Bear Viewing If you are interested in bear viewing, visit the chamber web site and contact the guides. Many guides go to different locations depending on where the bears have migrated to. Find out which excursion best fits your physical needs.
Outdoor Adventures Get out in the wild on the back of a horse with a half or full day ride to the beach at the head of the bay or a shorter ride at the end of the road. Mark, who is full of personality and charm will enchant you on your journey as you experience his love of horses and nature which is abundant in Homer. Another back-woods or beach activity to enjoy is Alaska Four Wheeler Wilderness Tours with Dan Eidem. Dan is as Alaskan as they come with a gun strapped to his leg and stories that’ll know your socks off. You’ll never forget him! These guys are entertaining, authentic Alaskans in every sense of the term! View glaciers, volcanoes and more. Flight-seeing trips are very reasonably priced. You can go with Stellar Air, Smoky Bay, Homer Flyout Adventures, or Emerald Air. Take a trip across the bay. Visit the native village of Seldovia or the artistic summer community of Halibut Cove. Shopping Of course, there are a few touristy places in Homer, but primarily there are amazing shops here. The great thing about Homer is that the shops offer high quality, locally made, Alaskan made and native made goods – one of a kind originals that you can’t find anywhere else. Be sure to stop at the Better Sweater, roadhouse, Inua, Homer Jeans, Blackberry Bog, Alaska Wildberry Products and Main Street Mercantile, just to get you started. There is too much to do in Homer to fit it all on one web page, so visit the Homer Chamber of Commerce website and request a visitor guide. See www.homeralaska.com to find out more about local activities, events and presentations! |
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