Homer, Alaska
One of the most beautiful places in the world, “Where the road ends and the sea begins”...
Overlooking Kachemak Bay with an amazing backdrop of the snowcapped Kenai Mountains and glaciers, this Pacific Ocean seaside community is home to a diverse community of 5,000 or so year round residents. In addition to the cozy downtown area of Homer, this “cosmic hamlet" by the sea (as it is known locally) has a long, narrow strip of land jutting 4.5 miles into Kachemak Bay called "the Spit". The Spit is home to the world class Land’s End Resort, a colorful harbor, and an incredible array of wildlife.
Homer offers all the amenities of a small, first class city, including a hospital, medical clinics, pharmacies, police and fire departments, a U.S. Coast Guard cutter for safety at sea and a small airport. Local, state and federal government offices operate here, as does the Kenai Peninsula College and KBBI AM 890 Public Radio.
Listed in John Villani's book The 100 Best Art Towns in America, Homer is known for world-class art galleries. Homer is well known as Alaska’s Art Capital for good reason. Art galleries and artist studios abound in our community. Authors have opportunities to flourish here in Homer, too; offerings include local writers groups and workshops, community-wide writing contests, an annual writer's conference and small, impromptu meetings with visiting famous world renowned authors. The Pier One Theatre, now in its 35th season, features community plays year-round.
Susan Haynes, writer for Coastal Living Magazine, reviewed Homer in 2007. The Tagline to her article said, "Artists, entrepreneurs, and adventure seekers find nirvana on the shores of Alaska's Kenai Peninsula." She continued, "Whether you come by land, air, or water, getting to Homer is an odyssey. All routes cross a region of extraordinary natural wonders. Then the town greets you like a giant pop-up card: forbidding mountains, alpine glaciers, dense evergreen forests, a fast-moving sea, the 4½-mile-long sand spit, and a thriving community. "
Homer, Alaska is listed as one of 2007's top 50 adventure towns in National Geographic Adventure's "Best Places to Live and Play" issue. Contributing editor Dan Koeppel spent months tracking down and compiling a list of top adventure towns and found Homer, calling it a "Backcountry Paradise." With an ideal mix of terrain, activity, and opportunity, he said each of the places he found, including Homer, "could inspire a complete and total life change."
On any day here, you may see a moose in your driveway, a black bear crossing the road, puffins, seabirds, soaring eagles, sea otters, porpoises, Orcas, porcupine, harbor seal, or perhaps a few beluga whales. Tours are available for brown bear viewing, guided kayak trips, hiking, seabird rookery, flight seeing, glacier viewing, horseback riding, clamming, sailing, glacier skiing, and more! Professional outfitters here provide packaged or custom trips, whatever suits your schedule while you are here.
