The south central piece of land shooting out from Anchorage is called the Kenai Peninsula.
Since it is easily accessed from Anchorage, it is a popular vacation spot for Alaskans. The primary activity to do is fishing the many rivers and ocean that almost completely surrounds the land mass.
We stayed in a campground in Ninilchik because it was hard to find any spots available in the larger towns of Homer or Soldotna due to the July 4th holiday. We also knew to stay away from Seward because they hold the Mt Marathon race on July 4th that attracts thousands of people. To put it into perspective, the entire population of the peninsula was 58,506 in 2016. This week Facebook was filled with stories about Mark Zuckerburg’s visit to Homer over the 4th.
The areas around Ninilchik and Kenai were used by Indians for fur-farming and fishing. The Russians began settling in the peninsula in the mid 1800’s. There are so many pieces of history in the area to explore.
These old churches are still in use today for weekly services.
Many of the gravesites around the church belonged to the same family and their descendants, the Kvasnikoffs.
We spent a couple days driving around these little villages. We were lucky to see the sun shining one day!
The Kenai and Ninilchik rivers are popular fishing spots, especially when the salmon are running. Some areas are deeper than others.
We drove down to the little marina and walked along the water in Ninilchik. The sun was out, but we couldn’t get a clear view of the volcanoes across the inlet.
Another popular thing to do in the area is dig for clams. There is a village called Clam Gulch just a few miles north of here. We didn’t try digging because none of us were interested in eating clams.
The marina was filled with fishing boats. They appeared to have large gill nets and they were parked 3 deep on each side of the docks. They didn’t have far to go to catch fish. We saw them right off shore near the mouth of the river. One type of salmon were definitely running! Each type has specific dates when they are to be easily caught.
Around the small village of Ninilchik were remnants of the old houses and lots of history. It didn’t look like very many families currently live here.
I bet the view of the mountains and volcanoes is spectacular, but I wonder how many days per year that you get a good view across the water?
On our way back home, a low cloud almost like fog started rolling up from the water. It was warm out and sunny, but we had to get a closer look from a scenic lookout point.
Our campground was about 35 miles from Homer and 35 miles from Soldotna. It was perfect for heading north or south for sightseeing. Most people staying there were going out to fish each day. The campground website can be found here.
One day we drove north to Kasilof to eat, since cafes are few and far between. They had a giant porch swing out front.
At the Kenai visitor center, there were old pieces of history on display. Across the parking lot, a farmer’s market was set up for the day. We have seen many of these during our trip and have bought several yummy food items.
The drive from Anchorage was very scenic, but it rained the day we drove through the mountains heading south. There were little fishing lodges and stores and restaurants made from logs. I loved seeing these log cabin structures along the way.
My words and pictures do not do this area justice. Most people who cruise in Alaska will never see the beauty of the peninsula. The most northwestern cruise dock is located in Seward, but the buses go back and forth to the airport in Anchorage. If you are lucky enough to go by bus, you will see some of these marvelous sights.
