Homer, is it the last frontier?

If you watch the reality show, Alaska – the Last Frontier you may have seen the family struggles to find food, survive in the bitter cold and avoid encounters with wildlife, all while striving to keep their family together happy, healthy and safe.  The show centers around a family living near Homer, Alaska -in an area about 11 miles outside of the city. But, is Homer undiscovered and waiting to be tamed?

Homer on the Spit.

Located on the Kenai Peninsula, Homer is about 220 miles southwest of Anchorage and has become a popular tourists destination with many options for excursions to see wildlife, fish, and hike. And, if fishing is your thing,  it is known as the Halibut Capital of the world.  Not to be excluded, King Salmon, Silver Salmon, and Cob are fished in the area too!

Fresh catch right off the boat!

And, each year there are several tournaments with more than 150 boats registering to win grand prizes and large catches.  If you love fishing – this is your destination.  With tour companies like Nautic C’s an all female boat crew; Captain Kristen and her dog Juno along with her first mate can take you out on an all day fishing trip.

Captain Kristen Churchill, owner of Nautic C’s

Homer is also known as “the end of the road” because it is where the road winding southward from Anchorage ends.  But, no longer is it undiscovered; now retirees call it home after long careers. You find Ph.D.’s offering fishing tours and working as taxi drivers, or tech company executives now well-known local artists. It’s a little bit funky and a whole lot of fun!  Take a 45-minute ferry or water taxi to Seldovia which was once a Russian fur trading center.  It was also known as the Herring and Crab market for many years.  Today those two have been overfished and are no longer caught in the waters around Seldovia.

Seldovia, peaceful, serene and great fishing too!

Seldovia’s famous boardwalk

The weather is a moderate subarctic coastal climate allowing the city to have mild weather compared to the interior of Alaska.  Winters are snowy and long, but not particularly cold – January is slightly below freezing. You can find snow from November through March with about 50 inches per season. Summer months the temperature can reach the high 70’s and 80’s.

Icebergs and glaciers are waiting for you to explore.

With the mild winters and warm summers glaciers and fjords create beautiful scenery and inspire you to explore what can still be called the last great American frontier.