julesann

My husband and I (mid sixties still active backpackers/hikers) are flying into Anchorage from Juneau after a small boating trip in Glacier Bay and vicinity. We fly in on June 18 and have until our flight home on June 25. We will have a car and are looking for suggestions for places to stay for hiking/views/birding/wildlife. We were thinking of heading to Clam Gulch area for a few nights (but open to other places) and then to Homer and possibly going over to Kachemak Bay State Park and staying for a couple of nights in a not too expensive lodge or airbnb. Any and all suggestions/ideas very welcome. Thank you !!

christym907

I would divide your time between Seward and Homer. Not sure what you would do in Clam gulch if you aren't fishing. There are great hikes around Seward and the Sealife Center is great. You might find place to stay in Moose Pass and drive into Seward for the day. Lost Lake is a popular hike. Exit Glacier is another one, of course. Homer is one of my favorite Alaska towns. You can take a boat over to the trail leading to Grewingk Glacier. Lodges across the bay are typically pricey, but I would encourage you to research some of them and see if they are in your price range. If you choose to hike anywhere by yourselves, please, please let someone know where you are going and when you will be back. Go on well traveled hiking areas. It is easy to get lost and you never know about bear and moose encounters. Be prepared for any kind of weather as well. It won't get all the way dark that time of year so that's a plus. Lodging is filling up already in Seward and Homer so decide soon!

julesann

Christy, Thank you for the helpful information. I appreciate your input with specific hikes (and your cautions). My husband was a NPS backcountry ranger in Ak so lots of experience, thank goodness.

I think we will go straight to Seward from Anchorage and try to spend a few days there. Things are booking up fast--only got one night in Seward this morning but still looking.

Then we will go to Homer and try to find a way across to Halibut Cove area and the Grewingk glaicer hike. Any other suggestions wise guides about places to go on our way to Homer and from Homer--by car or ferry?

julesann

I'm wondering about other places we can visit after two nights in Seward and two in Homer--we will have two more nights before we need to drive back to Anchorage We could take a ferry to Seldovia--what would you recommend doing in that area--and places to stay, visit and eat? Or other ideas around Homer.

dfrostnh

What happened to Clam Gulch area? We stayed in Kenai with family years ago in late June. We explored a beach where some rvs were parked. There were two guys on their two weeks off from work on slope netting salmon but it wasn't dip netting. The nets were strung out into the river then hauled in. One was resting with cramped hands from gutting so many fish. Wives had said to limit to 250 lbs. the other, still working, would toss guts into the air for seagulls. He also gave us a fish to cook. The Kenai side of the KP is flatter and marshier so that's were we saw the most moose incliding one hanging out next door in Kenai suburbs.

I think it was the visitors center in Kenai or library with a fascinating collection of native artifacts. There was a great family restaurant that had peanut butter frappes and delicious halibut bites.

We took a nature cruise on the Danny C across to Seldovia but we aren't hikers so just walked around. It was a good place to see lots of eagles. We had a package deal to stay at the small hotel with a flightseeing trip back to Homer flying over a glacier. After doing a glacier cruise out of Seward, the Danny C wasn't as interesting.

Allow time on way back to Anchorage for tram ride up Alyeska. Seems to me there was also some good hiking in the area. We attend the Forest Fair in Girdwood, me enjoying the craft vendors, where we had our closest bear encounter. The bear had been attracted by food smells. I saw bushes moving and heard a lot of yelling. I also liked the visitors center in Portage where you could listen to recordings of people telling about their experiencs during the big earthquake.

Before our KP trip I read Anchorage Daily Mews and the KP news to see what was going on. Our visit to Homer included a stop at the farmers market since we happened on the right day. At the time the Sealife Center in Seward had a special octopus. Enjoyed a halibut dinner and dinner show probably in Soldotna. Hobo Jim did the show. It was that long ago.

Nelson

We haven't been there yet, but FWIW we decided to spend our final two nights in AK in Girdwood instead of Anchorage. According to Google it's less than an hour to the airport so with a red-eye flight we have all day to get there. Among other things we'll be able to visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Portage, and maybe see Turnagain Arm Bore Tide.

Gardyloo

I guess I'd say that a trip that begins with Glacier Bay and then moves up to the Seward/Kenai Fjords and Homer/Kachemak Bay areas is going to cover pretty much the same kinds of scenery - inlets, glaciers, a chance for marine wildlife...

Not that that's a bad thing - it can be spectacular - I'm only saying that it might feel a little one-dimensional. Of course, if those are the kinds of landscapes you're seeking, it hardly gets any better.

If you're looking for a place to hike on the way back to Anchorage, you might have a look at Hope, down at the end of the Hope cut-off from the Seward Hwy. There's very limited accommodation there (it's a tiny settlement, the only one on the south side of Turnagain Arm) but there are some decent hikes along the Turnagain Arm shoreline, or up Resurrection Creek. Hope is an historic old gold mining village, with a lot of quirky and artsy people (as well as some gold miners still living up the hollers) and worth a visit.

Map - https://maps.app.goo.gl/LuwrvUXH1EsihWnU9

christym907

Mako's water taxi can take you over to the trailhead that links to Grewingk glacier. and they will pick you up at another place over in Halibut cove. Glad to know your husband is a park ranger! You might find a place to stay in Seldovia too. but that requires another water taxi and time. There's an old Russian Orthodox Church in Ninilchik on the way to Homer that is interesting to visit. and there's tide pooling around Homer too, just ask the locals. Have a great trip

Madam397

Homer is quite spread out, no central place to stay. We did enjoy the Pratt Museum, as both an art and history museum. When you are driving into Homer from Ninilchuk there is a spectacular pullover location for the scenic view. NInilchuk is absolutely teeny tiny so if you do stop there it won't take a lot of time. If you drive down on a clear day you can see the volcanoes across the inlet. If it is foggy and misty, not so much and have experienced both.

In Girdwood, the Alyeska Tram is definitely worth it, especially on a clear day. There are lots of hiking trials right from the grounds of the Alyeska Lodge and yes with a red-eye flight home, you can easily drive from Girdwood to the Anchorage airport without any issues.

christym907

Nothing happened to Clam Gulch as far as I know! I'm glad you had a good experience there. I guess I was just thinking if I had a choice of Clam Gulch or Homer, I would choose Homer as a place to stay for a couple of nights.

julesann

Wow! Thank you for the great ideas--you all are fantastic.I am making a list of the places to visit. I love the story dfrostnh We decided to skip Clam Gulch in favor of solstice (and a music festival) in Seldovia. We decided on Homer and Seward (thanks christym907 ) with a stay/hike near Moose Pass on our drive back to Anchorage.

Madam397

In Moose Pass there is a rustic lodge right on the lake. We didn't stop there apart from a stop for coffee and a cinnamon bun on our drive south from Anchorage to Seward.