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Though the name duality between the Kenai Peninsula and city of Kenai can cause some navigational confusion, it's apropos that the region and its oldest community share a name, because the city of Kenai offers a slice of everything the rest of the Peninsula has to offer.

Kenai's history is lengthy and diverse. The community was officially founded in 1791 by Russian fur traders, who established a post on a bluff overlooking Cook Inlet and the mouth of the Kenai River. But they by no means were forging into unexplored, uninhabited territory. The Athabascan Dena'ina people had made the central Kenai Peninsula area their home long before even Capt. James Cook loaned his name to Cook Inlet by exploring here in 1778. Life for the Dena'ina was subsistence-based, and they made rich use of the plentiful salmon runs the Kenai River has to offer.

Russian Orthodox priests soon followed the fur traders and melded with the Dena'ina culture. After the United States purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867, the U.S. military established its own fort atop the bluff, in what is known now as Kenai's Old Town district.

Walking tours of the area yield remnants of all these eras, which mingle to form Kenai's unique character today. There's the picturesque Holy Assumption of the Virgin Mary Russian Orthodox Church, with its cross-topped onion domes and white picket fence, built in the late 1800s. Also in the area are historic homestead, commercial and civic buildings, as well as artillery from the old U.S. fort. The church isn't the oldest in Alaska, but it is the oldest to never have suffered a fire, so it displays the most authentic representation of traditional Orthodox Church architecture in the state.

Several U.S. fort buildings were moved across Old Town in 2009 to the headquarters of the Kenai Historical Society, near the Kenai Fine Arts Center on Cook Avenue. The center exhibits a new local art display each month (visit www.kenai.net/finearts to keep tabs on the schedule) and the building itself is worth a look. It used to serve as the town's jail, police and fire station and still has cells with bars for doors, which make for very secure storage.

Self-guided walking-tour maps of Old Town are available at the Kenai Visitors and Cultural Center, on the Kenai Spur Highway at the portal to Old Town. But don't just grab a map and dash off. The center is worth exploring as well and is an excellent resource for historical information about the area, wildlife viewing opportunities and accommodations. It hosts interpretive programs throughout the summer. For an updated schedule of events and programs, check www.visitkenai.com. The museum portion houses more than 3,000 artifacts significant to the Native, Russian and early American histories of the area, and an art gallery displays work of prominent cultural and creative value.

The summer 2010 show will be "Sacred Place, Sacred Time," a display of Russian Orthodox artifacts and icons -- oil-on-canvas paintings depicting religious scenes -- some older than the Holy Assumption parish itself.

"We've found that when we have visitors come to Kenai, they are extremely interested in what it used to be like," said parishioner Dorothy Gray. "They're hungry for information on what life was like 100 years ago or 150 years ago. That is part of our goal in preserving the church, is maintaining its historical integrity for generations to come."

Kenai's beaches on the north and south banks of the mouth of the river offer miles of sandy stretches to walk and look for seals, beluga whales and bald eagles; gaze across Cook Inlet at active volcanoes; and watch the commercial fishing fleet in action or resident Alaskans dipnetting sockeye salmon from the water in July.

The Kenai River flats along Bridge Access Road offer another prime spot for viewing wildlife, especially migratory birds. The Kenai Birding Celebration, typically scheduled for late May, offers guided birding trips, informational presentations and social activities open to novice and seasoned birders alike. Keep an eye on the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Web site for details: www.kenaiwatershed.org.

Cunningham Park on Beaver Loop Road is an excellent spot for sportfishers to wet a line in the Kenai River, especially in pursuit of king salmon, sockeyes in July and silver salmon in August. Or if a round of golf is more your style, try the 18-hole Kenai Golf Course on Lawton Drive. But be prepared for a relaxing round, as golfers sometimes have to pause to take in the scenery while waiting for moose or caribou to clear the fairway before play can continue.

More sports action can be found just up Lawton Drive at Coral Seymour Memorial Park, where the Peninsula Oilers collegiate baseball team makes its home. The club boasts former players who have gone on to the Major Leagues, including John Olerud and J.D. Drew. The 2010 home game schedule will be available at www.oilersbaseball.com. And the Twin Cities Raceway, on Shotgun Drive at Mile 6.5 Kenai Spur Highway, (www.twincitiesracing.net) revs up sports action with Sprint, Late Model, A-Stock, B-Stock, Quarter Midget and motocross races.

Just as the city of Kenai plays a central role in the larger Kenai Peninsula community, history, culture, scenery and recreational opportunities are central to what Kenai has to offer. It's a slice of the Peninsula sure to fill anyone's appetite for exploration.

Kenai events/festivals

Christmas Comes to Kenai

Visit with Santa Claus, enjoy the Electric Lights Parade, sit hot cocoa around the bonfire and watch the fireworks display in Kenai's annual kickoff to the holiday season.

Where: Kenai Chamber of Commerce parking lot, 402 Overland Ave.

When: Nov. 26

Cost: Free

Phone: 283-7989

Web: www.kenaichamber. org

Kenai Birding Celebration

Participate in guided birding tours on the Kenai River flats, attend informational presentations, join in social activities for the whole family, or set out on your own to watch as the annual spring migration of shorebirds stops over in Kenai.

Where: Kenai

When: Late May

Cost: Free

Phone: 260-5449

Web: www.kenaiwatershed. org/shorebird.html