Southcentral towns outside Anchorage often have a wide selection of lodging to accommodate visitors who come to town for a weekend's relaxation, to fish or to show off the state to relatives.
Larger hotels often have restaurants attached. But in towns the size of these, a restaurant or cafe is usually not far away.
Kenai Peninsula
On the Kenai Peninsula, many motels, B&Bs and lodges are geared toward anglers and winter enthusiasts.
Seward, Moose Pass and Hope are on the eastern side of the peninsula; travelers use the Seward Highway. The Sterling Highway branches off of the Seward Highway and heads first west and then south. Towns and communities along the Sterling include Cooper Landing, Sterling, Soldotna, Kenai, Kasilof, Ninilchik, Anchor Point and Homer.
Reachable by boat and plane from Homer are Halibut Cove and Seldovia.
Mat-Su Borough
The Matanuska-Susitna Borough covers the area north and northeast of Anchorage. Its main highways are the Glenn and Parks, and the towns include Big Lake, Palmer, Talkeetna and Wasilla. Because the borough includes the mighty Matanuska and Susitna rivers, it's often called the Mat-Su Valley.
Talkeetna, just south of the Alaska Range on the Parks Highway, is a must-see spot for many visitors because of its fishing and, especially, its proximity to Mount McKinley. Climbers and flightseers use it as a base of operations.
Prince William Sound
Valdez, the main port in the Sound, and Whittier are reachable by road, but reaching Cordova requires a plane or boat. The state ferry system serves all three towns.
Copper River / Wrangell-St. Elias area
The easternmost portion of Southcentral Alaska includes the Copper River Valley and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. This area, including Glennallen and McCarthy, is accessible via the Glenn or Parks highways.
