As visitors descend into Homer along the Sterling Highway, Kachemak Bay spreads out in front of them. The view can be so mesmerizing that there's a park atop the bluff so drivers can pull off and enjoy the sweeping vista from Augustine Volcano to the Homer Spit and beyond.
What locals say about Homer
"I've been in Homer five years. I'm a retired schoolteacher; I lived in Eagle River. When I retired, Homer won out over Arizona, California and Nevada. Homer is just the best place."
-- Linda Winters, halibut derby coordinator for the Homer Chamber of Commerce
An explosive past
Volcanoes are part of Alaska's history, and today they still dominate portions of the state's horizon. The Aleutian arc contains 80 volcanoes, 44 of which are active. A drive from Anchorage to Homer can highlight a number of volcanoes. Remember "AIR" -- Augustine, Iliamna and Redoubt from south to north -- to recall the volcanoes in the proper order.
• AUGUSTINE VOLCANO: It is an island volcano in lower Cook Inlet and rises 4,025 feet. The volcano's most recent eruptions were in 1976 and 1986, covering much of Cook Inlet in ash.
• ILIAMNA VOLCANO: It is a stratovolcano and part of the Aleutian Range in Lake Clark National Park. Iliamna rises 10,016 feet. At least 10 glaciers come from the summit area.
• REDOUBT VOLCANO: It is also a stratovolcano and is almost Iliamna's twin, rising 10,197 feet. It most recently erupted in 1989-90.
• MOUNT DOUGLAS: It is visible only on the most clear days southwest of Homer. It rises about 7,000 feet.
When it comes to Homer, whether it's fishing, kayaking, beach walks, inspiration for artists or wildlife, it's linked with Kachemak Bay.
"Kachemak Bay is just wonderful," said Linda Winters of the Homer Chamber of Commerce. "There is so much to do. Go across the bay and enjoy the state park, go camping. There's fishing, kayaking, hiking, Seldovia."
Going across the bay is one of the things the Center for Alaska Coastal Studies specializes in. The center has a field station on Peterson Bay, which is reached via a boat ride.
The center (www.akcoastalstudies.org, 1-907-235-6667) offers guided hiking tours and tours that include both hiking and kayaking. The boat trip from Homer to Peterson Bay includes a stop at the Gull Island seabird rookery. Cost is $95 for adults and $63 for children younger than 12. The tour-kayaking combo is $140 per person.
Hikes can include trips to the rich intertidal areas of Peterson and China Poot bays and the coastal forest between the two bays.
"It is an incredibly rich area," said Marilyn Sigman, director of the Center for Alaska Coastal Studies. "We've been taking people there for 20 years, and you can see 40 to 50 marine invertebrates right there. There are interesting geological formations and evidence of plate tectonics.
"There is a Native house site from the early Eskimo people. We walk through a ghost forest, which has evidence of the 1964 earthquake."
The center also has yurts that allow guests to spend the night across the bay. Sometimes the best time to look for marine invertebrates is early in the morning on a low tide. The yurts are $20 per person or $75 for a group.
Sigman said the hiking-kayaking combo is popular. St. Augustine's Kayak and Tours (www.homerkayaking.com, 1-907-299-1894) provides the guided kayaking.
"It gives a really different perspective," she said.
St. Augustine's also offers half-day, full-day and multiday trips along with kayak rentals apart from the Center for Alaska Coastal Studies.
St. Augustine's owner Scott Burbank said the hiking and kayaking in Kachemak Bay are unparalleled.
"I think Kachemak Bay is a great location for kayaking because of its diversity of scenery and attractions," he said. "My personal favorite thing about paddling Kachemak Bay are the availability of state park hiking trails. I cannot think of anywhere where water trails connect so well with hiking trails."
Kachemak Bay State Park is one of the largest coastal parks in the nation. The park and its neighbor, Kachemak Bay State Wilderness Park, offer about 400,000 acres. The area includes islands, mountains more than 4,000 feet high, fjords, glaciers, beaches and rugged coastlines. There are about 90 miles of hiking trails in the state park, which can only be reached by boat or plane. There are several air and water taxis that provide access to the park and the smaller communities across the bay from Homer, including Halibut Cove and Seldovia.
Derotha Ferraro, director of the Homer Chamber of Commerce, said the pull of Kachemak Bay goes naturally with a community that offers so much to visitors.
"I think the best reason to come to Homer is because it has everything in one location," she said. "You can see a glacier, kayak, hike a trail, halibut fish, salmon fish, shop for souvenirs and art all right here.
"It's a combination of nature, wildlife and things to do."
One thing to put on the to-do list is the Islands and Ocean Visitor Center, 95 Sterling Highway. The $18 million center gives visitors a glimpse into the world's largest seabird refuge, the remote Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge.
It's a challenge to represent a massive refuge that includes 2,500 islands stretching from Southeast Alaska to Point Hope and Icy Cape in the Chukchi Sea. The 38,000-square-foot visitor center sits above Bishop's Beach with an outstanding view of Kachemak Bay. Information is also available about the Kachemak Bay Research Reserve.
"We want to try to give visitors a window into the largest seabird refuge in the world," said Marianne Kronk, manager of the visitor center. "We want them to understand how big Alaska is, and we get them to try to imagine a refuge that extends from California to Georgia and the Dakotas. That's how big the refuge is."
The visitor center includes interactive programs, exhibit halls, hiking trails along Bishop's Beach and Beluga Slough, docent-led stations and a 14-minute film, "Journey of the Tiglax."
The Tiglax is a research and supply vessel for the refuge. Kronk calls it a "pickup truck for the 4.9-million-acre refuge."
A trip to Homer wouldn't be complete without a stop at the Pratt Museum, 3779 Bartlett St. The museum is unlike many, with exhibits co-developed with the community.
The museum's main exhibit, "Kachemak Bay: An Exploration of People and Place," features community-based videos, photo essays, computer interactive displays and remote video technology that takes visitors beyond the museum's walls.
Annually, the museum invites community artists to create special artwork to be displayed along the mile-long forest ecology trail. The "Facing the Elements" exhibit is exposed and changes throughout the year.
"The museum is a gem, a real jewel of the Kenai," said director Heather Beggs. " 'Facing the Elements' is great for all ages. It's a bit of an adventure."
Speaking of adventures, the Homer Spit is where many adventures start. The Spit serves at the jump-off point for all things water-related in Homer. There also are several businesses, shops and restaurants along the narrow jetty of land sticking about four miles into Kachemak Bay.
The Sea Lion Fine Art Gallery, 4241 Homer Spit Road, is one of the businesses that find a home on the Spit.
Homer has a healthy arts community.
"The setting, the natural beauty of Homer is very inspirational, the way the sun rises and sets over the Kenai Mountains," Ferraro said. "For artisans, it really seems to bring their creative energies alive.
"Because we have so many artists gathered here, it's only natural that cooperative things happen."
Some galleries and shops in Homer include:
• Art Shop Gallery, 202 W. Pioneer Ave.
• Bunnell Street Gallery, 106 W. Bunnell St.
• Fireweed Gallery, 475 E. Pioneer Ave.
• Jars of Clay Pottery, Main Street at Pioneer Avenue.
• Picture Alaska Art Gallery, 488 E. Pioneer Ave.
• Ptarmigan Arts Studios and Gallery, 417 E. Pioneer Ave.
• Rare Bird Pottery, 2015 Bay Ridge Road.
• Sealight Gallery, 2750 Sterling Highway.
• The Studio, 177 E. Bunnell St.
Seldovia is just a plane flight or boat trip away, and it's worth a little effort to get to the unique community.
The Otterbahn Trail leads to Outside Beach, with beautiful views across Kachemak Bay and out into Cook Inlet. The volcanoes across Cook Inlet are visible on clear days.
The easily hiked trail is rich with birds and berries. It is thickly wooded and fairly flat. There is a boardwalk across a wetland. It would be easy to spend an entire day enjoying the hike and scenery.
In Seldovia, there are restaurants and lodging options, including bed-and-breakfasts, to make the stay enjoyable. Fishing charters, kayak rentals and bicycling are all available.
The community's Fourth of July celebration is an attraction for many.
Special sections editor Steve Edwards can be reached at sedwards@adn.com or 257-4316.
