By SARA J. HARDAN-SMITH
Daily News correspondent
For many, Cooper Landing is the first stop to adventure after they've driven nearly 100 miles south from Anchorage. The twists and turns of the highway may seem exciting, but one look at the stunning turquoise color of the Kenai River passing through the town will make visitors stop for a moment to take it all in.
The town of approximately 300 residents was named for Joseph Cooper, who struck gold in nearby Cooper Creek in 1894. Many of the town's historic items can be found at the Cooper Landing Historical Society Museum at Mile 48.7 on the Sterling Highway. It's open 1 to 6 p.m. Wednesday to Monday from May 15 through Sept. 15.
Mona Painter, a historian and writer, has lived in Cooper Landing since 1959. Painter has worked hard to collect and record the area's history and share it with visitors.
She said the town's history is displayed in two historic buildings: Jack Lean's cabin, built in the 1920s and used as the post office for more than 40 years, and the School House, built in 1955 and used until 2001, when both buildings were moved to the museum site on the south shore of the river.
"We are right on the highway," Painter said.
New "Recreational, Cultural Interest Area" signs were installed in fall 2007, 1,000 feet in each direction from the museum, to help inform visitors of the museum.
Inside the museum, visitors will find various old area newspapers, videotapes of early residents, medical instruments used by area doctors Joseph H. Romig and Howard G. Romig from 1896 to 1980, all donated by the Romig family.
Inside the former post office, objects are set up as in a cabin. Painter said many visitors take pleasure in seeing the older objects used by early Alaskans.
"It is like stepping into the past," she said.
A slab of an approximately 600-year-old Sitka spruce and an amazing articulated skeleton of a 20-year-old brown bear are also great finds the museum has to offer. Pictures take viewers back to a time when the bridge over the Kenai River was covered, as well as the aftermath of the 1964 earthquake in which the bridge was ruined.
"It was broken up and fell to the riverbed," she said.
Painter said a new addition to the museum will be a covered area with mining items on display from nearby Surprise Creek and other Cooper Landing areas mined in past years. An area quilting group made a king-sized quilt, sold raffle tickets and raised $2,000 for the project.
"That will be a big improvement," she said.
Another great way to experience Cooper Landing is with Alaska Horsemen Trail Adventures located behind the Sunrise Inn on the Sterling Highway.
Owner Alex Kime has offered full- and half-day trips as well as pack trips and carriage rides for more than 10 years. Kime has 25 horses and enjoys introducing Alaska visitors to the wilds of Cooper Landing with half- or full-day pack trips. He also offers special, shorter trail rides for children.
Nora Hawkins, a wrangler at Alaska Horsemen Trail Adventures, said another great event offered on-site during summer months is gold panning. Sand and gravel are brought from the local Lillian L. Gold Mine on Quartz Creek, and participants spend about a half hour dredging the material through a sluice box.
"It is one of the original mines in the area," Hawkins said.
Hawkins said visitors find the experience exciting and enjoy returning home with their find.
"It is fun just to find color," she said. "It is historical and fun. It is part of what Alaska and this area was founded on."
For those looking for an excursion on the Kenai River, Whitewater Expeditions of Alaska has been offering fishing and scenic float trips on the Kenai River for 11 years.
Company owner Jeff Jones of Nikiski explains that he and his guides are safety-trained, experienced Alaskans licensed by the state and the U.S. Coast Guard.
"Our business is focused on the client's safety and quality of experience, and all trips are customized to meet the clients' preferences," he said, adding that the outfit runs no more than two trips per day -- about 10 trips per week.
Jones said boating and fishing gear is provided to clients, as are riverside snacks or lunch, depending on the length of the trip. The American-made Maravia 13- and 16-foot self-bailing rafts can accommodate up to eight clients for a trip many will not soon forget.
"On the Kenai River trips, our clients typically see moose, eagles, brown and black bears, beavers, and countless varieties of ducks and birds and other smaller critters," he said.
Jones said while the gear is provided to clients, many may want to come prepared for Alaska's unexpected surprises.
"The weather in Alaska is unpredictable, but it is usually warm in the summer months. Clients should bring a light jacket, hat, rain gear -- so it won't rain -- sunglasses, disposable camera, fishing license and lots of smiles," he said.
While Whitewater Expeditions also offers deep-sea halibut charters out of Homer, Jones said, the rafting trips launched from Cooper Landing are an unforgettable experience.
"The Cooper Landing area of the Kenai River is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful, scenic places on Earth. Rafting the upper Kenai is splashy and fun for all but not so extreme as to be dangerous. The opportunity to view wildlife in natural surroundings is unmatched, and the salmon and trout fishing are spectacular," he said.
"We enjoy showing visitors the natural beauty of Alaska and showing them how and where to catch big salmon, trout and halibut. Because we enjoy living in Alaska, we make sure our visitors have a great trip, with memories to last a lifetime."
Freelance writer Sara J. Hardan-Smith lives in Nikiski. •
Editor's picks
• Enjoy the river: Quite simply, the Kenai River is beautiful. Find a quiet spot -- they do exist -- and watch the river. Even if you never lift a fishing pole, the Kenai will leave its impression on you. And it's fun to watch anglers near the Russian River Ferry when the reds are in. If you want to see bears, this might be the place.
• Hiking country: One of the trail heads for the Resurrection Pass Trail is just outside Cooper Landing. You may not have the time or desire to cover the entire 38-mile trail but put on your boots and head out for some hiking.
• See jumping salmon: It's just a two-mile hike to the Russian River Falls, where you can see salmon trying to navigate the falls to continue on to their spawning area.
• Don't forget your pole: I'm not much for combat fishing, which is what you'll do quite a bit of at the confluence of the Russian and Kenai rivers. But if you love salmon, or love a good fish fight, this is the place -- kings, reds and silvers all return to this fishing mecca. And there is spectacular fishing for Dolly Varden and rainbow trout too.
What locals say
"We call Cooper Landing the gem of the Kenai, that's our nickname. The reason is because of the majestic mountains, the baby blue color of the river, the unbelievable fishing. We have the Russian River. The Kenai National Wildlife Refuge is right here."
-- Bob Rima, co-owner of Kenai River Drifters Lodge
