Can’t Miss Spots During A Weekend in Homer, Alaska
Homer isn’t necessarily one of the first places you think about when planning a trip to Alaska, but it should absolutely be on the list! This cute little town, known as the “Halibut Fishing Capital of the World,” can’t be accessed by motorcoach or the Alaska Railroad, so you’ll need your own car. Homer is about 4.5 hours from Anchorage, and the drive will take you down some of the most beautiful stretches of roadway in the state.
Where to Stay
There are some amazing places to stay in Homer, including some right on the Homer Spit, but once I found Baycrest Lodge, I didn’t want to stay anywhere else.
The property has 7 different types of units spread over nearly 9 acres (space isn’t an issue here!) The owners of the lodge built the units by hand, including the spruce furniture and steel accents inside. We stayed in Alder, which is a building with two units, Alder is the entire second floor. Our beautiful retreat was on a cliff’s edge, 550-feet above sea level. We were treated to unobstructed views of Kachemak Bay and the Kenai Mountains, a large shared lawn, stunning outdoor fire pit, sitting area at the edge of the bluff, as well as a private hot tub!
Where to Eat
There are lots of great dining options in Homer, but during our weekend in town we found ourselves at Two Sisters Bakery on more than one occasion. There may be a line out the door when you arrive, but it’s absolutely worth waiting in! Enjoy a hot coffee and fresh pastry for breakfast (highly recommend the sticky buns,) a delicious sandwich for lunch, or make a reservation for their legendary dinner specials! Everything is made fresh daily, so you can’t go wrong with anything on their menu!
Where to Drink
If you’re looking to enjoy an ale in Homer, you have to stop by Salty Dawg Saloon! This little cabin was one of the first to be built on the Homer Spit, all the way back in 1897. You might recognize it from episodes of Deadliest Catch, or you might have heard about its famous quirk, that the inside is covered in dollar bills. Either way, when you’re in Homer, you have to stop by for a beer and leave a dollar on the wall!
What to Do
Halibut Fishing
What’s the one thing you absolutely have to do in Homer, Alaska? Go Halibut fishing in the “Halibut Fishing Capital of the World”! We went on a 1/2 day Halibut Charter with Inlet Charters Across Alaska Adventures and boy were we glad we did! It was an early morning, we had to check-in at 6:30 AM, but it was totally worth it. Halibut are bottom-dwellers in the ocean, so
Bear Viewing
There are two national parks just a stone’s throw away from Homer. Lake Clark National Park and Katmai National Park are the best places in the world to view grizzly bears. So we absolutely couldn’t miss out on that! We went on the Short and Sweet trip with Alaska Bear Adventures which only took a few hours out of our day, and put us on the beach with bears for just over an hour. Bonus to sharing a beach with grizzlies? The flight to and from the national park soared over absolutely stunning landscapes where we saw mountains, glaciers, and even volcanoes!
