On the way to Homer
Welcome to the Kenai Peninsula!

So says the sign marking your arrival to more than 15,000 square miles of the most beautiful and diverse country Alaska offers.

And so say the more than 50,000 people who call the Kenai Peninsula home.

Driving south, you'll traverse high mountain passes as you follow the Seward and Sterling highways into the heart of the Kenai, winding through backcountry areas that are a playground for outdoor enthusiasts -- hikers, campers, fishermen, kayakers, snowmachiners, snowboarders and cross-country skiers.

From either of these highways, you'll get a close glimpse of Kenai Lake's turquoise waters. The color comes from silt washing downstream from mountain-hugging glaciers, remnants of gigantic bodies of ice that once blanketed this part of Alaska.

The Kenai River flows from the west end of the L-shaped lake. It and other salmon-filled streams on the peninsula are world-famous spots for anglers.

Following the Seward Highway to its terminus is the city of Seward, where you can dip your toes in the bone-chilling waters of Resurrection Bay. Take the Sterling Highway to its terminus -- Homer -- and your journey similarly ends at the water's edge -- Kachemak Bay -- with the rest of the North American continent at your back.

Here on the Kenai Peninsula, visitors leave Alaska's more heavily populated areas behind in favor of a vast wilderness. Long-legged moose break from tree cover and amble across the highway. Dahl sheep and mountain goats pick their way across craggy mountainsides that are their home. Elegant swans skim across peninsula lakes, rearing their growing offspring before heading south in the late fall. Bald eagles ride currents high above. Whales rise from the watery depths offshore to breathe in Alaska's pristine air and then, with a flash of their flukes, once again descend from sight.

Hope, at the end of a 17-mile, two-lane, winding road, is the first community to visit when heading south on the peninsula. Its history is rich with the discovery of gold in the late 1800s. Today, the quiet little settlement is home to few more than 100 people, but the stories from days gone buy still linger.

"Having seen Hope, it won't be necessary for us to see the Garden of Eden. Lovely, peaceful, historic Hope!" said Lois Allen, who wrote what is considered the first Alaska guidebook, "Alaska's Kenai Peninsula," in 1946.

The Seward and Sterling highways go their separate ways 90 miles from Anchorage. Stay on the Seward Highway for its final 37 miles to reach the city of Seward, with its face to Resurrection Bay and its back against 4,063-foot Mount Marathon. Founded in 1903, it is named for William H. Seward, the United States secretary of state credited with the purchase of Alaska from Russia. In the 1940s, Seward was Alaska's "gateway." Today, it is the terminus of the Alaska Railroad and the arrival and departure point for thousands of visitors traveling by cruise ship.

The Sterling Highway heads toward Homer, 130 miles to the southwest. Along the way, travelers pass through Cooper Landing, a community of more than 300 residents settled where the Kenai River empties out of Kenai Lake.

Archaeological research indicates prehistoric people settled in this area thousands of years ago. In the 1800s, gold brought a wave of activity. One of these gold-seekers, Joseph Cooper, gave the community its name. Today, Cooper Landing is a busy summer destination, offering fishing, hiking and rafting.

Near Milepost 64, visitors get a sweeping glimpse of volcanoes that are peninsula's neighbors. On a sunny day it is possible to see three -- Spur, Redoubt and Iliamna -- from this location.

Sterling and Soldotna are the next communities as drivers head south. Sterling's 5,000 residents are spread across the flat countryside. Near Sterling, a web of lakes offers scenic camping and canoeing opportunities for outdoor recreationists. Soldotna's 4,000 residents are more tightly gathered, with the Sterling Highway running through the center of town. King salmon of record-breaking size cause the population to soar during the summer, as anglers test their fishing skill.

A 10-mile drive west of Soldotna leads to Kenai, the peninsula's largest city. Situated at the mouth of the Kenai River, it was established by Grigor Konavalof, commander of the Russian ship St. George, in 1791, but it is from earlier inhabitants, the Kenaitze Indians, that Kenai gets its name.

The Kenai Visitors and Cultural Center offers information on the area and a schedule of interesting programs.

Continuing through Kenai, visitors will reach Captain Cook State Park. Camping, wildlife viewing, boating and beachcombing are only some of the activities the area offers.

Continuing south on the Sterling Highway, Kasilof is the next community. Like its neighbors, fishing is a favorite summertime activity. In the winter, however, the attention turns to racing sled dogs. Kasilof is home to the Tustumena 200 Sled Dog Race, a qualifying event for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

Clam Gulch, eight miles beyond Kasilof, has a reputation for excellent razor clam digging, as do the beaches at Ninilchik and Deep Creek areas, 12 more miles to the south.

Anchor Point is the final community before reaching Homer. In addition to beautiful scenery, it offers campgrounds, a golf course and excellent fishing in Anchor River. Charter operators also are available for fishermen eager to try their luck on Cook Inlet.

From there, it's a short 15-mile drive to Homer, on the edge of Kachemak Bay. Before descending to sea level, take advantage of a pullout area at the top of the hill overlooking Homer and the bay. From this vantage point, two more of the Kenai Peninsula's neighboring volcanoes can be seen: Mount Douglas and Augustine Volcano. Have your camera. You'll want to snap pictures of the view, complete with glacier-laced mountains, sparkling blue water and distant volcanoes.