"Kenai Peninsula Road Trip and Kuskokwim... " a Alaska Travel Page by AlbuqRay

When I first started thinking about my two-week trip to Alaska, I had grandiose plans. I was going to start with a cruise; see Anchorage, Seward, Homer and the rest of the Kenai Peninsula; do Denali and Nome; and then visit friends in Bethel on the Kuskokwim River. No problem, right? Wrong! Alaska is huge. That itinerary would have taken me two months, not two weeks. I ended up settling on an 8-day road trip in the Kenai Peninsula, including a side trip to Seldovia, and then 6 days in the Bethel area.

It was difficult to decide how to fit my road trip tips into VT's Alaska locations. I have many things along the Seward Highway and the Sterling Highway that do not have an associated town. What I decided to do was put those tips at the Alaska level and then do separate tips for the towns i visited. They include Bethel, Homer, Seldovia, Kenai, Ninilchik, Happy Valley, Anchor Point, Nikolaevsk, Cooper Landing, Girdwood, Hope, Anchorage, and Seward.

People ask me why I chose Bethel, so here it is... When I used to coach my daughter's soccer team in Albuquerque, I had two players from Bethel. One still lives in Albuquerque but has family in Bethel, and the other now lives in Bethel full time. They always said I would love Bethel if I visited. Based on their recommendations, I decided to visit. Okay, okay, so I waited 14 years, but I found out they were right! The scenery is beautiful in its own way but is not as spectacular as places like Homer, Seldovia and Seward; however, the real beauty is that the people are wonderful! It was like going back in time. It reminded me of when I was a boy in Oklahoma in the 1950's. People are so friendly, helpful and trusting. Most don't even lock their homes or cars. I know you may have never experienced that kind of attitude, but I highly recommend it. You will then understand why Bethel is so special. Although the weather was bad part of the time, I still had great fun experiencing the Kuskokwim bush country.

Here is my actual itinerary, including things to see, places to stay and places to eat. Please note that this was primarily a trip about visiting friends and learning about the history, culture and environment of Alaskan people. It was not intended to be a fishing trip. I had hoped to do some fishing in the Kuskokwim bush country but it did not work out. However, you will see many places (and fish) in my tips that anglers would love.