The Kenai Penninsula

Kristen won a Halibut charter for two out of Homer so we packed up the car and hit the road to explore the west end of the kenai which we haven't been to before. This side of the Kenai is known as Alaska's playground because of it's sandy beaches and world class salmon runs, halibut, razor clams, shrimp, beluga whales, sea otters and so much other wildlife! I like to think of it as the California of Alaska, but with glaciers and without 20 million people.

Looking across the turnagain arm to a glacier on the kenai.

Near Soldotna looking across Cook Inlet at the Aleutian Range.

Soaking in that rare beautiful sunshine.

We camped on Kasiloff beach near the mouth of the Kasiloff river and tried to catch king salmon. King salmon have been heavily restricted this year to only certain sections of certain rivers on certain days and that day was the very last day allowed.

By the time we got out there the tide had come in making the river muddy and wide. Not very good fishing and we left empty handed.

A hitchcockian scene out of the birds, we had seagulls swarming and dive bombing us. Then we realized why haha.

Clam gulch, when you time the tides right razor clams can be dug in the mud flats.

A cool view of the iliamna volcano, an active volcano in the aleutian range.

People fishing on the homer spit. They were catching flounder and cod right off the beach.

The Salty Dawg saloon on the spit. A must see when you're in Homer.

Most of the undergarments have been removed from the ceiling but a few remain. Kristen refused to leave hers.

The boardwalk is a neat scene. Gift shops, native arts, sport fishing shops, fish n chips. Most of the buildings have a room up top you can stay the night in too.

A view of Katchemak Bay

Our view at Land's End at the end of the spit.

Alaskan beer, alaskan shrimp, alaskan halibut and alaskan king crab for dinner. This place is great!

Sea otters just hanging out. We headed out early with the Halibut charter. A little rainy but calm seas.

Nate catches the first fish of the day. A 10 lb cod. In the lower 48 that's good eatin, but here it's bait for bigger fish!

Kristen catches the next one, it's a big one she says. Takes her 15 minutes to reel it in. Too bad its a skate(devil fish). Not good eatin so he gets thrown back. With that we move to another fishing hole because the Skate will stick around and eat your bait.

The belts are very neccesary when you get a big one.

It's hard work bringing them big fish up from the bottom. 300 feet down 1000 feet up.

Octopus! The captain said it was pretty rare to pull up one.

Kristen's catch, and finally a Halibut! 2nd biggest of the day.

The two biggest of the day.

The 12 biggest of our catch. Everyone is allowed two and there were 11 of us on the boat. The gamble is once you decide to keep one you can't throw it back if you get a bigger one. We threw back probably 100 or so as a boat. all of them easily 15-20 pounds. I've never been excited about fishing but it was a blast.

Not only was it a great experience but you come home with 20 lbs of boneless, fresh halibut. Easily 300 dollars worth of fish if bought from a store.

We camped by the Kenai river on our way home. Can't keep kings and it's a little too early for the red, pink, and silver salmon but there's massive rainbow trout and dolly varden in there. It's fair to say we have fish fever.

 A few Alltons Johnsons and Duncans will be up this next week, Woohoo. Can't wait to show them a good alaskan time!