Seward for 4 days or also Homer
 

Hello,
I am planning a trip to Alaska for this July. As of now I have booked a hotel in Seward for 4 nights/4 days. Is this too long to spend in Seward? I'm also thinking about spending some time in Homer. Is Homer too far for a day trip? Should I split the 4 days up and spend 2 in Homer and 2 in Seward?
My wife and I like a good mix of activities (hiking, tours) with walking around town, so I think there's stuff in both towns that we'd like. Thanks
Adam

definitely split 'em. it's too far for a day trip and both have unique, worthwile attractions.

I think 95% of people would tell you to split your time between the two cities. They both have a lot to offer, and if you are looking to see a lot of Alaska, it would be worth your while.

However, we just finalized our itinerary and we are spending 4 days in Seward and won't be going to Homer. There are a couple of reasons for this, the most important being that in the past, we have always regretted having to drive too much. Since we're doing Denali as well, we decided to just see Seward and we'll get Homer on the next visit.

Another reason, though, is that there's a lot to do around Seward - at least the stuff that we like. We didn't want to breeze in and breeze out and only get a superficial feel for the place -- especially because we'll be spending one full day on the Northwest Fjords boat tour. That means we'd have had less than a day in Seward.

We're going to go sea kayaking, and do the Caines Head coastal hike, which we hear is GORGEOUS. (Here's a web site to it: http://www.millerslandingak.com/hiking_caines.htm ) We'll do the Sea Life Center and maybe just relax in our cabin. There's Exit Glacier, the dog sledding tours, etc., as well.

BTW, we found the most beautiful cabin -- I haven't seen any reviews of it on this site or or tripadvisor.com - so there is some risk that it won't be as nice as it seems, but we decided to take that risk. To us, a gorgeous cabin directly on the water, with eagles flying by, is a treat by itself. Here's the link to the cabin (we're staying in the Gateway, if you look at it, you'll see what I mean by gorgeous): http://www.alaska-cabins-seward.com/

I do feel a pang of regret for not going to Homer, but I would have felt even more regret rushing in and rushing out of Seward. Our experience from previous trips tells us that, for us, enjoying one place thoroughly is much more relaxing than rushing all over the place.

Bravo birder! You are so right that enjoying one place thoroughly is much more relaxing than rushing all over the place. Staying longer in one place is the best well known secret to falling in love with Alaska. I would definietly stay in one place

We spent two nights in Seward and two in Homer and felt it was the right mix. We also spent two at Cooper Landing, between the two, to fish.

Yes, if you are lucky enough to make frequent trips to AK, then it might make sense to skip Homer this trip. But for many folks seeking advice these questions are are for the first (and possibly only) trips . . . or at least the only one in the foreseeable future.

If that's the case for Adam, then he'd be very wise to split the time. I kept a boat in Seward and weekended there for years, but Homer is a special place.

I don't know how much time Birder or Z have spent in AK -- or if they've even been to both Homer and Seward.

Both towns have their unique charms and for 2 1/2-3 hour driving time during those long Alaska days, you'll see a lot more of the state.

And the OP does state that he's interested in both towns -- and for good reason.

Also, it's an easy and mostly interesting drive. Yes, you do go through some boggy areas near Sterling, but you also get some fablous views of Kenai Lake and the Kenai River, plus great coastal views of the volcanos across Cook Inlet.

Plus, if heaven forbid, the weather is lousy you don't want to be stuck in either place for four days -- trust me, I've done it in both towns.

BTW, is a ``best well known secret'' like jumbo shrimp?

One clarification: we actually won't be staying in just one place during our trip. We'll have 3 days in Denali, 1 in Anchorage, and 4 in Seward. If we were only doing the Kenai, we would split it between Homer and Seward. But with all the driving we are already doing, we decided to stay put in Seward. Actually we probably will do a day trip but it won't be all the way to Homer! :-)

I know many many people take 2 days in Seward and 2 in Homer, and are very happy with their choices. I just wanted to share what we are doing and why. We may end up regretting it, who knows? :-) We'll have to wait for my trip report in August to find out!

Message: Here's a sample split of the four days:

Day 1 -- Long Kenai Fjords tour, dinner at Rays, stroll downtown Seward and small boat harbor area

Day 2 -- Head to Exit Glacier and hike to the Harding Icefield. Pack a lunch and plenty of water. There's a steep hike to the icefield that has great wildlife potential.
http://www.akhs.atfreeweb.com/Hikes/...ngIcefield.htm

If it looks too much, you could just visit Exit Glacier in the morning and kayak in the afternoon. Chill out around town in the evening.

Day 3 -- Start early the trip to Homer. Take your time around Kenai Lake and stop at Guins (sp) for a nothing-fancy-but-hearty breakfast. Poke around Homer, have a drink at the Salty Dawg and look for eagles along the beach. At 5 p.m., catch the DannyJ to Halibut Cove and eat at the Saltry (you might want to stay overnight there).

Day 4 -- Visit Pratt Museum and do a guided or self-guided hike at the Center for Alaska Coastal Studies. They have some great tidal area walks.

http://www.akcoastalstudies.org/Tour...SummerHMPG.htm

I would too would recommending spliting between Homer and Seward. I find it interesting the recommendation for 4 days there when they haven't even been there yet??? I go to Seward every trip and 4 days is too long in that small area. Many activites can be done in one day. For clairfication your cabin will not the pristine "look" you may think. Lowell Point is frankly the ugliest area of Seward. A lot of junk all over, a big fishing area certainly and nice "beach" access, but a busy area in the summer in this crowded space- dead end. Quite a drive to get there- sometimes rock slides and no guard rails on the ocean side (no risk- just a statement about the nice scenery), unpaved road, one lane bridge and plenty of old abandoned boats etc.

Also it's 180 miles Seward - Homer, so more like close to 4 hours. I have never made it in less than 3 1/2, and that is without stopping, it's not all 55 mph and you can come up on a lot of slow moving vehicles.

Budget Queen I find your posts sometimes ignoring other posters as you consider your self the expert for Alaska. well, I been to Alaska at least 27 times so my suggestions comes from my personal experiences. At least I don't advertise here for MICA guiding company. You do!

Apparently, I've had more luck on the Seward-Homer stretch -- and I usually grabbed a cone at the Soldotna DQ.

I guess it might be a good place to interject that it's an Alaska law that if you're not at the speed limit and you're slowing down five or more vehicles you're required to pull over.

Just a clarification: I'm not recommending that anyone do anything. If you read my posts, you'll see that. I'm just saying that we decided to stay in Seward for four days, based on the fact that in the past we have felt exhausted from lots of driving. I also said that in the end we might end up regretting it. We are lucky that we have lots of FF miles (which we were easily able to use on this trip) and we believe we'll definitely be back and in fact we have a good chance of moving to Alaska. I agree with repete - if this was someone's potentially only trip to Alaska, they likely would want to split the trip.

While I am going against the "orthodoxy" on this point (staying in Seward so long), I am following it in many other ways: first bus into Denali, NW Fjords trip (the long one), etc. I really appreciate these boards and I've gotten great advice on my trip so far.

I've recommended splitting the time between Seward and Homer but I tend to get into high energy travel mode. On some vacations my husband has negotiated no rushing around every other day. (His idea of vacation is one week in the same place doing nothing more exciting than jigsaw puzzles.) A good point is made that maybe time should be spent to savor a place. We did not go to the Seward Historical Museum which does a presentation on the earthquake. We didn't go to Exit Glacier. OTH we visited places like Captain Cook State Park and talked to net fisherman (Kalifornsky Beach?) in the Kenai/Soldotna area that no one seems to mention. I loved the exhibit at the Kenai visitors center.
Depending on your lodging's policies, if you've had enough of Seward after 3 days, maybe you can leave a day early. Have a great trip.

OK Z- go ahead you are free to be the expert. I can AND do recommend many of my favorite venders in Alaska. And you haven't???? For your information- I live in New York. and have NO BENEFIT from my recommendations. I had an EXCELLENT trip with MICA guides- and will continue to recommend them as well as taking the Shuttle to at lease Fish Creek in Denali Park, The Northwest Fjord trip with Kenai Fjords, Coastal helicopter and Orca Enterprises in Juneau. Etc Etc ETc. So what?

Are you "Bob" who has emailed me???
No you started "it" when you claimed I was advertizing for MICA. My opinion only- they offered me a great tour at a very reasonable price. That may be of interest to others.

OK Budget Queen. I am sorry I did not mean to start this. Please accept my appolgy. I know you are helpful to some new and future visitors to Alaska. I just want you to realize there are other posters, like myself, who also love Alaska but may have different opnion than yours. All I am asking is for you to aknowledge these differences and not putting them down or assuming I never been to Alaska and I have no idea what I am talking about. Been there many times, every summer, for the last 16 years, we spent there at least 4-6 weeks, have cabins in Council and in Valdez. I can go on and on with my connections to my beloved state.
No, I am not Bob and I never e-mailed you.

Remember, it'll take part of a day just to get to Seward. Don't count on that day for too much activity.

I have a question for those people that have done the 4 hour or so drive to Homer. Would it be a waste to do just fly down and do a day trip or is there too much to do in one day? I know some of these Alaskan towns are really small as this is my 4th trip up. I don't really want to spend a lot of time driving either. I will be doing Seward as well, so it would cut down 1/2 of the driving to only have to drive one place. If it's worth the drive, I will do it and stay 2 nights.
Thanks.

You can have a great time and get a feel for Homer in one day. If the logistics of flying in and the expenses are a comfortable fit, then do it. Will you see it all? Nope, but it will give you enough of an idea to determine if it's what you're looking for on future visits.

While it might not fit your schedule, there's also a morning bus from Homer to Seward that could help others looking at combining the two towns.

In my opinion you would still need a car to get around. But certainly Homer is worthwhile, but part of the highlight are the marine activites. And certainly some of the drive there is scenic. It does need time.

Flying with ERA from Anchorage is another option. There is a rental car desk at the airport in Homer. Yes, you still need a car even for a day. Personally, I would rather fly to smaller town that is not acessible by raod as easily as Homer. But this is MHO

Thanks for the advice. I will probably just drive it. Does it really take 4-1/2 hours or is it less than that? I will be by myself, so just trying to get an idea of how long. I know I can stop in Soldotna along the way, but are there other little villages as well or just open road most of the way?

Four and a half hours is a very conservative estimate, assuming you're talking Seward to Homer.

That was the bus schedule time, which stops and oftens waits along the way at Kenai, Soldotna and Cooper Landing. Swinging off the main road to Kenai (about 10 miles each way) adds a fair bit of time to an already loose schedule.

There are possible stops along the way, including Moose Pass, Cooper Landing, Ninilchik and Anchor Point. Unless you're fishing there's not a lot to do in Soldotna. Kenai has a small museum and visitors center.

The best stops are usually just views across the inlet on a nice day.

I am talking about the drive time from Anchorage to Homer. Is it 4-1/2 hours or can it be done in less time than that? I think Budget Queen said about 3-1/2 from Homer to Seward. Is that correct? I don't mind 3-1/2, but get a little bored with an almost 5 hour drive when I am alone.

I've done it in under 4 1/2 but everything has to click In the summer, expecially head south Friday or Saturday and north on Sunday, it's rough and unlikely.

Early morning midweek is the best IMO. Homer-Anchorage is a long stretch, especially alone, and being unfamiliar with the route always seems to add a little stress if not time. Is there a chance you could break it up with a night in Kenai-Soldotna or Cooper Landing?

Deborah: I'd hate to miss the drive south on the Seward Highway because it's one of the most beautiful I've ever seen but you might consider flying to Kenai and renting a car from there. It's sort of half way between Homer and Seward. But, if you plan a good place to stop for lunch, the drive from Anchorage to Homer wouldn't be too bad. Soldotna's a good sized place with shops, strip malls and restaurants. There's a really good bakery if you needed a sugar boost. One of the local posters probably knows it. Big squashed cinnamon rolls. South of there, the towns are very small until you get to Homer. I got the feeling that Homer was more artsy although the galleries had works from artists from all over.

I drove about this same distance up in Nova Scotia and it was ok, but I wouldn't want to do any more than 4-1/2 hours or so on my own. I would be driving on a Weds. to Homer and on a Friday to Seward. It would be in May, so not full Summer Season crowds yet. I would hate to miss Homer if the drive is doable. Is the road in pretty good condition. I have driven down to Girdwood before and took the train to Seward once before, so I have seen some of the highway before. I don't mind driving, especially in a beautiful place like Alaska.

Yes- 3 1/2++ hours or so without stops- which you will want and need. :) I always stop either way at Gwin's at Cooper Landing. No way around it- it is a 2 lane road, you can be slowed down considerably with RV's, etc. Soldotna can be congested. A necessary reference is THE MILEPOST and also the Kenai Peninsula visitor guide. http://www.kenaipeninsula.org/

We visited in June and thought the roads were in excellent condition. My vote for a place to stop, eat and stretch your legs would be River City Books in Soldotna which is right on the Sterling Highway near the intersection of the Kenai Spur. It a little group of shops which includes a small gift shop, deli, the bookstore and Charlotte's. Here's a link to someone's write up:
http://www.allcampgrounds.com/reviews/espresso.html. I think May is before the big salmon runs start when everybody is headed to the KP. Soldotna has a population of over 13,000 so there are other choices for food stops. Books on tape might help make the drive easier. If you've forgotten anything, Soldotna is a good place and last chance for a good selection of stores before you get to Homer. Hope you have a great trip!

I've figured it out, BQ is driving a horse and cart. :)

Seriously, tho, while I think that drive can be made in under 3 if you push it, adding a break or stopping for a view is still worthwhile.

Gwin's is an excellent suggestion - best for an early breakfast or a late burger.

There are not a lot of interesting choices in Soldotna, although I remember about 20 years ago having a dinner that feature ``scalone'' a blend of scallops and abalone that was incredible. Dfrostnh's pick is a good one, too.

But if you just stop for a quick coffee to go and maybe a bathroom break, three hours is a pretty good estimate.

I'm not completely clear on the number of days you want to spend between Homer and Seward. Post that if you get a chance and maybe BQ and others can brainstorm on some more deinite options.

I also suggest splitting your time between Homer and Seward. You could easily spend four days in Seward but you can also see most of the things there are to see, including the Kenai Fjords tour in just two. Homer is one of my favorite places and I would not miss it. The view of the spit, the bay, and the lower peninsula as you crest the highway coming into Homer is beyond description.

Yep- I'm in the horse and buggy and Repete is in the rocket. :) :) :) But with the distance about 180 miles- I do like a few breaks. :) A good "guide" is the Kenai Peninsula visitor guide, because it mentions all the small towns. www.kenaipeninsula.com

I thought the 4 1/2 hour estimate was from ANC to Homer which sounds about right.

OK, BQ, next time we'll meet at Gwin's for breakfast -- I'll just sleep in a little later ... :)