Get 0ut: weekend in Homer

  • Published
  • By Luke Waack
  • JBER PAO
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  Bored with city life and the same old routine? Want to get away from it all? Those with a prescrip¬tion for some angling excitement or a rest and relaxation weekend will find Homer is just what the doctor ordered.

Located just a few hundred miles from Anchorage, the Alaskan fishing village with a population of about 5,400, has a lot to offer.

Fishing is good in Homer; the town is host to some of the world's best fishing and is billed as the "Hal¬ibut fishing capital of the world."

Anglers can fish for many spe¬cies including halibut, salmon, rock¬fish, lingcod, trout, dolly varden and more. There is also less traditional fishing, where beach combers can pick up clams, oysters and mussels.

Fishing trips can be purchased from any of a large number of charter providers, from $200-$500. Halibut excursions vary in length from half-day jaunts to overnight adventures with the potential to haul in a two day limit. There is a 2-fish limit per day and with a "small" halibut weighing in at 15 pounds and the winner of this year's Homer Halibut Fishing Derby weighing in at more than 200 pounds an angler should bring a cooler - maybe two or three - to carry home his or her catch.

Fishermen can fish from the beach with their own equipment or purchase a charter where everything the angler needs is provided - even fish cleaning services.
Along with "Halibut fishing capital of the world", Homer claims the title of Alaska's Art Capital with a wide variety of choices in the arts including performance, visual and literary art. There are also galler¬ies with most participating in "1st Friday" where on the first Friday of each month artists are available to meet patrons and discuss their work.
"The Spit" is a 4-mile stretch of barely above sea level land where most boats are docked and where many of the fishing charters shove off from. The spit is also home to restaurants, fish stores, and gift shops. Camping on the beach is allowed and common.
Fans of the TV series "The Deadliest Catch" - a show which documents Bering Sea fishermen in their pursuit of king crab - might catch a glimpse of Captain Andy Hillstrand's Time Bandit as it sits in dock at Homer, between fishing seasons. If the ship's not in the harbor, those interested can still visit the Time Bandit gift shop on the Spit.

With the 4-5 hour drive from Anchorage down the New Seward and Sterling highways, Homer is too far for a comfortable one day trip, so travelers should plan for two or three days to comfortably see the sites and enjoy the atmosphere.

Dozens of hotels, motels and inns offer lodging, along with more than 100 bed and breakfasts, cabins and cottages. Longer stay arrange¬ments are also available, or if a night's pup tent slumber is all the budget will allow or is preferred, primitive camping grounds are also available. Recreational Vehicle parks and hostels are there as well for the traveler's benefit.

There is much more to do and see in Homer. For more informa¬tion, visit the Homer Chamber of Commerce website, www.homer¬alaska.org.