Homer, Alaska :: essays research papers

Where the land ends and the sea begins Homer is the hub of the lower Kenai Peninsula of Alaska, an area incomparably rich in natural wonders and recreational possibilities. The Kenai Peninsula is an Alaska in miniature, a combination of mountain and meadow, coastline and island. The backbone of the peninsula is the Kenai Mountain Range, which separates the rolling hills and salmon streams from the Gulf of Alaska and cradles the 1,000 square mile Harding Icefield, a trackless inland ocean of 3 million-year-old ice. Around Homer, rolling hills and ridges overlook Kachemak Bay and Cook Inlet. Bears, wolves and moose roam the uplands; dozens of species of birds gather each spring to feed on the mudflats at the head of the bay. Until the early 1950s, Homer was accessible only by boat, airplane or driving the stony beach from Kenai. Paved road now strings together the coastal towns of Ninilchik, Anchor Point and Homer, affording impressive views of volcanic Mount Iliamna, rising more than 10,000 feet above the sea, and Mount Redoubt, which became active again in 1989 after a couple decades of slumber. Across Kachemak Bay, fabulously rich in marine life, mountains, glaciers and steep-walled fjords dramatically drop into the ocean. When wrapped in mist, the thick stands of spruce and hemlock lend an ethereal air to the secluded coves and bays. Seldovia, Nanwalek and Port Graham are ensconced in such sheltered recesses at the tip of the peninsula. The Southern Peninsula offers visitors an unparalleled blend of the wild and the picturesque, of vigorous life amid immemorial beauty, where glimpses of an eagle soaring, a salmon charging the rapids, or a sunset burnishing the mountain crests leave impressions that can never fade. Homer's population has grown to nearly 5,000 people, and the city serves as a trading and service center for nearly 10,000. It has a modern hospital, newspapers, public and commercial radio stations, a movie theater, thriving commercial and sport fishing fleets, and a high school that was honored in 1989 as one of the best in the nation. The Kachemak Bay area is the arts capital of South-central Alaska. An impressive group of professional and amateur artists provide residents with art shows, dance, music and drama throughout the year. The Homer Council on the Arts also regularly brings nationally- and internationally known performers to Homer. The area's major industry is commercial fishing, which pumps nearly $30 million a year into the local economy.