Doctors, retired NFL players, commercial airline pilots—you never know who you will be sitting next to at the Salmon Venture Cabins evening campfire. It’s hard to believe that with all Alaska has to offer recreationally that the evening campfire always gets mentioned as a highlight.
Location
Salmon Venture Cabins is situated a quick 25-minute plane ride from Anchorage to the Kenai Peninsula or a breathtaking four-hour drive if you rent a car and drive South to Kenai. Stop in Girdwood or Hope on the way down. Each of these towns offers local artists, habitat, and sightseeing opportunities.
The world-famous Kenai River situated on the Kenai Peninsula is a slice of heaven. It’s hard to imagine within 10 miles of Salmon Venture Cabins you can buy groceries, get your favorite wine, spirits or cigars. After a long day of salmon fishing, you can stop at several excellent microbreweries, restaurants or even refuel with local coffee. In Soldotna, the St. Elias Brewing Company and Kenai River Brewing are easy to access and each serves a variety of delicious food.
Many guests hire local guides to float down the Kenai River for out of the way fishing or opportunities to view moose, bear, eagles and caribou. These float trips can last from 2-8 hours.
"We host people who try to fish the whole day, every day, that is not an easy task when the sun shines nearly 21 hours a day," explains Teresa Markworth. "Standing in the rushing waters for that long is thrilling yet exhausting. Exclusively for our Salmon Venture Cabin guests, we provide a commercial vacuum sealer as well as our large walk-in freezer."
You can swap fishing stories while you assist in packaging your daily catch and knowing that you will be taking your fish home with you. Assistance is given to package salmon or halibut into airline approved shipping containers that keep fish frozen. The on-site packing and freezing saves guests hundreds of dollars each year.
Sightseeing
There is a reason why the Kenai Peninsula is called Alaska’s Playground. Wilderness hiking is an option in the area; however, locals recommend the free hikes offered by the park rangers. The rangers at Skilak Lake are aware of the wildlife in their area and can provide a narrated tour of the Alaskan wilderness that is trouble-free.
Seward is about an hour drive north situated on a magnificent inlet. Seward offers outstanding views, and a trip to the Seward Sea Life Center never disappoints. Be sure to have your camera charged and extra memory cards if you enjoy photo journaling your trip.
Homer is approximately an hour South of Kenai. Homer is home to the halibut capital of the world. Fishing from Homer is on many an individual’s agenda. Each year Homer hosts a “Halibut Derby” that each licensed fisherman can enter for bragging rights of the biggest halibut of the year. The views of Kachemak Bay are stunning; in addition, do not miss out on the Homer Spit. The Spit is host to tasty seafood restaurants, quaint shops, and a must visit to the Salty Dog Saloon.