Alaska summers are short but very long. We have a tremendous amount of sunlight, which helps us navigate this great state. There are so many different places that you can visit. You just have to get out there and do it.
You can visit Valdez, my wife took some of our extended family there for a little Halibut fishing. They did well and cam back with 10 fish. on the drive from Anchorage to Valdez you will see many spectacular sights. You can also get to Valdez by taking the Alaska Ferry from Whittier. This is an easy trip and a great way to see Prince William Sound. You can then drive back or hop on the ferry for the return trip.
Homer is another excellent choice, and although I will not make it there this year there I definitely recommend it. In Homer you can visit the spit; this is where you will find the boat harbor and launch for fabulous Halibut charters. You can get a water taxi to Halibut Cove or Seldovia. Both destinations offer excellent choices for dining and some fabulous art galleries. The Kachemak Bay is a beautiful destination.
I really like visiting the Cooper Landing area on the Kenai Peninsula. Cooper Landing offers excellent trout and Salmon fishing as well as wildlife viewing. On numerous trips I have fished along side black and brown bears. Eagle watch as we catch our fish, then slowly drift down the river. This last weekend we visited the mouth of the Kenai River for a little Alaskan fun; Dip netting. This is an Alaska tradition and a great way to stock you freezer full of fish.
On the day we visited 100,000 Red Slamon came into the river, yes, I said one hundred thousand. People line the shore with large nets scooping out fish; in one area boats of all sizes go up and down the river with Dip nets hanging over the side. A dip net is a 4 or 5 circle with gill netting in it. Most people have a 5-6 foot handle on the hoop. You wait to a fish swims into the net and then haul it in. On the day we visited the river there may have been 500 boats on the river scooping up fish. There is a weir just past this area, and the next day the weir count showed 68,000 fish made it through the dip nets.
Our family pulled in 55 fish, and the friends with us pulled in 65 for their family. We got our limits and headed home.
There is so much to do up here it's really hard to get it all in. You can go clamming. You could hike one of the hundreds of trials that are in the South Central Alaska. You can water ski, white water raft or kayak; don't forget ocean kayaking. There's flight seeing, and then the normal pursuits like softball, and baseball.
Oh yeah, I forgot the most important thing. You have to work and get some sleep. I have to go, my wife says I need to mow the lawn, don't forget your chores.
