In Whittier, after departing the ferry from Valdez we were immersed in one of the highlights of our trip to Alaska, the Kenai Peninsula. As with most journeys through Alaska the traveller is surrounded by stunning snow-capped mountains and lush evergreen forests. The air is crisp and clear and the fresh water is usually clean and clear.
While the first week through the Inside Passage had been overcast and intermittently drizzly, the weather began to clear up when we arrived in Valdez. While on Kenai the majority of days were relatively warm and sunny. A noticeable effect on the locals could be seen during those days.
Well, we were there mostly for the fishing. In Valdez the salmon were jumping out of the water and people were pulling them from Port Valdez in droves. At the time we were only halfway through our trip so we were saving our fishing towards the latter end so we wouldn't have to deal with a bunch of frozen fish while cruising around.
While in Soldotna we fished on the Kenai River, catching five silver salmon and a couple of pinks that were returned to the water.
The next day we visited Homer and caught halibut out in Kachemak Bay. With this haul we drove back to Anchorage through beautiful Kenai Peninsula one more time, briefly contemplating a river rafting trip down the Kenai River.
Besides the fishing there's lots to do while on the Kenai Peninsula. Hiking and camping are two highly recommended activities. Chartering a floatplane for a scenic tour of the Chugach National Forest would be another at the top of an adventurer's list. Kenai is also home to numerous glaciers. Trekking around on glaciers or exploring ice caves is alot of fun, or skiiing the numerous ice-capped mountains and ice fields.