See Trojan War for the ancient epics. Homer is a city on the Kenai Peninsula in Southcentral Alaska and is long known as the "Halibut Fishing Capital of the World." It is also known as the "End of the Road". The most westerly point on the North American contiguous highway system is in nearby Anchor Point. There the road (AK 1) turns southeast and ends at the tip of the Homer Spit, a natural sandbar stretching some four miles into Kachemak Bay, at the End of the Road Park.
Homer is named after Homer Pennock, a charismatic con man who led an expedition to the area in 1896 in search of gold. They found coal instead. Pennock left the expedition, supposedly to secure more funding, and never returned. For much of the history of this area the larger settlements were those on the opposite side of Kachemak Bay. The completion of the Sterling Highway (AK 1) provided road access in 1951, causing Homer to begin expanding and overshadowing its neighbors across the water.
There isn't a public transportation system in Homer, so your options come down to walking, riding a bike, hitching a lift, renting a car or taking a taxi. Distances, as with most places in America, are fairly large, but there are good footpaths all around Homer. If you are fit, walking can be a great way to see and get a feel for the town. Homer is laid out rather oddly, in "chunks" of areas with businesses separated by residential areas or wetlands. Old Town, south of the Sterling Highway between Ohlson Lane and Main Street, is where you will find the Homer Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center, a good place to get a map.
1 Homer Spit. Open all year, however shops at the end of the spit generally close around mid September and re-open in April. The Salty Dawg Saloon, Coal Point Seafoods, and Land's End Resort are among the few exceptions that are open year round. The Spit is a massive landspit jutting some four miles out into the middle of the bay. Although it is a naturally occurring formation, damage from the massive 1964 Good Friday earthquake made the harbor and other facilities inaccessible at high tide, and the Spit was partially rebuilt by the Army Corps of Engineers. The Spit is the center of all fishing-related activity in Homer, and has a host of gift and specialty shops and eateries.
1 Homer Public Library, 500 Hazel Ave (near Heath St), ☏ +1 907-235-3180, library@cityofhomer-ak.gov. Has free internet access, with 19 public use computers that can be reserved up to one day in advance. Visitors are allowed up to two 45-minute sessions per day on a computer, and must either have a library card or a guest pass to log on. (updated Sep 2015) Fishing: Homer claims the title of "Halibut fishing capital of the world. There are more than fifty charter operators that can take you deep-sea fishing for these monster flatfish. You can only keep two per day, but since in Homer they throw back fish under 20 pounds that will be more than enough for most.
Homer is a foodie paradise. There is a very wide range of places to eat, and only two franchise fast food places (Subway and McDonald's). Note that the Farmer's Market often has prepared foods and hot food when it is open. Most of these businesses are only open in the spring through the early fall. The Spit is a bit of a ghost town in the winter. Many of the small shops on the board walks on the Spit change businesses from one year to the next, explore and you might find something you really like. During summer there are also food trucks at the hockey rink and near some of the boardwalks. 1 Finn's Pizza, 4287 Homer Spit Rd (on the spit), ☏ +1 907-235-2878, hello@finnspizza.co.
Not all bars in Homer accept credit cards or checks, but there are ATMs available. 1 The Salty Dawg Saloon, 4380 Homer Spit Rd, ☏ +1 907-235-6718. On the spit is a colorful unique establishment inside a hodgepodge of rustic buildings. Don't miss this place. Go inside and leave your dollar bill on the wall! Open year-round. (updated Sep 2015) 2 Kharacter's Alaskan Bar, 197 E Pioneer Ave, ☏ +1 907-235-1455. A local favorite featuring nightly entertainment, either DJs or live music (updated Sep 2015) 3 The Alibi, 453 E Pioneer Ave, ☏ +1 907-235-9199. The Alibi has become a sort of hybrid, it is more of a restaurant than a bar these days, in a good way.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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