One of our favorite states is Montana. If you have ever been there, you know exactly what the cliche “Big Sky” means. Alaska takes the concept of big to a whole new dimension. There is a friendly bone of contention between Texas and Alaska over state size. There is no denying that Texans and their state do things in an undisputed big Texan way… but Alaska is bigger hands down. How big? Alaska is bigger than Texas, California, and Montana combined!
Given Alaska’s size, it is loaded with diverse terrain. Different side by side weather systems are common. Denali is a great example of extreme weather variation. You can also see from the above map that the glaciers are clustered in the southeast of the state. If you want jaw dropping alpine scenery, this is the area for you. Communities such as Talkeetna, Palmer, Wasilla, Anchorage, Kenai/Soldotna, and Homer all share these scenes in varying degrees. Homer’s attraction is that it sits next to the glaciers but is very much a seaside town.
Homer sits at the confluence of Cook Inlet and Kachemak Bay. These lead to the deep rough waters of the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea. This aquatic paradise is home to Orca whales, halibut, salmon, and Alaskan King Crab. Homer has the unique distinction of being the worldwide halibut fishing capital.
Homer only has about 5,000 local residents but the town swells with tourism during the summer season. Geographically the three primary areas of town are the Downtown, Old town, and the Spit. Beluga Lake is a hot bed of sea plane activity all summer long. In the winter, the lake transforms into a giant skating rink. The town airport is also situated alongside the lake. Covid shut down all flights into Homer but rumor has it that Ravn Air will be starting back up again.
So if you hear someone going on about how big Texas is… you can smile and quietly know that it not entirely the case.
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