Soldotna, Alaska

Known as Alaska’s Kenai River City, Soldotna is used by many visitors as a home base for their explorations of the Kenai Peninsula and the neighboring Kenai National Wildlife Refuge.

The city is also known for offering guests wonderful accommodations. The famous Kenai River flows through the town, and it was rated as the #1 Fishing Hotspot in North America by Field & Stream Magazine in 2004. (The importance of fishing to the region is evident from the town’s street signs, many of which are the names of fish). Wildlife lovers will definitely want to bring cameras; it’s not uncommon for moose to meander through town, and wolves, caribou and brown and black bears are frequent visitors as well.

One popular activity in and around Soldotna is canoeing. Two places to check out for canoeing are Swan Lake and Swanson River.

Soldotna’s population as of 2003 was around 4,000 people. Visitors will enjoy the relatively mild summer and winter temperatures; summers are usually in the 50s and 60s and winters are generally in the low teens.

Skagway, Alaska >>>