We just returned from our third Alaska vacation in as many years. This year we opted to rent a car and explore the Kenai Peninsula late August and early September. This is a gorgeous time to visit the state, with all the flowers and fireweed in full bloom.

Because my husband is retired military, we are able to stay at military facilities. The first two nights we stayed at Elmendorf Air Force Base. The only catch to staying there is that reservations for retirees can be made only two weeks in advance. As backup, I had made reservations at the Dimond Hotel (using the Alaska Tour Saver Book – google it if you plan to do any type of Alaska travel on your own – it can be a real money saver), but cancelled them when we got into Elmendorf, where we stayed for two nights. We crashed the first night after eating a meal at the Glacier Brew House. Day two we did some shopping, stocked up for our condo in Seward, and then visited the Alaska Native Heritage Center in the afternoon. Be sure to take an escorted tour around the property – fun and enlightening!

You drive from Anchorage to Seward along the Sterling Highway, one of the most scenic routes in the US, with opportunities to spot beluga whales to the right and dall sheep on the steep mountains to the left.

We reserved a condo rather than a motel room at the Seward Military Resort, in order to be able to do our own cooking. (We found restaurants in AK to be very overpriced and, to be honest, not that great.) We stayed in a motel room last year and they are equiped with a small refrigerator, microwave, and large closets. Very adequate, but not as roomy as the condos, which have two bedrooms, kitchen and a sofa.

We booked a fishing trip through the resort. It was scheduled for the next day, and we were told to report to the lobby at 5:45 a.m. to get our licenses and boat assignments. The boats hold about 14 people and have two deck hands to assist. That day, four boats went out from the resort, in part due to the fact that the previous day’s fishing was cancelled due to rough seas. From Seward it takes about three hours to get to the halibut fishing area. The previous year, everyone on our boat got his/her limit of halibut and we had time left over to fish for silver salmon, which everyone also got their limit of. This year we weren’t so lucky despite the captain moving to several locations. The halibut we got were smaller; my husband got two and I got one. People did catch some unusual critters, which was interesting, including an octopus, several lingcod, rockfish, a skate, and, at one point, a bunch of dog sharks. Two people on our boat got pretty sick. I cna't imagine paying that much (about $140) and being sick the entire time. I'm glad I took my Dramamime.

We got back about 5:30 that afternoon and worked with the others to fillet and vacuum seal our fish using the resort's facilities. Everyone is very helpful; the boat assistants will fillet for a tip. We ended up with about ten pounds of halibut, a nice haul, but disappointing after the previous year. That evening we feasted on fresh sautéed halibut and salad.

The resort is very well maintained, has lots of amenities, great free coffee and internet in the lobby. We have our reservations set up for next year!

For up-to-date prices and other information, google either site.