Visiting Halibut Cove should be on everyone’s bucket list and here at Stillpoint Lodge, we aim to make it special. Check out these five reasons why Halibut Cove is the ideal destination.
Of all the animals in Alaska (moose, wolves, caribou, and more), bears still tend to be the most sought after by wildlife enthusiasts hoping to catch a glimpse of one in their natural habitat. Here are some facts about bear viewing in Alaska that can help you plan your dream vacation.
Exploring Kachemak Bay’s rocky shores and tidepools is a singular experience when visiting Stillpoint Lodge. This part of the coastline is known as the intertidal, the zone of shore between high and low tides. And it is a world of extremes. As the tide comes and goes, the intertidal is sometimes drowned by the sea, sometimes parched. When exposed to the air, it can be baked by the sun or gripped by freezing temperatures. Sometimes it’s throttled by waves, other times slapped by the wind.
Each year we look forward to the first taste of fresh fish, a fish pulled right from the sea. The best food on Earth, I might add. All winter long, we eat salmon, halibut, cod, and other Alaskan seafood and meats out of our freezer. It is delicious and of course nutritious, but by spring, we are eager for fresh seafood and to feel the tug of a fish at the end of our line. And we’re lucky, because we live on Kachemak Bay, a 40-mile-long arm of the Gulf of Alaska that scientists think might be one of the most biologically productive ecosystems in the world.
Alaskans aren’t known for their fashion, unless you think about the gorgeous fur parkas that are part of traditional dress for numerous groups of Native peoples here—they’re known as atigi in Iñupiaq—or beautiful and practical mukluks, boots that keep your feet warm and dry in the winter while being light and flexible. In the area near Stillpoint Lodge, it is hard to tell the difference between some of the wealthy individuals that have million-dollar homes in the area from the coffee shop owner. Well worn jeans, quick dry pants, hiking or rubber boots, layered shirts, puffer jackets, vests and ball caps are the fashion of choice.
There’s no better time and place to eat than summer in Alaska. Perhaps I am slightly biased on this. Forgive me. But really, where else can you eat wild fish right out of the sea? Or clams and mussels fresh from the Alaskan ocean? Here, wild berries can be gobbled by the handful, still wet with temperate rainforest dew. Or you can enjoy flavorful garden greens made tender by Alaska’s chilly summer mornings. We grill wild meats sustained by miles and miles of pristine lands. And I haven’t even mentioned Alaska’s famous carrots. Perhaps it’s the minerals in the glacier-fed soils that make them so sweet and crunchy. Some of the most discerning eaters I know (ahem, my children!) find they’re best pulled straight from the soil.
Fat Bear Week just came to an end in Alaska. It's an annual celebration of the fattest brown bears in Katmai National Park and Preserve, a gloriously remote swath of mountains and salmon-filled rivers where there are more bears than people. Each summer, brown bears crowd into the region's frothy streams to claw salmon out of the eddies and waterfalls in order to pack on the pounds to sustain themselves for a long winter of hibernation. Many gather at the famed Brooks River falls where they compete for fishing spots while sockeye salmon leap through rushing water to upstream spawning grounds.
How to See Whales, Bears, Eagles and More Incredible Wildlife in Alaska
No trip to Alaska is complete without seeing one of these majestic animals.
By Brad Japhe
Alaska exists on a wholly different scale than the rest of the US. It is the biggest state in the union — nearly 2.5 times the size of Texas. The final frontier is home to Denali, highpoint of the North American continent. It holds 34,000 miles of coastline, more than half of all the other states combined. You’ll also find the country’s highest volcano, its largest glacier, as well as the four largest national parks. Throughout this grandeur resides an animal population as diverse and abundant as anywhere on the planet. It attracts another sort of beast, altogether. Wildlife viewing is a primary draw for the 2 million tourists that make their way to Alaska in a normal year.
This is not a normal year, of course. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t start mapping out your next Alaskan adventure now. In fact, with 663,000 square miles to cover, you can’t start soon enough. If it’s wildlife you’re after, this place will deliver like no other. The only question is, what do you want to see? Depending on your answer, here’s a list of where exactly to go. And even though it might be a while before you’re actually on your way, many of these destinations maintain webcams so you can enjoy a virtual sneak peak in the interim.