Homer, Alaska

Homer is a town of about 5,000 year 'round residents at the Southern tip of the Kenia Peninsula. It is the nearly true-to-life inspiration of Tom Bodett's (Motel 6 "We'll leave a light on for ya." and the voice for Animaniacs "Good Idea/Bad Idea") series of books. It is known as The End of The Road, the Cosmic Hamlet by The Sea, The Halibut Capital of the World, and a quaint drinking village with a fishing problem.

Homer is one of the most culturally active cities in Alaska, inspiring such visual artists as Sherri Govertsen-Greer, Nancy Yaki, and many more. Our music scene contains jazz and bar-standard artists Too fat to fly, Alaska's state balladeer, Hobo Jim, the bluegrass kings, Three Legged Mule.

Like most Alaskan towns we have at least as many bars as churches. This ratio is important for a good time in any town.

  • Alice's Champagne Palace: A good place to see a show. Michelle Shocked and Cracker played here just last year. Also a good place to catch up on your Alley McBeal on Monday nights if, like a lot of the town, you don't have a TV.
  • Kharacters: Just across the street (within crawling distance if ya got to) from Alice's, this bar holds Kwiz Nite every Thursday, starting some time between eight and ten, hosted by Johnny the Mind, Three Legged Mule every Sunday night, great bluegrass with Johnny on electric banjo.
  • Dougan's Waterfront Pub: Another good bar for a show. Seamus Kennedy, all the way from Ireland via Annapolis, Maryland plays every spring, just before he heads to Nome to do his Iditarod show.
  • The Otter Room: Good pool tables, a million beers on tap, a fire-place and cozy lounge chairs, this bar is attatched to the local Best Western hotel.
  • Internationally renowned Salty Dawg Saloon: At the end of the Homer Spit, at the edge of the harbor. This is a good place to catch up on fishing reports, get into fights, pin a dollar or an undergarment to the wall or ceiling, and drink until you puke on the saw-dust floor.
  • Chart Room Lounge: Upscale bar, at the very end of the Homer Spit attatched to the nicest resteraunt and hotel in town. Great bar food, excellent lunches and dinners, and some big satellite TV's in case being in Alaska has left you in the dark on the latest sports scores.

There are, of course several other bar/saloon/pubs in town, but I don't go to them. Either they are too far out of town, or the life expectancy of the average person is too short.

Another fine highlight of Homer, Alaska, featured by most of the bars in town, is Homer Brew. On the front of their brewery they boast Fresh Ales To Go. Excellent marketing ploy, in my book. Anyway, one can purchase a growler of their brew at the brewery or pints at nearly every local bar. I recommend the Red Knott Scottish Ale, comparible to Alaskan Amber, but fresh, live, and tasty without the bittersweet bottled tang to it. mmm.. Ambrosia.

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