Ninilchik

Name: Alaska.org
Price range: $

Come to this fishing town and you’ll probably leave with, among other things, a cool picture of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Built in 1900, the church is a reflection of the Russian fur-trading village this town used to be—and there is still a Russian community here, though Ninilchik doesn’t strive to be a themed tourist town.
Indeed, the quaint Russian sights are not the only great photo ops here. Across the Cook Inlet you can see four active volcanoes—including Mount Redoubt and Mount Iliamna—and if you spend enough time fishing, you’ll likely get a good pic of a jumbo-sized halibut. In fact, you don’t even have to cast your own reel, but rather show up at Ninilchik’s small boat harbor where people gather to watch the colorful commercial boats come in at high tide to show off the catches of the day.

Ninilchik hosts the Kenai Peninsula Fair where you can get an up-close look at what the area has to offer, including farmers showing off giant vegetables, locally produced native crafts, a rodeo, livestock shows, and samples of everything from fresh salmon to micro brews.