A floatplane moored in Homer

Somehow everyone loves Homer. The setting is gorgeous with views across the water to the glaciers and mountains of Kachemak Bay State Park. It is a relaxed place too, with a well-developed arts community and something of a cafe society.

Then there's the allure of The Spit, a four-mile-long gravel bank that juts out into the bay. This is where everyone comes to sign up for halibut fishing trips, rent kayaks or to catch the cute little ferry out to Halibut Cove, a tiny village almost entirely built on boardwalks over the water.

The Spit is also home to Spit Rats, college students and dropouts who come up to Homer for seasonal work and spend the summer camped out on the beach. They've got the right idea - it is hard to beat spending long sunny evenings lounging outside your tent, occasionally nipping across the street for a beer at the wonderfully characterful Salty Dawg.