The Salty Dawg Saloon
Housed in two old cabins, one built in 1897 and the other in 1909, and a lighthouse, the Salty Dawg Saloon is one of the oldest and most recognizable landmarks on the Homer Spit, a five-mile long stretch of sand that juts out into Kachemak Bay. It’s also one of the best dive bars in a state that has no shortage of great dive bars. Serving drinks since the late ’50s (before it was a bar), the cabins served as Homer’s first post office, a school, a railroad station, a grocery store and at one time, a home to three adults and eleven children.
Inside, dollar bills cover every inch of open wall and ceiling space, hanging over the old wooden bar with thousands of carved initials like leaves on a willow tree. Each bill is inscribed with the name and hometown of its previous owner and the occasional bra or pair of panties adds a bit of color. Don’t expect any fancy Alaskan themed cocktails at the Salty Dawg. While it is a popular tourist destination, it’s also a hard drinking, fisherman’s dive bar with its own collection of local regulars and quirky characters.
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