My favorite destination is Kenai Beach near the mouth of the Kenai River; it’s one of the best and most easily accessible beaches in Alaska. Find it at the end of Spruce Street on the north side of the river. A line of low dunes backs the fine sand.

Captain Cook State Recreation Area (907/262-5581, www.alaskastateparks.org) is 25 miles from Kenai at the end of the North Kenai Road. This is a delightful place to camp, hike the rocky shoreline, look for agates, enjoy the views across Cook Inlet, or simply relax. On summer weekends locals come here to swim in the surprisingly warm waters of Stormy Lake.

Families will love spending an afternoon at the North Peninsula Recreation Area’s Nikiski Pool (907/776-8472, www.northpenrec.com, open daily, $7 with waterslide), where the featured attractions are a corkscrew waterslide, a “rain umbrella,” a hot tub, and a large pool for lap swimming.

The Kenai Peninsula Oilers (907/283-7133, www.oilersbaseball.com) play semiprofessional baseball at Coral Seymour Memorial Park in Kenai. The team has won several National Baseball Congress World Series championships over the years and is always fun to watch.

Kenai Golf Course (1420 Lawton Dr., 907/283-7500, www.kenaigolfcourse.com) is an 18-hole public course. In the winter, cross-country ski trails are maintained here; call 907/283-3855 for specifics.