The Cabin at Kenai Lake
The Airbnb
This was one of the most memorable Airbnbs we’ve ever stayed in and we both agreed that our days here were some of our favorites in all of our Alaska trip. It was just north of Seward, one of four beautiful cabins rented out by Jan. I was drawn to the “Yakutut” due to the contrast of the bright yellow with the green and blue of the surroundings, and I noted that it’s the newest of the four, but we had trouble deciding which of the cabins to rent as they were all a lovely aesthetic mix of rustic Americana and Scandinavian design.
There was so much to love. We grilled fish over the fire and roasted s’mores, relaxed on the deck drinking beer in the 10pm sun, admired the mountains and dense forest on the other completely undeveloped side of the lake, read books from Jan’s bookshelf (how had I never read The Hobbit before?), and were also thankful to have dedicated an entire day of our tip to resisting other excursions on the Kenai peninsula and simply staying in and enjoying the space.
We bought salmon in Seward to grill
S’mores overlooking Kenai Lake
Our “Day Off” at the cabin
On this “cabin day,” we started by paddling around on the still, quiet lake with the property’s two free kayaks, following around a bald eagle as she looked for breakfast. In the afternoon, we made use of the amazing sauna. Jan told us that in his native Finland, every community and many families have them, and he gave detailed instructions that made it easy for us to do on our own (the sauna is technically communal space and open to guests of all four cabins, but we had it to ourselves both times we used it). It was in an adorable red cabin that had a deck hung with Tibetan flags and chairs set up to enjoy the views of the lake.
The Finnish Sauna
To use the sauna, Drew started a fire in the wood-burning stove, and we left it to heat up for about 90 minutes, replenishing the wood halfway through to get it really hot. Once it was ready, we followed the suggestion of spending 15 minutes in the sauna (Jan recommended heating it to 60 degrees celsius for “children or beginners” or 80 for the true Finnish experience; doing the Fahrenheit conversion is a bit intimidating but I promise: we felt fine!), then jumping in the lake for a “refreshing” icy dip, and alternating the process 3 or 4 times with breaks to drink water or beer on the dock. It was such a great afternoon.
Waiting for the sauna to heat and chilling wine in the glacial lake
Love this vintage wall hanging inside the cabin
getting more wood for cooking and s’mores