Ninilchik, Alaska

A photographic haven lodged in history and in legend, Ninilchik is a fishing community that lives up to its Russian name, "peaceful settlement by a river." The flavor of this old Russian fur-trading village still emphasizes its past prominence.

The Old Russian Orthodox Church, built in 1900, and the historic cemetery overlook the entire rustic village of Ninilchik, and peacefully share the brilliant Alaskan sunset skyline with Mount Redoubt and Mount Iliamna, which are perched across Cook Inlet. Beaches, rivers and boat launches provide access to Cook Inlet for world-class salmon and halibut fishing.