The Charming Small Town In Alaska That Was Home To Jewel Once Upon A Time
By Megan McDonald|Updated on April 09, 2024(Originally published August 16, 2022)
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Megan McDonald
Author
Megan McDonald is a writer, photographer, and owner of humu media, an Alaska-based digital media agency. She spends her free time traveling with her husband and daughter around the US and the world.
Homer is a charming small town in Alaska that was singer Jewel’s hometown! Not many people know that Jewel spent the majority of her growing up out on a homestead in this small town on the Kenai Peninsula. But it’s no surprise that this gorgeous small town on the bay is producing award-winning musicians!
Homer is a gorgeous small town right on Kachemak Bay.
With a small population, and gorgeous views of hanging glaciers, pink sunsets over the water, and snow-capped mountain peaks, it’s a little slice of heaven. It’s actually one of the most popular vacation destinations in the state.
It also happens to be the childhood home of singer Jewel.
Born Jewel Kilcher, she was raised on a small homestead right outside Homer, and found this beauty at her doorstep every day. Even though she was born in Utah, her family has a long history of living in the state.
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In fact, her grandfather was a delegate to the Alaska constitutional convention and a state senator.
He was also credited as the first person to cross the Harding Icefield. It’s no surprise that shortly after she was born her family relocated back to Alaska.
Her home didn’t have indoor plumbing, and had only a simple outhouse, like many homes in Alaska. There was heat, but there was a coal stove that they used when the temperatures dropped.
You’d find her picking berries for jam, tending her garden, and fishing to freeze for the winter. She also rode horses every day and is an accomplished rider to this day.
One of the things that Jewel often mentions is how much she loved growing up in Alaska.
She spent her earlier years learning to sing and yodel with her father and even performed at the Hilton and the Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorage. Local businesses in Homer helped raise the funds to send her to a private arts academy in Michigan, which is when she left the state. After school, she ended up finding success with her first album.
And living in a place like this, with wonderful people like you’d find in Homer, is an absolute blessing. The beautiful views, small-town charm, and fun things to do make it the perfect place to grow up. It’s an iconic place to be able to call home. If you have a chance to visit this lovely town, don’t miss it!
