Ron & Katya Kruckenberg

This is the property Ron and Katya spent their entire adult lives working toward — their retirement estate, and what they call a little piece of Heaven. Ron grew up in Montana; Katya is from Donetsk, Ukraine. Married for years and Alaskans for forty-five of them, they searched the Kenai Peninsula for more than a decade before they found exactly the right place to settle for the rest of their lives.

That place turned out to be one of the oldest established fishing spots on the Kenai River, dating back to the days of the Russian Trade — the old Russian Trail Head still runs across the property. From their picture window, the river bends past nearly two acres of prime bank, with the mountains standing guard all around.

The name came on the very first day. As Ron tells it, a lone eagle greeted them right in front of the window and talked loudly for several minutes, as if to welcome them home. Over the years they've come to understand why the eagles love it here — the food, the water, the perfect conditions to raise their young. There's never a dull moment, Ron says, and never a stressful one either. King salmon break the water out front. Eagles wheel overhead. It is, simply, a good place to be.

Eagle's Eye Vacation Rentals is how they share it. Stay with them and you get more than a clean, comfortable cabin on a world-class river — you get access to real Alaskans who know exactly how to make your trip better, in any season.