Don’t worry, there’s not actually a grouchy old woman here: Owner Sharon Brower just wanted to ensure that visitors don’t forget the name! Sharon’s wry, entertaining, and sharp (but not grouchy), and her B&B is an affordable, no-frills option if you’re looking for remote lodging with easy access to Seward or Homer.
The rooms are in a 1970s ranch house with a daylight basement that she and her husband built overlooking Daniel’s Lake. Enjoy roadside walks in the surrounding forests, explore the beaches of Captain Cook State Park, or make a day of it and head off to Homer or Seward, both not more than 2 hours away.
The Grouchy Old Woman B&B has four rooms; two rooms with queen beds upstairs and two rooms downstairs one of which has two full beds and the other has a queen. All rooms are equipped with new TempurPedic mattresses. Each floor has a shared bathroom; upstairs there’s a shower and tub, while downstairs has a shower and a sauna. It’s “no frills,” as Sharon says, so you get lower rates.
You’ll feel like you’re in Sharon’s home, and you are. She and her late husband built the place, and she converted it to a B&B after he passed away. An avid gardener and 40-year Alaska resident, Sharon’s a great hostess. She’ll tell you about her years in Barrow or remote Western Alaska, offer advice on which books to read (there are bookshelves all over the house), and can explain the significance of the artifacts that line the walls. Whale bones, ivory, baleen, masks, grass baskets—it’s an impressive collection.
In the morning, Sharon or her daughter Trish (the “grouch in training”) will whip up a monster breakfast: sourdough pancakes or waffles, French toast, egg casserole, bacon or sausage (no smoked salmon, she doesn’t like it!), fresh cut fruit. And if you’re hitting the road early to explore Seward or Kenai, Sharon will have a cup of coffee and a breakfast burrito to “throw at you.”
Quiet, isolated, close to great hiking and recreation in Nikiski, and not too far from Homer and Seward, Grouchy Old Woman B&B has some of the most affordable rooms on the Kenai with a great “old” hostess.
