Feature Copy: Gourmet lodges
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If a week at a rural Alaskan lodge conjures up visions of nothing more than angling for a 40-pound fish or chasing caribou through the tundra, you haven't been paying attention.
Alaska will never lose its reputation for excellent fishing and hunting lodges, but a new sort of Alaskan accommodation has emerged - lodges that can satisfy the demanding gourmet, pamper the most selective traveler and engage hikers, photographers and sightseers.
American travelers, particularly baby boomers, increasingly seek adventure, whether hunting unusual game or embarking on ecological tours of national parks and wilderness. That has upped the demand for a different sort of Alaska getaway, one that combines the best of a trip to the wilderness with an urban sensibility about food and accommodations.
Alaska's lodge owners have responded. Whether on the state's road system or in the bush, accessible only by floatplane, the lodges in many parts of the state offer more than fishing and hunting.
Riversong Adventures, with a chain of three wilderness lodges, is one example. Kirsten and Carl Dixon, former medical professionals, gave up city life in 1983 and built Riversong Lodge on the banks of the Yentna River.
Kirsten Dixon quickly set about growing a garden and learning to cook in their cozy lodge, located about 70 miles by plane northwest of Anchorage. Carl honed his fishing skills. Today, business executives, chefs and stars like Neil Diamond often sit around the wood stove in the main room, sharing drinks with Anchorage residents visiting on a quick daytrip.
Ten rustic guest cabins surround the lodge. But the food is what makes the place stand out.
"Alaska has its own cuisine," Dixon explains in her Riversong Lodge Cookbook. "Salmon, of course, is frequently on our menu ... We eat moose and caribou and sometimes other game. We pick fresh flower petals to garnish the plates, wild berries for desserts, and greens from our bountiful garden for fresh salads."
During the day, guests fish for salmon while others take cooking classes in a 60-square-foot, professionally equipped kitchen.
Recently, the couple added Winterlake and Redoubt lodges to their cache. Winterlake is 198 miles northwest of Anchorage along Alaska's historic Iditarod Trail and sits on 15 acres overlooking Winter Lake, a finger-shaped, two-mile lake. Guests can hike, pick berries, and enjoy a wine tasting on the front porch or search out rare species of Alaskan birds. The meals include some outstanding lakeside seafood barbecues. Rebout is about a hour's flight southwest of Anchorage. Situated on Big River Lakes, it is a good pick for people enthusiastic about spectacular bear viewing.
The thickest concentration of exclusive luxury lodges in the state is near Dillingham in Southwest Alaska's Bristol Bay. The roughly 30 lodges in the area can be more expensive, but the fishing and sightseeing - and the food - make them worth it.
Tikchik Narrows Lodge, about 65 miles north of Dillingham, offers first-class accommodations, from cigars and great cognacs to top-of-the line fishing gear. And you're likely to run into celebrities and Fortune 500 executives.
These are the sorts of lodges that might put a mint on your pillow or have just the right Bordeaux. Consider that in the mid-80s a billionaire Australian rancher bet a New York investment banker $63,000 over who could cast the farthest. The banker won. Now, every year, the lodge owners remember that outrageous bet by giving $1,000 to the guide who wins a fly-casting contest.
These are the sorts of lodges that might put a mint on your pillow or have just the right Bordeaux. Consider that in the mid-80s a billionaire Australian rancher bet a New York investment banker $63,000 over who could cast the farthest. The banker won. Now, every year, the lodge owners remember that outrageous bet by giving $1,000 to the guide who wins a fly-casting contest.
Bears, fish and fine food mix at the Talstar Lodge, on the Talachulitna River, 65 air miles from Anchorage. The salmon river supports grizzly and black bears, swans, eagles and a host of other animals. Cameras, hiking boots and a desire to indulge back at the lodge are requirements. Hand-hewn log cabins are carpeted; beds are inviting with their soft flannel sheets and plenty of blankets.
In Southwest Alaska's Kodiak Island, the Kodiak Lodge offers everything from sea kayaking and whale watching to fishing and crabbing. Jagged peaks, fjord-like bays and wide, lush green forested valleys surround Larsen Bay, where the lodge is located. The lodge itself was built as a corporate retreat and the rooms and food reflect this sensibility.
The lodges around Ketchikan, the fourth-largest city in Alaska, thrive on fishing and tourism. Accessible by plane or ferry, Ketchikan is a jumping-off point for an array of lodges. Among them are Alaska's Inside Passage Resorts, which represents the casually elegant, intimate wilderness experiences of Yes Bay Lodge, Waterfall Resort, Boardwalk Wilderness Lodge on Prince of Wales Island and Mink Bay Lodge. At the latter, you can fish or sightsee alongside bears in Misty Fjords National Monument. Some lodges also offer a yachting option. Cruise on the 70-foot Midnight Sun, which can be chartered for up to six people.
The Wrangell-St. Elias mountains, spectacular with their polychrome faces, jagged peaks and glaciers, are home to a growing number of lodges. Skilled guides have opened parts of the largest national park in the country to a host of flight-seeing, hiking and rafting opportunities.
For a rural lodge on the road system, consider driving to the former copper mining towns of McCarthy and Kennicott. The road takes you about 265 miles northeast of Anchorage; the historic last 60 miles are on top of the gravel bed of the old railroad that once hauled over $200 million worth of copper ore from the area. The views of the Wrangell-St. Elias mountains and the chance that a bear might pop from the woods will keep you interested along the drive.
Of course, you can also fly in. Either way, the culinary treat is the kitchen at the Kennicott Glacier Lodge, an elegant lodge that feels more like a hotel. The family-style dining belies the excellent quality and sophistication of the meals, usually prepared by an experienced chef from Anchorage looking for an interesting summer adventure and served by a friendly staff.
Closer to Anchorage, the Kenai Princess Lodge offers access to hiking, bird watching and fishing along the renowned Kenai and Russian rivers. But the rivers are useful for more than fishing. Knowledgeable guides provide rafting trips and other boating tours. Guests can also enjoy the accommodations provided at the hotel, where rooms feature wood stoves, television and nearby wooden hot tubs a short walk from their rooms.
A short drive through the mountains north of Anchorage, the Sheep Mountain Lodge is popular year-round. Named for the Dall sheep that play nearby, the lodge offers enough adventure to keep visitors entertained for days. In the summer, hikers, berry pickers and mushroom hunters mingle in the cozy dining area after a day in the woods and then head off to sturdy, well-appointed cabins to sleep. In the winter, cross-country skiing begins just outside the cabins. Sheep Mountain offers terrain that can satisfy the expert and allow beginners to experience the thrill of a tour in pristine forest.
The prices of Alaska's remote lodges vary. Many include airfare and meals, which, when you're eating Alaskan style, can be a very good deal.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Riversong Adventures, 907-274-2710
Web site: www.alaskanet.com/riversong
Kennicott Glacier Lodge, 800-582-5128
Alaska's Inside Passage Resorts, 800-350-3474.
Kodiak Lodge, 1-888-556-3425
Web site:
www.alaskaoutdoors.com/fish/kodiak
Tikchik Narrows Lodge, 907-842-5464
Talstar Lodge, 907-688-1116 in the summer, 907-733-1672 in the winter.
Kenai Princess Lodge, 907-595-1425
Sheep Mountainn Lodge, 907 745-5121
Web site: www.alaska.net/~sheepmtl
For a more complete listing of Alaska lodges, visit this web site: http://www.alaskaoutdoors.com/fish.html
For Alaska Visitor Information write to: Dept. 712, P.O. Box 196710, Anchorage, AK 99519, call 800-862-5275 or visit the web site http://apr.travelalaska.com.
Alaska Travel
Industry Association
2600 Cordova St. Ste. 201
Anchorage, AK 99503-2745
P. (800) 327-9372
F. (800) 276-1042
E. ATIAmedia@gci.net