A Taste of Alaska Lodge, August 8

We have our travel agent, Debbie Ruplinger, from AAA in Appleton to thank for this one!  We knew that we did not want to travel to Alaska to stay in a hotel chain. What an incredible place this is!  From the brochure: " " A Taste of Alaska Lodge" is located 15 minutes from downtown Fairbanks or 20 minutes from the Fairbanks International Airport.  The Main Lodge, Log House and Annex are situated on 280 sunny hillside acres.  Massive spruce trees were logged from the homestead and crafted into the unique structure of A Taste of Alaska Lodge.  The 7000 square foot natural log building, compleed in 1975, is decorated with antiques and Alaskan collectibles.  The original homestead has been in the family since 1947."
http://www.atasteofalaska.com/

When we checked in at the Lodge, the young man waiting tables greeted us; turned out he was the owner, Kory Eberhardt!  He has a degree in business administration and took over the business from his parents last year. We were advised that breakfast runs from 8:00-8:01.  A joke, but the fact is, the breakfast is cooked there by Kory and served piping fresh, not some buffet kept under warmers for half a day while folks wander in at their convenience.  From the tables at the window, you can see Mount McKinley when it is clear.  If you want to eat dinner there you have to make a reservation because Kory shops each day for the fresh ingredients. Kory sent his mother, Debbie, to show us to our home-away-from-home, the Annex.

We have a lovely cabin, filled with antiques.  It has a full kitchen, bath and one bedroom and a sitting  room. There is even WiFi access!  It even comes with a resident dog, who greeted us upon arrival.  His name is Cooper and he appears to be some sort of shepherd/husky mix.  There is a biscuit jar located inside the door and Cooper waits on the porch for his treats.  It is quite nice to have a dog on loan!

Since we arrived too late for dinner reservations, we were directed 10 minutes north to the Two Rivers Lodge. I don't know whose idea it was to put an Italian themed restaurant along a lonely highway in Alaska, but there were wine posters and hanging grapes decorating the log frame construction, and even a Tuscan oven! We talked with our waitress, who was also the bartender, and learned she is a musher and keeps a kennel of 28 Alaskan huskies, and runs the Yukon Quest. She told us of having custom made clothing for mushing.  She had never heard of schutzhund but likes malinois. It is possible she thought I mispronounced Malemute, however. We were cautioned by Debbie to drive carefully due to moose in the road, but true to my past moose experience, there were none!