Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge

This place has it's pro's and con's. Tuesdays is a dish to pass meal for guests and 'locals'...the locals seemed to just be friends of the couple who run the place. The cooking was almost experimental!!! Went out back to socialize at the campfire but more than just normal smoking was going on. Absolutely not for someone who is not into drugs or the wild scene. I did surprisingly sleep well in the private room!

Directions: near the Talkeetna Airport

We stayed in the Moosetooth Lodge for one night.

Excellent restaraurant and bar.

Free shuttle bus that ran all day into the town centre.

Great views of Mount McKinley...if you are lucky enough for the clouds to part.

Unique Quality: I liked the bar at this place, always busy, but the staff were really friendly. Nothing was too much trouble. The cocktails were excellent and Nicola even had a new one made up and called it Talkeetna Sunrise.

Talkeetna Sunrise
Amaretto, pineapple juice, sours, sprite and orange juice.

I enjoyed a nice pint of Moosetooth.

The lodge also had a really great restaurant in which we had dinner one evening. I had the salmon and Nicola had the Halibut. The treat of the evening was the dessert, aptly named Moose Encounter.

Front desk staff was friendly and helpful. Bell hops, however, never once provided help during our many trips in and out of the hotel. The hotel has large tour groups staying on the property which may account for the lack of bell hop service but should not be an excuse. That said, the hotel is large and the groups never seem overwhelming except possibly upon their arrival. The rooms are clean, simple AND not air conditioned. Beware..Alaska can get HOT!!!! Prices seem a bit high for the accommodations, the view however is simply amazing- Denali at your backdoor!

Unique Quality: Beautiful location with fantastic views....when the weather permits!

Directions: Outside of town

Located a little south of town proper, the Talkeetna Lodge offers the swankiest in formal and informal accommodations in a 100-mile radius. Whether you're here to stay the night or just to dine, the lodge offers full breakfast, Alaska lunch menus and their "formal Foraker restaurant" for full-service dinners. The patio behind the lodge offers a classic view of the distant Alaska Range.