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RUSTIC ROADHOUSE LUXURY

10.05.10

By Joanne Tucker

Alaska’s roadhouses were gathering places for travelers since the early 1900s when these warm and homey havens sprang up along the old Valdez-Fairbanks Trail, now known as the Richardson Highway.

Trappers, prospectors, homesteaders and local natives traveled by wagon or dog sled on the old trail and stopped at a roadhouse for a hot meal, a clean bed, an outdoor privy and some good company.

Today, only a few original roadhouses remain, but the spirit of Alaska adventure and hospitality lives on. And it’s all just a plane ride away.

After a flight from John Wayne Airport in OC to Seattle on Alaska Airlines and then straight onto Fairbanks, we drove south down the Richardson Highway for an incomparable Alaska roadhouse tour.

Rika’s Roadhouse & Landing and Sullivan’s on the Delta are now historical museums that depict the early 1900s in photos, memorabilia and antiques. Both roadhouses are located on the Richardson Highway at Delta Junction, which is two hours south of Fairbanks and five hours north of Anchorage by car.

Rika’s Roadhouse is more of a complex with its gardens and numerous old buildings that housed early 1900s furnishings and artifacts. At Rika’s Roadhouse Restaurant, we ordered a farm-to-table lunch of homemade tomato and basil soup, a fresh garden salad and a piece of heavenly rhubarb and wild blueberry pie.

At mile 227.4 on the Richardson Highway and across from the infamous galloping Black Rapids Glacier, we came upon a magnificent structure: The Lodge at Black Rapids.

The Lodge at Black Rapids is a hot destination spot between Fairbanks and Valdez. This boutique hotel and chef-driven restaurant is located in the middle of the Alaska wilderness. With mountains and forests all around, The Lodge at Black Rapids is a luxury location par excellence.

Carved into a mountainside, The Lodge at Black Rapids is a stunning architectural masterpiece, which incorporates Chinese black slate shingles, handcrafted ironwork and green-trimmed woodwork around doors and windows into its design. Plus, the roof is topped by a gorgeous third-story belvedere.

Inside, the trendy lodge showcases attention to detail and excellent Alaskan craftsmanship with its large timber beams, massive stone fireplace and burl wood countertops. A circular stairway of handmade iron work leads to the belvedere attic, which has absolutely beautiful custom stained glass windows depicting the Northern Lights.

Truly, this rustic wilderness lodge is uber luxe with guest rooms that feature super fluffy bedding, heavenly queen size beds and en suite bathrooms (in most rooms) with hand-laid stone tiles.

The Lodge at Black Rapids is a great place for an extended stay in Alaska as it features three levels of kicked-back living in ten guest rooms (six guest rooms have private baths and four rooms have shared bathrooms). The upper levels offer two seating areas with richly-colored leather couches for reading or conversations in front of the stone fire place.

The gourmet dining room on the second level is surrounded by large picture windows and offers sophisticated Alaska cuisine, which is prepared by a trained chef and served family style for breakfast, lunch and dinner (meals are not included in the room rate). The lodge also features a list of fine wines and Alaskan beers.

Our host and owner, Annie Hopper, invited us to sample appetizers of wild salmon, fresh and pickled veggies, crème fraiche and crackers. At the table, Annie told us the Lodge at Black Rapids is open year round for both summer and winter activities.

She says the lodge is surrounded by numerous hiking trails where guests can view waterfalls, wildlife and glaciers. Or, they can relax on the balcony with a glass of wine. In the winter, guests enjoy excellent skiing, snow machining and Northern Lights viewing. Ice fishing and glacier walking is also accessible from the lodge.

The Lodge at Black Rapids combines accessibility from both Fairbanks and Anchorage by car in an unspoiled wilderness that lies deep in the heart of the Alaska Range.

This rustic luxury version of the old roadhouse provides all the creature comforts of home for a couple’s getaway, family vacation or a singles retreat in a fresh, clean environment where glaciers grow, rivers flow and lights glow.

Travel

RUSTIC ROADHOUSE LUXURY

10.05.10

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