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Where else can you stay on a homestead, in a lodge built by the family from trees they harvested on their property? And have views of Mt. McKinley, feast on raspberries from the family plot and still be only 15 minutes from downtown Fairbanks? The Eberhardt family has created this unique combination at A Taste of Alaska Lodge. You’ll find comfortable, modern accommodations, a friendly, welcoming family and beautiful grounds at their lodge, which feels like a B & B but has the privacy of a hotel.
Located on 280 acres that was homesteaded by Walter and Dorothy Eberhardt just after WWII, the 7,000 square-foot lodge was developed by their son Dave and his wife Debbie. The logs and the milled wood were cut on site, and Dave made sure to construct a building with spacious rooms, all of which include private baths and decks.
Their son Kory runs the place now. He was raised making beds, cleaning rooms and whipping up wild blueberry pancakes and egg puffs, so it’s a natural progression. Kory’s also a concierge, historian, cook and guide for visitors to the lodge. He can help you pick out a tour, suggest a hike on the property, let you know when the Northern Lights are out and arrange sled dog trips or give you a pair of snowshoes.
Popular with Europeans, Japanese and independent travelers from the U.S., the Eberhardts developed their lodge to feel like a home. Debbie’s collected antiques from around the country decorate the rooms so you’ll feel like you’re at the home of your grandparents or parents. But the lodge isn’t antiquated. All rooms have satellite television and there’s Wi-Fi throughout the building. Also, the small details are attended to, like high thread-count towels and bedding, with handmade quilts so you’ll be warm even in winter, when many travelers visit the lodge in search of northern lights, dog sled tours and snowshoeing.
In addition to the rooms in the Main Lodge, couples or families can rent out the Annex or the Log House. The two earliest buildings, framed with wood that was milled on site, include kitchens and multiple beds, perfect for families, couples or newlyweds.
The grounds are framed by boreal forests and include a pond, fields, views of Mt. McKinley and beds of annuals and perennials that the family spends two weeks each summer planting and tending. The bright, festive flowers are the perfect backdrop for a wedding. The Eberhardts provide catering, and you can be married anywhere on the property, including a small island in the pond.
Whether the lodge is your country base for a city trip or your destination for Northern Lights viewing, you’ll find yourself in a piece of Alaskan history, hosted by an Alaskan family.
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