Lifestyles of the Rich and Adventurous: Part One
I don't know about you, but if I don't have braised Alaskan halibut served over lentils with oyster mushrooms before I go "snowmachining" (the Alaska word for snowmobiling), I simply refuse to go. And if I don't get a scallop and short rib appetizer served with a parsnip puree with a medium rare reindeer steak entree after going dog mushing, well, I feel simply uncivilized.
So thank God for The Winterlake Lodge, because it's here that my inner rich person can be truly fed. And I don't use the term "fed" lightly.
The Winterlake Lodge is literally "off the grid." It can only be accessed by air, or snowmachine during the winter and is run completely on generators. But owners Kirsten and Carl Dixon have turned it into a haven for the rich and adventerous.
Carl takes guests on dog mushing trips down actual portions of the Iditarod trail, or for a round of "extreme sledding", while Kirsten serves up four start cuisine and fine wine either before, or after your complimentary massage.
Kirsten Dixon literally wrote the book on Alaskan cuisine. She studied at the Cordon Bleu in Paris and holds a Masters Degree in Gastronomy from Adelaide University. Her husband Carl is a former audiologist who built most of the luxurious facilities by hand and is a tour guide extraordinaire.
In winter 2009, I took an old high school friend who is a single mother of two, who hadn't had a vacation in two years, on an adventure of her lifetime for my video blog on KTUU TV's website www.GoToAK.com. And despite having had numerous extreme Alaskan adventures under my belt already, this easily ranks as one of the most memorable for me, as well. But I'm a video blogger, so let me quit typing and let you get to the play button: In the next edition, we dine on brioche french toast and thick sliced bacon before some "extreme sledding" (this makes for great video). Lunch will be reindeer sausage minestrone with fresh Parmesan followed by a round of dog mushing on the Iditarod trail. Then, after my complimentary massage, my head explodes when a wild mushroom risotto with duck breast lands before my eyes. And I haven't even mentioned dessert . . .
Until we rub noses again!
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