Caribou Lodge is a short plane hop and light years away from the tourist environs of Talkeetna, just above the timber line on Boomerang Lake (ask the pilot to show you on the map). The cabins, lodge, bath house and outhouses (no indoor plumbing here) are scrupulously clean and the hospitality generous. A 2-minute climb up the hill behind the lodge gives you a ringside view of Denali. Pam makes you family as soon as you step on the dock, and Mike is a superb hiking guide. You'll see whatever wildlife decides to come by (this isn't a zoo, after all), and experience the lay of the land up close and personal (blueberries in August are superb!). If you want to go where your legs can carry you and unwind in the stillness of the Alaskan bush, do try out Caribou Lodge. If you want Alaska to parade by you, stick to the tourist buses and watch CNN.






