Lodge features mountain views, access to activities.

• Author: Pounds, Nancy
• Position: ALASKA THIS MONTH: TRAVEL

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A late-summer weekend getaway in Alaska doesn't always have to include an RV or a tent. Travelers to the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge can discover fine dining, possible views of Mount McKinley and day trips, including a new zipline tour. The 212-room lodge, which operates from mid-May to mid-September, is located 113 miles north of Anchorage on the Parks Highway and 12 miles down the Talkeetna Spur Road.

August and September can be special times to visit the lodge, according to Dee Buchanon, marketing director for lodge owner CIRI Alaska Tourism Corp., a subsidiary of Cook Inlet Region Inc.

"September is our best kept secret--fabulous rates for lodging, and the Northern Lights are on display in September as the weather gets cooler," she says. "The fall foliage is out in its radiant colors."

The...