Totally terrific Tutka Bay: exclusive lodge offers gourmet meals and plenty of wildlife.

• Author: Ellis-knapp, Jody
• Position: EXCLUSIVE GETAWAY - Tutka Bay Wilderness Lodge

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Be adventurous. Ditch your car at the end-of-the-road coastal town of Homer and take a trip on a local water taxi, past puffins, whales and sea otters and into the start of an exciting Alaska getaway.

Tutka Bay, part of Kachemak Bay, shelters the lovely Tutka Bay Wilderness Lodge. Owned since 1983 by Jon and Nelda Osgood, who carved out a small paradise on a wooded isthmus, the property was recently purchased by Carl and Kirsten Dixon, who own the Within the Wild Adventure Co.

This family owned business runs two remote fly-in lodges, and offers hiking trips, dog sled tours, cross country skiing and other year-round adventures. Carl and Kirsten started as lodge owners the same year as the Osgoods, when they left their day jobs to run a small lodge at Lake Creek, which they owned for 25 years before selling in 2004.

Meeting the Osgoods at a trade show, over coffee, they discussed purchasing the lodge and after a year of correspondence, the sale went through.

Tutka Bay Lodge is a luxurious, exclusive retreat. There are six separate guest cabins that sleep from three to seven people and contain amenities that include wet bars, large balconies and private restrooms. All of these private chalets have wonderful views of the surrounding mountains and bays. Each room has a television and all are set up for Wi-fi access.

The main lodge offers a hot tub, sauna, complimentary massage, yoga classes, cooking classes and an afternoon wine and cheese tasting. The cheese is flown in specially each week from Murray's Cheese Shop in New York City.

Meals are included, prepared by Chef Eric Olds, occasionally with help from Kirsten and her daughter, Mandy, who is the resident pastry chef.

"We are all 'foodies' to some degree," says Kirsten. "We make everything from scratch--baking our own breads and pastries."

A typical day of gourmet fare at the lodge might include a breakfast of steel-cut oats and fresh...