Winterlake Lodge.

• Position: TRAVEL

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Winterlake Lodge, north of Anchorage on the Iditarod Trail, is a retreat for winter lovers who treasure outdoor adventures and culinary treats. Carl and Kirsten Dixon have owned the lodge for 15 years. Kirsten Dixon, who attended the Cordon Bleu culinary school in Paris, is a chef and cookbook author. In winter, she opts for "slow, lingering cuisine."

"Our kitchen certainly has a personality of seasons," Dixon said. "We do more hearty cuisine (in the winter)." She listed top menu items: braised meat, root vegetables, soups and baked goods.

The lodge is the Finger Lake checkpoint on the Iditarod trail and is often booked months in advance with Iditarod fans. The week before the Iditarod also brings a flurry of activity, she said. Iditarod Trail Invitational racers bike, ski or trot into the lakeside checkpoint. Also, Iditarod checkers and veterinarians arrive to prepare for the arrival of dozens of mushers and teams.

Winterlake Lodge guests mingle with mushers who are beginning their 1,049-mile push north.

"I feed all the mushers," Dixon said. "Our guests like to come into the kitchen as mushers sit around the table and eat."

Winterlake offers a...