Get away from the crowds and join us for an intimate and personal visit of
our kennel and homestead! April 15th through September 15th each summer.
Meet our Alaskan huskies and pups, get the inside story about mushing and
racing, enjoy a 1 1/2 hour Iditarod presentation narrated tour, and have
fantastic photo opportunities. Vern Halter is an accomplished musher
who presents his story of Alaska and the Iditarod in a provocative fashion
that captures the essence of the Iditarod. Susan Whiton is a dedicated
veterinarian also certified in chiropractic and acupuncture for sled dogs.
She is a respected musher who won the coveted “Challenge of the North”
Award (Best Musher) on her 1000 mile Yukon Quest Race. Our Iditarod
presentations feature a ten to twelve minute opening video filmed on the
Iditarod Trail and focus on the Dream a Dream Dog Team preparing and
racing the Iditarod. These great videos are set to music with voice over
commentary. The dogs tell their story of the Race. These videos are
incredibly fun and educational to watch. Some of the titles are: Raz Ma
Taz about our hyper active leader who loves racing the Iditarod; Doc’s
Iditarod Dream a true story about our deaf lead dog; or Trouble on the
Iditarod Trail about our dog named after her personality. Vern weaves in
the history of sled dogs from early native use, gold rush use, the famous
Serum run to Nome during the 1925 diphtheria epidemic-the focus is on the
husky. The uniqueness of the Iditarod from the standpoint of length,
diversity of competition and the NO HELP rule are highlights. Training and
care of Iditarod dogs is demonstrated. The logistics of the race and food
drops, checkpoints, veterinarian care, the Iditarod Air Force and trail
conditions inspire questions. Race strategy and the changes to the
Iditarod Race Vern has seen in his twenty five years of racing elicit more
dialogue. Clothing and survival gear along with sleds and equipment are
topics that are backed up with demonstrations. Stories from the trail are
exciting and fun. Tough questions are considered and answered. We enjoy
our guests and strive to make this a memorable stop.
