Don’t miss this place! The staff is fantastic and it is a great educational opportunity. We were lucky enough the meet Martin Buser, who was happy to spend time with us. We are able to meet his new litter of puppies! His story and his dogs are fascinating! My kids loved it and it is one of our favorite Alaska memories.
Anything you want to ask, feel free to ask. Friendly, kind dog owners. Besides which he won the Iditarod four times so far
I was certain I was going to be bored prior to arriving at Happy Trails. Not being a dog person, I knew that this was going to be a horrible morning. Good thing that sometimes I am wrong. I was happily surprised with Martin and his family. I learned about sled dogs and found that fascinating. The family is warm and inviting and made us feel so very welcome. They are just finishing up the new small theater where Martin talked to us and then showed a short video. After that we went out to the kennel area where he told us about what he does and about the dogs. A decent box lunch was provided and while we ate his son Rohn gave another demonstration. The outdoor eating area has a cover that protects you from rain but you are still outdoors. After lunch they hooked up some dogs to a sled and Rohn mushed them around the kennel area. We left with some little dog booties with trading cards, which Martin and Rohn were kind enough to sign for me. I would love to return sometime.
We stopped at the Buser's kennel on the way to our cruise ship. We had seen so much in the past few days - I honestly wasn't expecting much from the kennel visit. I am a "dog person" but though it would be a commercialized rendition of a kennel. The whole Buser family was out there talking to us, letting us pet the dogs - and the puppies! Oh my - so adorable. The dog sled run was so neat - these dogs are literally born to run. Martin Buser is a very decorated musher. I would highly recommend a visit to this kennel.
Many time Iditarod Champion Martin Buser and his family open their kennel to visitors, I am sure, to help finance their operations. However when you visit, you are treated like a close family friend. You feel as if they are opeing their hearts and home. It is a facinating experience, and, wow, if you are a dog lover you will treasure this experience. You will learn what it takes to be a champion musher, you will learn about these amazing dogs, and how the two come together. Probably everyone's highlight is the opportunity to hold a puppy. How great! I am frankly amazed some people don't try to sneak away with one...they are that cuddly!
I am very much a dog lover and the morning spent at the kennel was wonderful. Would love to go back, besides the t shirt I bought is about worn out. Would love to have another.
We visited Martin's Kennel on our way up to Denali. What we thought would just be a stop to break up a long trip to the Park turned out to be memorable. I am neither a dog nor Iditarod fan, but what Martin has put together here is much bigger than dogs or a dog race. He explains his approach to life and how to be successful in what he does; he explains how he approaches racing and what it takes to be a winner. Meshing his philosophy with a detailed explanation of the Iditarod and his dogs makes this visit nothing short of amazing. This should be a "must see" on your visit to Alaska.
WOW. What I can say except an EXCELLENT Place. We had to travel to Alaska on a last minute notice and finding a room proved to be challenging to say the least. I actually stumbled onto Happy Trails by accident and they proved to be a great choice. It was the night before I flew out that I left a posted message for the hosts requesting a call to work details. You just don’t go to Alaska with some room reservations in place during the summer and I was going to be there about 9 days. So back to the story, Kathy called about 10:30 my time and we worked the details out. She was helpful and very flexible since I did not have all of my details worked out either. So we made it to Alaska and found the B&B without any issues except for the moose on the road which we missed hitting. They look like long legged cows on steroids, they don’t mixed well with automobiles. The room was great the setting fantastic and very peaceful and quite a view. We left early the next morning for personal reasons then came back as our plans were now changed. Making this short now..we explained the whole situation to our host and they were very understanding and gracious. Unfortunately we were not able to spend more time with the Buser’s and get to know them better but the short conversations that we had showed me that they care about their guest’s experience and want it to be enjoyable. Ours was just that. If I could rate it a 12 on a scale of 10 - I would, it was that great.
What a great place to visit! We took our two kids (9 & 11), and we all walked away with a really wonderful experience! Martin and his family were really welcoming and informative about the caring if the dogs and the Iditarod. Took the time to answer any questions and if course the puppies were adorable!
We stopped at the Kennels and were greeted by both Martin Buser and his wife. We were treated to a talk and demonstration of sled dog gear by Rohn Buser, Martin's son and up-and-coming musher himself. He answered our multitude of questions, then treated us to a demonstration of the dogs in action, which is amazing! I have always enjoyed following the Iditarod, but now have a personal interest in rooting for one of the mushers. I suggest this as a "must see" when visiting Alaska.