Northern Exposure

By Deborah Edler Brown

The black bears that wander into the backyard can be pretty exciting. But visitors to the eminently cozy Mount Juneau Inn in Juneau, Alaska, tend to save their best reviews for Leo, the bed-and-breakfast's low-key resident MacKenzie River husky. "He's the world's greatest dog," raves New Jerseyite Christine de Vries.

The seven-bedroom house, decorated with the work of indigenous Tlingit and Haida artists, is a warm home base from which to explore considerably icier surroundings. Homemade breakfasts include local delicacies like fireweed honey and salmonberry jam. The inconvenience of shared baths with most bedrooms fades with a scan of the water and mountain views from each.

Alaska is home to some of the country's most spectacular expanses of wilderness. Its capital, known as the Gateway to the Glaciers, boasts such nearby attractions as Admiralty Island National Monuments, home to the world's largest concentration of brown bears, and the Juneau Ice Fields. Dogsledding--courtesy of Leo's brethren--is one way to see the sights www.mtjuneauinn.com 907-463-5855).

--D.E.B.