the entrance to the waldo arms
Both before and after the expedition down the Aichilik River, we found comfort in an interesting hotel, airport control, restaurant, etc. located directly across from the current Kaktovik airport on Barter Island.
the main common room
From the outside, the place obviously doesn’t look like much. When you get inside, there is a certain homey-ness to it, which combined with the seemingly cold, foggy conditions outside, make it feel ever so welcoming. A posh resort this is not, but warm and friendly it definitely is. Made out of what seems to be pre-fab or trailers welded together, the inside is a small maze of hallways and rooms. Each guest room contains two beds, of which you are entitled to one. There are shared bathrooms (rooms do not have their own) which also have showers available. There is a single small television available in each of the guest rooms and a couple out in the common areas.
menu at the waldo arms
Basically a cross between a hostel and a bed and breakfast, the rather high price per night does earn you three freshly cooked meals a day. As one of (if not the only), restaurant on the island, it also does considerable business from locals who just want some prepared food. The menu is pretty extensive, almost diner like and quite tasty.
What is sort of amazing about it is that since there are no roads onto the island, most of the supplies are sent alongside passenger baggage on the one (small) flight per day that comes up from Fairbanks. If there happens to be foul weather, there aren’t any deliveries either.
Besides the restaurant, the Waldo arms serves as the essentially the air traffic control for the islands only airstrip, welcome mat of sorts for people passing through and offers charter flights to more remote areas in the northern parts of the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge.
For more information on the Waldo Arms Hotel or their charter flights.
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