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John and Suzie Cook are the owners of Tustumena Lodge. John is originally from Tennessee and settled in San Diego after he served in the Navy. Suzie hales from New York and feels the only move better than the one to Alaska is when she relocated to San Diego and met John. He's fond of telling people they eat biscuits and lox because of their varied backgrounds.

 

Family portrait taken at the 25,000 Hat Party in August.

The Cooks are used to traveling up the Al-Can Highway. John has made 17 trips and Suzie started accompanying him on the last 5. They fell in love with Alaska and spent all of their summers traveling around the state. The Kenai Peninsula really captured their hearts and on their trip in the summer of 1988 they decided this is where they belonged. They made a deal to buy what was then a tar paper covered bar and returned home to San Diego to prepare for the "big move". John had been in the carpet business for 35 years and went back to tell his two sons "it's all yours" - you can have the business and the accompanying headaches! John also has a daughter who came to Alaska for a visit several years ago and decided she loved it enough to stay.

In May of 1989 they started their new lives in Alaska and have never regretted the move! The first thing they did was to side the building and cover the tar paper! Since then they have expanded the business, added on several times and established what the former Lieutenant Governor of Alaska, Jack Coghill, referred to as the Kasilof City Hall. Tustumena Lodge is the center of many activities - everything from baby showers to wakes - are held at the lodge. John and Suzie are active members of the community and hold fund raisers for those in need, gather many of their customers each year to set up the local elementary school carnival, treat everyone to a free Thanksgiving dinner prepared by Suzie, are proud sponsors of the Tustumena 200 Sled Dog Race which, with their help, has become the only Iditarod qualifying race on the Kenai Peninsula and is attended by mushers from around the world. The lodge is open year round and only closes on Christmas. Even then, the Cooks hold to their philosophy that no one should be alone on the holidays and laugh when they say "sure we close on Christmas - we just invite everyone to our home for an open house and let them drink for free - does that make sense?!?" They both feel Alaska (and their customers at the lodge) has given so much happiness to them, they enjoy returning it to others.

John often jokes with Suzie about "her kids" meaning the staff at the lodge. They have all worked there so long it is like one big family. They have seen them go to college, buy property, get married and have babies while continuing to work. Each year they all look forward to seeing returning guests and meeting new friends from all over. Many people return year after year which is a tribute to the friendly atmosphere at Tustumena Lodge. John and Suzie invite you to stop in and enjoy some true Alaskan hospitality.