February 1st we celebrated 5 years of the Woodland. While so many friends continue to recommend the popular series Schitts Creek, we are experiencing the drama first hand right here in Salida. I remember the first 6 months and all the motel stories I could share with friends who laughed in amazement that we just took it in stride. It has been a wild ride and it does feel a bit like reality TV except there’s no filming just our recollection of the unpredictable motel life. If I didn’t have a motel to operate I could probably write a book but we still have plenty to keep us busy here. Since buying the motel we have done a lot, over half of the rooms are remodeled, we repainted the outside, added air conditioning to our condo style units, replaced the hot tub, replaced the roof, and just this year added new LED lights around the property that can change colors with the click of a remote.
In celebration, I will share a few fun tidbits! Helping a visitor from Israel remove a stain on the only pair of pants he packed for a friend’s wedding, A call from the police that they have one of our loaner bikes following an arrest. Larry and Dawg, an old vet and his dog that found his home uninhabitable due to his declining health that spent most of the winter with us until buying a house in Poncha Springs. We will look forward to visits from the fabulous Dawg. Connecting a retired police officer with the local gun shop after hours when a motorcycle accident required him to secure a gun for an early flight back home.
These are just some of the things, and while some times there frustration when a guest leaves a mess many times we find a new way to connect with some pretty awesome people visiting our great little mountain town.
