Sunshine and Wind
Early spring brings a bit of unpredictable weather, sunny mornings, windy afternoons and a little snow mixed in. After 10 years here I still fall for the sunshine and get stuck at a baseball game in a puffy coat and sandals. The mountains are still getting regular snow making for great fair weather skiing at Monarch Mountain on the bluebird days. It’s also a great time for a hike or mountain bike ride on lower elevation trails. Our local bike shop, Absolute Bikes, is stocking up and posts regular trail condition updates. Salida Mountain Trails has been working to complete some new trails on Tenderfoot, be sure to check them out on your next visit. For now I will patiently wait for the fishermen as they are sure sign that Spring is here.
Snow, snow, SNOW!
Feb 9, 2024-To kick off January a winter storm brought nearly 3 feet of snow to Monarch Ski area! What a treat to ski beautiful powder for days as this storm moved in and hung around for several days. A visitor who had just returned from skiing in blizzard like conditions on the mountain as he looked around the motel parking lot surrounded by blue skies and sunshine expressed “It’s like a whole different world down here!” While a lot of people in Salida love skiing Monarch powder, we are all a bit spoiled by the fair weather in town. It seems like a prize to wake up with hardly a dusting of snow and no need to shovel before taking off to ski 18 inches of fresh snow at Monarch Mountain. (Did we mention that it’s less then a half hour from Salida?)
Room updates continue…
To start this year we have been busy making the Woodland even better. Renovations are underway in the queen sleeper rooms. We are updating the space with new flooring, fresh paint, a bathroom with more space, larger shower, easier entry and a really cool mirror. Don’t worry, we will keep the coffee maker, refrigerator, and microwave. Our plan is to have 9 remodeled rooms by summer. All of our rooms are still the cleanest around, with updated mattresses and fresh linens. Check out our reviews–we practice what we preach!
Winter weather won’t slow us down
Jan. 20, 2024–Our intern, Sylvie, took off on December 25 for a 6 week travel adventure, but we still have plenty of work to do. We are updating every shower head in the motel with the purpose of decreasing water use, while maintaining a great experience for our guests. Did you know that every shower head sold in Colorado has to be recognized by the EPA’s watersense program?
Renovations have also started as we update four rooms with new flooring, larger bathrooms, and more.
If you are planning to visit please know we are careful to not start work too early and we stop working when our guests check-in.
Sustainability is on our mind
Dec. 20, 2023–After buying a small motel in our mountain town, Salida, Colorado, we quickly realized the days would be long and the experiences interesting to say the least. I hope to share in this blog the rewards, challenges and comedy in running a small family owned and operated business. This inaugural entry is written as I face the new and exciting opportunity for our business to be recognized as a sustainable motel by the State of Colorado. One of our high school employees is completing an internship through a Colorado Mountain College course. The focus is sustainable practices we can incorporate into our daily processes. We are meeting with CDPHE next week to map out a plan to tackle this new adventure. Our property sits near the Arkansas River and many nearby national forestry lands that provide countless recreation opportunities to both local families and visitors. We have a strong desire to protect those resources and this process will surely have many facets to its implementation.
-Joni
Hi there!
My mom & I visited Salida back in the 90’s. I can’t imagine how things have changed. When we were there we stayed at the Woodland Motel (with our 3 dogs) and really enjoyed it.
I really liked going down by the river and watching the kayaks practice. There was a little cafe with a porch there. Not sure if it still in business.
Shopping down town was fun. I still have the bird house I bought at one of the shops and think about my adventure in Salida whenever I glance up at it.
Mom passed away in 2015 and I’m left without a travel partner but I continue on my own. I am seriously considering visiting this area again and if so I would definitely stay here again. Although, I may have one dog too many. We’ll see. I can always leave one with my husband. LOL! I did not just say that!
Hi Sherry, yes things have changed but it still a great little town. We hope you can visit soon. Joni