As I mentioned in an earlier post, the little town of Pitkin has a hotel, aptly named the Pitkin Hotel. The building was built in 1904 and not a whole lot has changed in 105 years. Electric lights have replaced the gas lights although some of the gas fixtures remain in place. The rooms are still heated by individual parlor stoves and there is but one bathroom at the end of a long narrow hall. In more modern times a passageway to the building next door was opened up and one big room serves as a dormitory and can sleep about 20 people. The building is filled with books, games and dvd movies, attesting to the quiet summer nature and the isolation of winter in this place.
Several of the members of the volunteer team stayed in this hotel. They had been to Pitkin before and knew the owner…which is part two of the story.
JoAn came to Pitkin almost 30 years ago with a “spiritual” group that made plans to buy the old hotel building and turn it into a commune of sorts. Joan put up all the money she had and then the rest of the group backed out, leaving Joan with a big problem. She had the building and no money so she did what she needed to, to survive…run a hotel.
It’s a hard life but she has eked out a living for all those years. This year she says is her last and she is going to sell the hotel and go to Florida where she won’t have to worry about snow nine months a year.
The picture to the left is me sitting between JoAn and her son Dusty. As much as I wanted to know more about her I felt I had pried as far as good manners would allow.
If any readers are thinking about getting into the lodging business, give JoAn a call….she’ll probably talk you out of it.
Thanks for visiting.
1 comment:
maybe we should buy the Pitkin!!! :)
Post a Comment