Ever have a desire to be transported back in time? Where in the wonder and marvel of our minds and imaginations life was better? Seeking just such a place in our "new normal" post-COVID world, we were blessed to find it!
Come "walk with me" through this doorway and take a look at a wonderful hideaway - the Spirit West River Lodge, in Riverside, Wyoming!
Photo: Front Door of the Wonderful Spirit West River Lodge
With my beloved away caring for one of our grandchildren, I began to make plans for a "getaway" sometime after her return. In our typical fashion, with my pending birthday, we decided it would be a "birthday and anniversary combo" - both her birthday and mine, as well as an early celebration of our anniversary. 😉
Sparing you the "gory details" of all that I went through to find this magical place, in my phone call to make reservations, this is what I heard from Lynn, when inquiring about their COVID-19 restrictions:
"No masks or any
other requirements here.
We are not worried
about it!"
other requirements here.
about it!"
Yes! We had not met, yet I instantly knew these were our kind of people. She never even bothered to ask me any "official" questions about our COVID-19 "status." On trust and faith, she assumed we would do the right thing. And not come, if there was any potential for causing a problem.
She expected us to exercise personal responsibility. To be prudent, use common sense, and refuse to live in fear. From there, we then take life as it comes ...
With that introduction, "come on in" and let's take a closer look! 🤠
Spirit West River Lodge
On their sign and web page, Spirit West River Lodge is listed as a "bed and breakfast." Well, there are several of those in the North Platte valley. While I do not profess to be an expert on the topic, i.e. I have not visited them all, I can safely say this "bed and breakfast" stands out from the rest, as unique.
Let's start with meeting the proprietors.
The People
Without people, who cares about the rest of an enterprise? Lynn and R. G. Finney are about as authentic an American couple as you could hope to find at this time in our country's history. What a blessing it was to meet them.
First to greet us was Lynn, our hostess. One is instantly impressed with her vitality and genuine warmth and hospitality. Nothing phony or superficial about her in any way. She is the "real deal!"
Photos: Proprietor Lynn Finney, both inside and outside Spirit West River Lodge
Mentioning coming in that we had noted the sign for Riverside indicated a massive population of 52 people, she proudly told us she was a native! Her grandfather had driven teams of horses (see more in "History" below) from Cripple Creek up into this area, when there was an active copper mine nearby, in the early 1900s.
She had gotten her "start" in hospitality working alongside her grandfather on an outfitter ranch he owned west of Riverside, along the Little Snake River. She described life back then, when her grandfather and others in this area would literally "stay put" all winter long on their ranches, as they had everything they needed to get through it, while traveling "out and about" was so challenging.
Later, to "see the world," she became an airline flight attendant. During this time in her life, working out of Chicago, she met R.G., a Canadian by birth. From our limited conversation about it, they returned to Riverside, Wyoming fairly early in their marriage and have lived here since.
What about R.G.? He is a remarkable artist! Loved this introduction to him:
"After serving 13+ years in the military and being decorated seven times as a Green Beret, R.G. Finney traded his combat boots for cowboy boots and his rifle for a paintbrush."
We had the privilege to meet him. A very humble, quiet man, who talked with us in the mornings, while setting the placemats and services for our upcoming breakfast, while Lynn was working in the kitchen.
Photos: R.G.'s Painting in our room, the "Price Tag," Sculpture by Front Door
$5,240 USD. Gulp! Not an artist by any means myself, I would never think to question one's valuing of their hard work. We just knew this painting in our room was definitely outside our price range!
He has his Wind River Studios there on the property. Beyond this painting and sculpture, there were so many other examples of his artwork around the Lodge. Not always in "hive posting mode," while on our anniversary vacation, I did not capture pictures of them. You'll just have to come cheek them out and see them "for free" when you stay here!
Have I "whetted your appetite" to meet them yourself? Well, better hurry! 🙂 Lynn is one of those timeless people who it is very hard to know her age. Easily in her late 70s and more than likely her early to mid 80s. I don't know and didn't ask.
She is a remarkably robust and healthy older woman. She reminded us of a treasured memory of our meeting of my beloved's great Aunt Ruby down in a dear little town in northeastern Oklahoma in 1978. When asked what she enjoyed doing, she simply replied, "Caring for the elderly here in town."
What? 😳 At the time she was 87! When was someone going to care for her? 🤷♂ Knowing people like that, outwardly at least it seems that it never enters their mind. Aunt Ruby lived another 3 years, after our visit, and passed into eternity having lived a full and productive life. Right to the end of it.
The Place - A Bed & Breakfast!
Part of Lynn's story is how her and her father personally built so much of this place. This included all of the stone-masonry and generating logs from the sawmill on the property! You have to come here and visit to even begin to have an idea of how much work must've gone into that effort!
Photos: The "Common" Room for Weddings, Receptions, & Corporate Events
We loved all of the nice touches combining wood and stone, along with the obvious artistic talent of R.G. All "polished off" with a definite emphasis on the American West and all that represents!
Photos: Our room - the "Stagecoach Room"
Imagine being here, with windows open throughout the night, letting in the cool mountain air. And going to sleep listening to the timeless sound of water cascading down through the rocks on the Encampment River. Could not have asked for more!
In the early morning and later on in the evenings, stepping out on the deck allowed us to sit on the comfortable chairs and watch the hummingbird feeder. And wait, with anticipation, for the sightings of all the wildlife we saw.
Photo: The Deck overlooking the Encampment River
In all of these photos, I hope you'll see some of the fine details of how this family put this place together using available materials in the area. For example, do you see how the railings on the deck are branches and the posts are tree trunks?
I wish I had my camera (phone) with me, when Lynn hurriedly showed us through the other rooms on our last morning. She was in a hurry, as she needed to prepare for a big wedding party arriving later that day. If you look at their website, you will get at least some idea of the craftsmanship which went into all of the decor, making each room uniquely different from the others.
The Property
Lynn told us the story of her and her mother first envisioning what was possible, when they purchased 18 acres here along the Encampment River over 30 years ago. You are now reading through and looking at what their vision of what "could be" has become, from very humble beginnings!
Photos: Horses, "Looney Tunes," Pasture, Encampment River
From their livestock and supporting fields, to a "wild" turkey, a doe and her fawn, and a racoon and her babies, there is a lot of wildlife. The riffles we see in the river provide places for preserving the heritage of the local area's famous blue ribbon trout fishing. It is a remarkable piece of property!
- The story on "Looney Tunes" is he is "not quite right," after being "abandoned" by the flock of turkeys roaming through here once. He is now a "fixture" of the property and has been for years ...
Going "back in time," you've now seen a bit of this wonderful hideaway in a remote corner of Wyoming. Yes, a "bed and breakfast" to be sure. But ... Also a bit of a museum, an antique shop, and an art studio! We were very blessed to have experienced it.
An enduring theme across the globe is whether the fruit of the labor of one generation will be passed through to the next. In the case of the Spirit West River Lodge, it may, as we had the opportunity to meet Lynn and R.G.'s oldest son, who was visiting from Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was in the process of working through the details of how to move back to the land of his birth!
To be continued (hopefully) ... 👍 🙂
Local History
As mentioned above, Lynn Finney is a native of this area. Her grandfather drove teams of horses from Cripple Creek, Colorado up into this area, when the Ferris-Haggarty Mine was in its glory days. It featured the longest aerial tramway in the world, at that time!
Photos: Painting in our room commemorating Lynn's grandfather
The "boom and bust" cycles of mining are well-known to me, having spent my "old life" for almost 20 years working in the industry. The hoped for prosperity of this area related to the development of its natural resources never materialized.
Photos: Roadside Signs for Encampment and Riverside
Rather than becoming huge industrial centers, today, as we can see, Encampment has a population of 450, while the nearby "bedroom" town of Riverside has 52!
A lot of local pride and effort has been put into the Grand Encampment Museum. If interested in more of the history of this area, while in town, this is a great resource to visit!
In spite of the challenges making a living for themselves, Lynn's family remained in the area. As mentioned briefly above, her grandfather eventually bought and operated an outfitter ranch over in the Little Snake River valley SW of Encampment.
Surrounding Country
Riverside, Wyoming sits in a high desert valley along the Encampment River, which flows north out of the Mount Zirkel Wilderness of Colorado into Wyoming.
Here we see the valley, from the south, looking northeast to the Snowy Range.
Aside from modern day recreational opportunities, the best use of this high desert country has historically been ranching. And not little "teeny, weeny" ranches either.
Photos: Big Creek Ranch and Big Creek on State Highway 130
Enormous ranches covering square miles. With some of them even having their own websites! Since some of them serve as guest ranches. I highly recommend, as a spectacular example of this country, dear reader, that you follow the link provided here to the Brush Creek Ranch website.
There are very hardy pioneering families who originally settled this country in the late 1800s. Wyoming winters are cold and long. These ranchers have to be able to get out in sub-zero temperatures, on a regular basis, to deliver feed to their livestock. The hardy Black Angus cattle favored in this country can survive the weather, if they can get to food.
Photos: Massive Estate "Ranch" SE of Saratoga
Providing another view of this high country desert and the ranches along the North Platte River, my camera (phone) was inadequate to properly capture the enormous residence you can see on zooming into this picture.
While there is no way to know for certain, I would make an educated guess this place represents enormous sums of money flowing into this area from those seeking to establish sanctuaries away from the accelerating "insanity" in some of America's urban centers.
Photos: Best Eatery? Bella's Bistro in Saratoga!
Back to our trip, as a highlight of our short getaway, we wanted to find a nice place for our anniversary dinner. Seemed the "universal" favorite of all in the North Platte Valley was Bella's Bistro in Saratoga. On a Thursday evening at 5:00 p.m., we foolishly elected to skip the "reservations are suggested" advice. Bad idea! We were not "up" for a 3-hour wait, for a nice Italian-style meal. So ... We "settled" for a very delicious burger, made from local Black Angus beef, at Firewater Public House instead! 😉
Having experienced a "taste" of what this area offers, is there anything to bring us back? Absolutely!
We spent our time on this trip going north and east of Riverside, into the Snowy Range mountains. Here we see what is south and west of Riverside. The Sierra Madre mountain range, along which the Continental Divide runs, and the Little Snake River valley, even more remote than the Snowy Range.
We'll be back!
👍 🤠 👍
👍 🤠 👍
There are few places I have ever been which provide any more authentic "feel" for what the American West is all about. If you like the same "road less traveled" style of traveling we do, then you'd be hard-pressed to do better than coming into this beautiful river valley, along the base of the Snowy Range of Wyoming.
Closing
Will my beloved and I ever return to visit Spirit West River Lodge? Is the Pope Catholic? 😉 For us, all that we desire in a peaceful little sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle of modern life is there. Along with true "salt of the earth" people with whom we felt such a bond and connection. Our kind of people!
Not to mention the wonders of the surrounding countryside, as described a little bit in these last two posts. Next time, we will experience all that the Sierra Madre mountains have to offer. Compared to the Snowy Range they are more remote still!
I’d love to hear any feedback you may be inspired to provide.
Until "next time," all the best to you for a better tomorrow, as we all work together to build up our Hive Communities and add increasing value to our Hive blockchain! 👍 😊
Respectfully,
Blogger @roleerob
Hive "Dolphin" 🐬, Man Cave "Dragon" 🐉, & LeoFinance "Whale" 🐋
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P.S. Unless otherwise noted, all images are pictures taken by my smartphone - a Samsung Galaxy S9+.
🌲 No trees were harmed in the publishing of this post! 🌲
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