100 Days Key Moments and Memories at Baldpate Inn

Day 101: A New Beginning

2017-05-25T07:00:00.000-06:00

Celebrate with a 100-year commemorative Baldpate Inn key!

Our 100 days of official blogs may be complete, but we couldn’t finish without saying thank you to all the key people who have made The Baldpate Inn such a special place – that’s you! We are extremely grateful for all the blessings we’ve received and been a part of in the last 100 years. Thank you for journeying with us through this 100 Days Key Moments and Memories blog!

And while this may be the end of this blog project, it’s really just the beginning of a beautiful new season! We are especially excited to start this very special 100^th year! Our doors open tomorrow, Friday 5/26. We invite you to come dine, stay and celebrate with us, creating your own wonderful memories any time this season. And remember to be a part of the festivities on our 100^th Birthday Party!

Also, if you have enjoyed this experience, we invite to follow us on Facebook and the Baldpate Inn and Collections blog to stay up to date with the happenings at The Baldpate Inn!

See you soon!

Written by Liz Rodgers

Day 100: Postcards from The Baldpate Inn

2017-05-24T07:00:00.000-06:00

Day 100! A perfect day to make note of and share with a friend! What better way than a postcard? We’ve talked about our artistic marketing and merchandise, but one of our most popular keepsakes are Baldpate Inn postcards.

As far as I have discovered, we’ve had at least five different series of Baldpate postcards: Early bordered, Albertype, Hoffman, Sanborn, Dexter and our own from 1990s.

Albertype hand colored postcard of The Baldpate Inn

It is interesting to note the variety of finishes that have been applied to several postcards versions. Since I love the watercolor look I think my favorites are the Albertype hand colored series of seven (of course) cards. Wish they all had dates!

The earliest (I believe) of our Albertype set lists Clatworthy as publisher, and since the Key Room and second story West Wing are missing, they were before the 1935 addition. The rest of the Albertypes note Baldpate Inn as publisher.

With the growth of our pine trees, until just recently, it was almost impossible to duplicate the angle of some of the photos, especially with Longs Peak in the background.

Looking at this early 1 cent card with Mt. Meeker and Longs Peak in the background, I do have to admit to wondering just when folks started to get creative and "Photoshop" their pictures. Compared with our most recent aerial drone photo, those mountains seems a little out of proportion to me, what do you think?

Not yet a postcard, this newest (and my current favorite) aerial drone photo will be available this birthday season as a puzzle.

So stop by and grab a few postcards or a picture puzzle to mark your adventures at Baldpate Inn celebrating our 100^th summer.

And stay tuned for one more bonus blog tomorrow!

Written by Lois Smith

Day 99: Baldpate Staff Tribute: 2011 - 2016

2017-05-23T07:00:00.000-06:00

Staff 2011

Our outstanding 2011 team, with managers Evan, Emily and Courtney ably corralling the gangs from Washington State, Oklahoma and New Mexico was especially fun, be it a night out at a Rockies game or rodeo adventure.

While each year we continue to receive compliments about our exceptional staff, the most recent years staffing has remained a challenge with less local and returning staff. Campus job fairs were becoming less of the thing, and online recruiting began taking over for the most part.

Staff 2012 - ready for the Rodeo!

With an ever-growing fall season we have relied heavily on our international staff to end well each season. Students from Romania, China, Russia, Croatia and especially Turkey have brought their enthusiasm and curiosity to help us grow in our world view.

Leah, Dillion and Sara accepted the challenges to lead our team in 2012 with students from 16 different colleges. That’s a lot of different ideas to mesh!

Having staff return to help out in the fall or step up as managers is always to be cherished. That was the case in 2013 with Matt and Kayla were joined by Angela to lead our team of winners!

Staff 2013

You already know the end of our 2013 season was the big flood, but certainly the brightest spot of the year was the arrival of my youngest granddaughter Lola. She burst onto the scene weeks earlier than expected and so visits to NICU were part of the season schedule for more than 2 months.

We were incredibly honored as well in 2013 to have Brad and Renee’s daughter, Lily, as our first “legacy” staff member. A loyal champion for years, we adored having her really join our Baldpate family in this way. The very next year, Alicia, another “legacy” gal joined, bringing photos of when her mom had worked at Baldpate in 1985.

Staff 2014

Abby and Andy led our 2014 super team. Having the rare opportunity to have an international student return in 2014 was super, but when Claudia brought along a friend, Clara, we knew we were especially fortunate. Those two certainly kept the smiles going.

During these years as well, our American History Savers partners, were deep into databasing our Key Collection and our guests were increasingly interested in learning more, so we decided to create a new Museum Curator staff position. First accepting the challenge to better preserve and improve our exhibits, create educational opportunities and presentations, were Lauren & Sara. Preparations for the Estes Park Friends of the Museum celebrations was a motivation for our 7 Keys Armchair Tour project which is still enjoyed today.

Staff 2015

Realizing how big the project was, in 2013 we expanded to three curators, Luchana, Caitlyn, & Cameron. They were especially creative that year with their 1920’s exhibit, an idea which you will hopefully find repeated this summer in our 100^th Birthday Decades project.

Continuing the work, Rachel, Ryan, & Margie in 2014 and Bella & Matthew in 2015 diligently stepped up to work on the database and create activities for kids visiting the Keyroom.

With the end in sight of our Key Room database project, Topher, Hunter, and Natalie in 2016 worked steadily to catch up our unlogged key donations and stay up with our Key Room blogs.

Staff 2016

Since the time they were able to waddle through the sloping floors of Baldpate, my grandchildren Megan, Mason and Emily have always helped out when they have been on the property with their families. Last year was the first time my three oldest grandkids spent 10 days working alongside the staff without parents onsite. They had an amazing time and will be back this summer for a few weeks! Crazy to think that Jen was 14 and Mac was 9 our first summer and now our guests will be left in the capable hands of Megan (15), Mason (13) and Emily (13).

To enjoy more fun memories, check out our Centennial Staff albums from over the years.

Written by Lois Smith & Jen Macakanja

Day 98: Baldpate Staff Tribute: 2006 - 2010

2017-05-22T07:00:00.000-06:00

Capably leading our 2006 team, we were delighted to have Jodi from Iowa back, who in previous years was rotating staff, now our Events Manager along with Eric from California and Eli from New Mexico. Our Estes Park crew, four Polish guys, first gal from Romania along with students from Washington, New Mexico and Oklahoma State made for another successful year.

2007 we enjoyed our team from Oklahoma and New Mexico staff along with just enough easterners from Pennsylvania, Michigan & Kentucky to keep things fun. We even celebrated our 90^th birthday, with an eye towards our upcoming 100^th.

Because my Dad had been such a significant help throughout our years at Baldpate, when he died in 2007 it was sort of a tough year for me personally. We did work that year to improve our Library door handicap entrance and upgrade our computer systems. We had gone from our pen and paper guest receipts several years before to a real POS “point of sale” system, but as you know with computer stuff, there is always an update to be purchased.

Certainly a bright spot in 2007 was the arrival of grandson Nick in August. Mac and I flew to Spokane (I stayed for 36 hours, Mac spent the week) and thankfully the US Army cooperated and allowed Pete to come home for 10 days from his surprise reserve deployment to Kuwait too.

In 2008 Jodi and Pam led the crew with our new Summer in the Keys promotion. It was an adventure that the staff seemed to really enjoy complete with tie-dying special shirts! Thanks to our artist cook, Nick, we even created our own t-shirt for the event in 2009.

Our hero “brother” Eric from Ohio arrived and took on the challenges of Hotel Manager for the next two years with sidekicks super Event Managers Emily & Laura.

Again our international hiring branched out as we welcomed students from France, Spain, Turkey, Serbia, Russia, and Vietnam, once again expanding our world view and understanding of cultural differences.

2009’s big full stage live theater production of Seven Keys to Baldpate at our newly renovated Key-thedral Theater by our friends at Encore!Encore! was certainly a highlight for both staff and guests.

More exceptional staff from Oklahoma & New Mexico carried the day in 2010 along with local returners like Eileen, always especially ready for our promo days, and even my eventually-to-be daughter-in-law, Holly, who saved the day as one of our cooks that fall.

Our business season had been gradually extending from its original Memorial Day to Labor Day, with travelers discovery of the incredible beauty of our fall season. As an increasingly booming month, staffing for September grew, demanding even more commitment from our dedicated Baldpate staff.

For more fun photos, enjoy our Centennial Staff albums from over the years.

Written by Lois Smith

Day 97: Baldpate Staff Tribute: 2001 – 2005

2017-05-21T07:00:00.000-06:00

Staff 2001- Jen & Pete

2001 & 2002 were really golden years in my book, as my daughter Jen, and her new husband Pete, each completing their military commitments, decided to jump in headfirst and help with management. Thankfully we had planned in advance it was to be a 2-year agreement, so when they moved on in 2003, there was no big surprise only gratefulness for their time at Baldpate.

2001 as well marks the beginning of our Baldpate Weitzel family legend of service, when Erika joined the staff on the recommendation of family friends. Spanning the next 11 years we are proud that all five kiddos spent at least one summer with us. Thanks Erika, Breanna, Lindsey, Chelsea and Jason. To be honest, we weren’t actually sure we could function when you all eventually moved away!

Staff 2002 with tiny Meg!

The birth of my first granddaughter, Megan in 2002 was clearly the highlight! Arriving on the day of a wedding, I did manage to sneak down to the hospital to meet her between appetizers and dinner! She was put to work of course right away, and our staff that year were all adopted aunts & uncles.

Megan joined Jen & me on our job fair trip to the Midwest in January 2003 for what ended up being quite an adventure. We were traveling on wintry roads from Iowa to Oklahoma when our SUV slipped on the ice and took a roll. Thankfully no one was hurt, but the vehicle was totaled so we decided to spend the night in Des Moines. I was given a list of hotels to call from the hospital, so imagine my surprise when I called and said, "Hello, my name is Lois Smith from the Baldpate Inn and my daughter, granddaughter and I need a room for the night." "Wait...Lois Smith? Baldpate Inn? This is Eric York – I worked for you!" What a small world! Needless to say – we were taken care of with exceptional service!

In 2003, MacKenzie stepped back in as Assistant General Manager as Pete & Jen moved back into corporate America. This job Mac has held ever since, some years more involved on the premises than others, but always in the background as my emergency chef replacement. Don’t get him started telling about his pies or breakfast adventures whenever I was called out of town.

Staff 2003

The fall of 2003 brought the arrival of my first grandson Mason, who has been a frequent helper over the years and along with his cousins, has in the past two years even moved out front to join as waitstaff in the dining room.

We were delighted to celebrate granddaughter Emily who arrived in January of 2004, now making three on our team of next generations crew that you will see for a few weeks this summer.

It was about that time, that as a means of training for our increasingly out of state staff, we initiated our annual Staff Scavenger hunt as a way not just to locally advertise our opening each year but as well to kickstart their knowledge of all the fun places and activities available in Estes Park. (As college students, they did always seem to locate The Wheel and Lonigans by themselves!) Each team is tasked to visit our favorite local businesses and local attractions. Creativity and timely completion scores points for prizes, and in the meantime just getting to know each other better, we think has brought harmony to our seasonal Baldpate teams.

Staff 2004

Larry from Oklahoma, who joined as Hotel Manager, was a champion in 2004 stepping up to fill multiple roles when a co-manager left unannounced in the middle of the night! That doesn’t happen often thankfully, but of course there is also the legend about another staffer, that proclaimed a quick trip to Starbucks, but didn’t ever return (not to worry -- we confirmed that she was safe).

The illustrious 2005 team, is often remembered for the crazy Cabin gals (you know who you are!), our second West Point grad and the ready for whatever Oklahoma “Cowboy” Cooks, Jeff & Adam.

Staff 2005

In those years, our international students came a little further, arriving from eastern European countries, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria, and bringing with them even more new cultural learning opportunities. Can’t tell you how honored we are when these internationals take the time to include a trip to Baldpate in their return trips to the USA! They almost always timidly ask, do you remember me? OF COURSE we do, they have each added so much to the Baldpate experience, both for our guests and staff.

And speaking of memories, enjoy our Centennial Staff albums from over the years.

Written by Lois Smith

Day 96: Baldpate Staff Tribute: 1996 - 2000

2017-05-20T07:00:00.000-06:00

Staff 1997 shirt art

1996 & 1997 we were blessed with the return of 15 to 18 local Estes Park kids and a delightful staff of students from around the country. Stars like Greta from Iowa had started working for us in the early 1990s and had become our backbone during those years. She recruited friends, and set the tone of authentic loving service for staff that was truly exemplary year after year.

Staff 1996

Honestly I can’t remember the first college job fair I attended, but I think it was University of Denver. It didn’t take long until I was on the job fair recruiting circuit, DU & CSU in Colorado, then on to New Mexico and Oklahoma State University, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri and Washington State. I really looked forward to these trips each spring, and loved getting to know hospitality professors and other industry leaders. Often there were guest speakers or seminars that helped me and gave me insight with the students.

1997 was not the first year that we had hired siblings, but our first year for twins! Always had to laugh that year at our guests’ amazement & concerned comments when they mistook Brent & Kent for seemingly 24 hour back to back shifts! We were fortunate to have Kent return for several years, working his way up to Hotel Manager before ‘retiring’ when he graduated from RIT.

A major shift occurred in 1998, the first year I owned the Inn by myself (I bought out Mike when we divorced). Thankfully I had star returners to help me through those first years, and they helped train our new management team in Baldpate ways!

Staff 1999

1999 was a wonderful transition time, beginning our live theater staff production of Seven Keys to Baldpate. That year I did learn in spades that if you have your staff on stage, you will likely be short someone to wait tables and peel potatoes!

The gang of Midwesterners, Gina, Crea, Matt, Seth, Brian, Maggie and Neesha, over those years made those years magically fun.

We had been using nametags for several years but went uptown with real staff shirt uniforms. With just a few variations, it is a tradition we still use today.

Once again we branched out to hire internationally, this time students from France and Canada. We all loved learning how to make authentic French crepes from Julian & Cyril.

Staff 2000

We were blessed in 2000 with another exceptional staff, including our two Rachels, returning from Iowa, and Kathy once again from Pennsylvania, the McLaughlin sisters from Estes Park and the Bradly sisters from Texas.

You’ll get a kick from our Centennial Staff albums from over the years.

Written by Lois Smith

Day 95: Baldpate 100th Birthday News!

2017-05-19T07:00:00.000-06:00

With just seven days in our countdown to cornbread opening, thought we should give you the latest update on our 100^th birthday special plans.

Hopefully you have enjoyed our somewhat erratic preparatory journey through Baldpate’s Key moments over the past 100 years. And now for the partying!

You are all cordially invited to our Party Celebration on Saturday June 17^th, from 2 Pm until 5 PM in the Key Room. Have a glass of sparkly and some cake, we won’t make you sing!

Tickets for our live stage play, Seven Keys to Baldpate, will go on sale June 1^st on our website. Plan now which performance you prefer to attend, we anticipate having a sellout crowd.

Think about making it a special weekend with one of our Stay Play & Dine Theater Packages.

And bug those former employee friends to get on the books for a reunion weekend! You know you want to do it!

Check our website often to see what’s new and if you can’t personally get back, order one of our new Birthday limited edition mugs in our online store available beginning June 1^st.

Written by Lois Smith

Day 94: Baldpate Staff Tribute: 1991 - 1995

2017-05-18T07:00:00.000-06:00

Jen graduated in 1991 and MacKenzie in 1996, so we counted heavily on their high school friends for staff especially during those years. Working around their busy schedules, like homecoming weekends, were sometimes a challenge but worth it!

Staff 1991 hikers

Brad was the steady anchor we had come to depend on. He served as trainer, motivator, hiking guide, and first unofficial underpaid manager who helped us find balance with each new generation of staff.

Jen soon headed off to college in Pennsylvania, so she brought home some “easterners” and expanded our thoughts about hiring. About this time, we realized Estes Park just didn’t have enough people to serve the summer implosion of travelers, so I recall going to the library to research colleges that had Hotel & Restaurant Management degrees. I sent out letters to each of these schools, offering summer learning experiences and actually received some responses!

Staff 1992

1994 was the first year that we hired an international student, Alex, from England. She was a joy to be around and brushed away all potential concerns for non-US help. And that same year, my brother-in-law, Brad, was considering a change in occupation, so joined us at Front Desk and Assistant Manager.

Staff 1994

We’ve already shared the 1995 fun of having Prom at Baldpate, and our staff that year was remarkable as well! Our team of Estes Park kiddos, Leigh, Joci, Justin, Brian, Jeff, Cori, Steve, Les and Ben, were joined by exceptional college students from as far away as Dan, Jim & Jenna from New York, Terese & Nicole from Pennsylvania and Rey (Jen’s new same birthday 'sister') from Georgia and those crazy Texans, Deb, Darren & Steve! Returners like Greg, Greta, Noel, Michael and Brad showed the new kids the ropes.

Staff 1993

A new era for hiring had begun for us. Check out our Centennial Staff albums from over the years.

Written by Lois Smith

Staff 1995 (Jump! Not just a song on the radio!)

Staff 1995

Day 93: Baldpate Staff Tribute: 1987-1990

2017-05-17T07:00:00.000-06:00

As mentioned before, our first couple of years, our Baldpate staff was mainly family, but soon business grew so quickly we realized we really needed additional help.

One of our earliest early helpers, Harold, had been a long time family acquaintance from our times before Baldpate when, like so many others, we visited Estes Park and Pine Haven where he worked before retiring. Just after our first year he wrote on his Christmas card to ask if we would be interested in having any help, that he sort of missed the work. What an answered prayer!! Harold’s years with us were legendary not just for guests but staff as well.

Another treasure was found when Grandma Dot met a delightful local lady, Pat, who seemed especially enthralled with the Inn and somehow Dot convinced her to first volunteer then finally be paid to help. We even managed to talk Pat’s husband, Ralph, to join in when we were overwhelmed. Pat was our housekeeping star for years! She and MacKenzie shared a special bond, something to do with a plastic snake that seem to show up in the strangest places.

A second Estes Park family noted our struggle and offered to help, so we first hired their kids, Eric & Reid (and eventually Carolynne). The next to join our team were college students most often suggested via our family and military friends. So in 1988, we hired non-family students, Shelly, Tim & Greg from Oklahoma, and Steve from Texas along with our returning local kids.

Family still supported us in every possible way. My two Aunts, Mary & Naomi, would visit from Ohio each summer for at least a week to help. Aunt Mary shared her listening ear and then her Christian faith with many a guest. More behind the scenes, Aunt Naomi was always looking for a broom or way to help clean and set the dining room. And as noted, Liz was peeling hard boiled eggs when not getting into mischief. My Dad Sam could always be found tinkering around the property or taking a nap in front of the dining room fireplace after lunch.

When we actually moved permanently to Estes Park in the spring of 1989, we began to recruit lots of Estes Park High School friends of our own kids and were honored by their loyalty and pride as the years passed. Those families to this day, remain a cherished part of this Baldpate family business.

1989 and 1990 proved to be big turning points, since along with our kids new Estes Park friends, Brad arrived from Iowa along with several more students of our military friends, to set the stage for our ever-growing staff.

I would have to admit to one of my most embarrassing moments ever was when I forgot to pick up one of these gals when she arrived from out of state, hopefully Taryn and her mom have since forgiven me!

We even went big time in merchandizing, had our own postcards created by local photojournalist, James Frank, using staff (Jen, Brad & Taryn) as models on the porch.

And speaking of photos, enjoy our Centennial Staff albums from over the years.

Written by Lois Smith

Day 92: Baldpate Staff Tribute: The Earliest Years - 1987

2017-05-16T07:00:00.000-06:00

We so treasure when alumni staff or their family members stop by to share their memories from their days at Baldpate. You may have noticed these wonderful staff photos from the 1940s, but we really have so very little information about those earliest days other than a few letters inquiring about work or mentions in our advertising like “same cook.” We would love to learn more! What do you recall?

Fast forward to 1985 when the Mace’s granddaughter, Leeann and her husband, Don, had just reopened the Inn after some major renovations.

1985 is really the beginning of our modern staff photo journal, and as well a fun connection to later years with a “next generation” staff member nearly 30 years later. (Stay tuned for those stories.)

Trying to decide the best way to share what we know about our Baldpate Staff, I wish we’d keep better labels on our photos, for even now 30 years later, sometimes we struggle with just which year each staff member was part of the team. So as we reminisce if I put someone in the wrong year, you will just have to forgive me. But do enjoy and add to our throwback pictures and stories from your “era”!

Written by Lois Smith

Day 91: Looking Back 100 Years (National Straw Hat Day)

2017-05-15T07:00:00.000-06:00

100 years! So much has changed since 1917, when The Baldpate Inn opened its doors to guests. It was also the year that Estes Park was incorporated as a town.

So let’s imagine a visit to The Baldpate Inn in 1917! There would be some considerable differences.

The Baldpate Inn, August 1930. How much our aspen forest has grown!

When you pack, remember to bring your straw hat. Today is National Straw Hat Day, and yes, in 1917, straw hats were striking the fashion scene.

How to get to The Baldpate Inn? Perhaps in your brand new Willys-Knight! Driving license optional. Coming from further away? A ride on the SantaFe Railroad may be your ticket.

Making those essential hotel reservations: a very different method than today’s easy online reservations.

Always important on vacation, remember to pack your cash. The buying power of $100 in 1917 would be $2,081.31 in 2017!

While there are many changes that have taken place over the last 100 years, what remains unchanged at The Baldpate Inn is the gracious hospitality, excellent food, stunning views, access to adventure, and cherished memories.

Written by Liz Rodgers

Sources:

antiqueimages.blogspot.com

Inflation Calculation from DollarTimes

Day 90: Connecting in the Early Days, Life Before Cell Phones! (Mother's Day)

2017-05-14T07:00:00.000-06:00

It was a big deal in 1917 when Baldpate Inn opened with hot running water and a phone line! From early ads we can see our phone number was 2-W.

Folks in my generation can remember, although I know millennials won’t have a clue, but before cell phones, we all relied on Ma Bell’s phone company to chat! Oh, we were charged for long distance calls, so you always got to the point quickly. And sometimes, like when we bought the Inn in 1986, you actually had to share a phone line since there weren’t enough to go around. Can you imagine, we were on a “party line” our first couple of years!

Our Baldpate staff thought it was a great improvement when a few years later, we were able to get a private line and then finally a dedicated Staff Line! When we finally got that second line there was Staff Phone in the staff private dining room as well as one in the Wild (West) Staff Wing. Now it’s hard enough to imagine having to wait for your turn to make your call but think about keeping track of your long distance charges so you could pay them back. We had some rather pricey bills to collect when there were out of state boyfriends. So next time you complain about “no service,” recall you are not the first to struggle with connecting. We are grateful that with the sometimes spotty service in the mountains of Colorado, we do have cell service at The Baldpate Inn!

Another days gone by item was the pay phone booth which was in the lobby at Baldpate and only 10 cents even in 1986. (The phone company quickly upped that rate once they realized how cheap it was!) Would have to admit there wasn’t much privacy to calls made on that phone. No longer a sensible use of space, it was removed during our lobby renovation in 2011.

And certainly before texting the quick (albeit expensive) method of communicating home was good ole Western Union. Love this 1938 Mothers Day telegram!

Written by Lois Smith

Day 89: Guinness World Records

2017-05-13T07:00:00.000-06:00

The current Guinness World Record for largest collection of keys is held by Lisa J. Large of Kansas City. She has 3,604 keys.

Well, sorry to be the one to break the news to you Lisa, but I hope you’ve enjoyed being the Guinness record holder; your days are numbered.

With an estimated 30,000 keys in The Baldpate Inn’s key collection, we far surpass the current record. The task before is us is to meet the stipulations of the Guinness Record submission.

Would you like to be part of this project, and one of the first to know exactly how many keys are in The Baldpate’s collection?

Written by Liz Rodgers

Day 88: A to Z of a Key Collection

2017-05-12T07:00:00.000-06:00

When guests or news people experience our Baldpate Key Collection, almost invariably they ask the question, “But do you have a key to ……?” Most every time the answer is, "Yes!" since we have keys to most everything from A to Z!

A: Adding machine key

B: Bathroom token key

C: Casket key (did you know there was such a thing?)

D: Donkey (relax, it’s just toy stuffed one)

E: Encryption key

Casket key and poem, guest contribution 1937

F: Flunkey

G: Gate key to Sherwood Forest

H: Horse Collar lock key

I: Isle of Enchantment (Puerto Rico) key

J: Judge magazine “Seven Baldpates to a Keyhole”

K: Keyhole

L: Lightening rod key

M: Master key, T.O. Ranch, Raton, NM

N: Not-a-thing key

O: Opera House, Denver’s oldest, Tabor House key

P: Pocket watch key

Q: Quoin key, used to lock print press forms

R: Rollerskate key

S: Sardine can key

T: Transit key for survey

U: Understanding between all nations, “Key to Peace”

V: Violin chin rest key

W: Wheel key from Civil War cannon

X: Xylophone key

Y: Yale key

Z: Zephyr, streamliner train key

Key to the Gate of Robin Hood's Sherwood Forest

Next time you visit, can you find all these keys?

If you think of a key that we should have in our collection, bring it with you, join the legacy and make an honored donation!

Written by Lois Smith

Day 87: Food trends (Eat what you want Day)

2017-05-11T07:00:00.000-06:00

At first glance, you might think having a restaurant, deciding on the theme, picking deco, and making a menu plan is a one time thing. Let me tell you, it’s not!

In the past thirty years, we’ve tried our best to find tasteful solutions for our guests that were on some special diet, be it South Beach, low carb, high protein, vegan, lactose intolerant, gluten free, allergic to celery or nuts, and more!

We have fielded some interesting questions as well along the way. Are there nuts in your Pecan pie? What is rhubarb? Are there cowboys in your Cowboy Buffalo Stew? Could you take the seed off my strawberries?

Thankfully most guests are in the game with us, looking for solutions that keep the flavor and banish the issues. We are always grateful when we get a recipe or substitution suggestion that really works. Guess the good news is that since we make most all our food from scratch, we can often eliminate or replace troublesome items in our recipes. In doing so, we have systems in place to prevent cross-contamination as we best can. In spite of our efforts, we are not a gluten free kitchen or strict certified Kosher kitchen as we do not have the space required for these strictest of culinary practices.

We do our very best to train and educate our entire staff as to our menu items and their makeup. As guests check in for our B&B we strive to always check for dietary restrictions. For several years we’ve had a dietary cheat sheet for our Dining Room Staff to us and give to dining guests who ask us about ingredients. We especially loved the ‘business card” idea a guest brought last year to alert us of her daughter’s challenges, just having that on the table throughout the meal was a super reminder to give extra consideration. That idea spurred us to create our own table tent sign for these special guests.

So when you dine with us, as you have questions or concerns, we invite your inquiry of our ingredient details. We truly want you to eat what you want every day!

Written by Lois Smith

Day 86: Front Desk Fun (National Receptionist Day)

2017-05-10T07:00:00.000-06:00

Today is National Receptionist Day, and while The Baldpate Inn doesn’t have a receptionist in the traditional sense, our Front Desk Associates serve as the warm welcome for the Inn. Working in the hospitality industry, it’s a surefire bet that every day is going to be different and interesting!

Family friend Harold was our first front desk man, and could patiently visit with guests, keep our books flawless and still always have time to give a hug or take a homesick staff member out to dinner!

Front desk is definitely one for juggling multi-taskers. Moving between three computer reservation systems, maitre’d for the restaurant, ringing phones, guests and staff constantly coming and going, and keeping the lobby fire going, just counting back change from a check can be challenging, not to mention finally balancing the books at the end of a busy day.

Folks love our front desk signs, especially this extra charge warning. Keeping that positive attitude when someone arrives grouchy, does take a special amount of good nature and understanding.

Giving the “tour” to our B&B guests, explaining the shared bath option and finding solutions (be it moving guest rooms or passing out earplugs) for our historically non-soundproof walls, all add to the adventures at Front Desk.

During snack time in the evening however, when the pace is slower, Front Desk staff often enjoys the best quality time visiting with guests around the fireplace. Stories are shared and connections made, from favorite hikes or even discovering that guests are from a town just next to their hometown. Do you have a Baldpate front desk story to share?

There have been many surprises along the way, from shall-we-say older perceptions that ladies can’t serve as a bellhop hauling luggage, to folks showing up at the “wrong” hotel, but opting to stay at The Baldpate, due to its rustic charm and warm cornbread.

One Front Desk staffer was quite surprised at a dining guest’s request, but unhesitatingly rushed back to the kitchen to request “MORE MEATLOAF!” She thought she had been missing the meatloaf all summer, but as it turns out, the request was for our homemade honey “wheat loaf!”

Rain or sun, our Front Desk Staff shine with a willingness to serve. So today, we salute the Front Desk staff of The Baldpate Inn, always happy to greet and assist the travel-worn passengers of life as they reach the oasis of The Baldpate Inn.

Written by Liz Rodgers & Lois Smith

Day 85: Back to School Daze

2017-05-09T07:00:00.000-06:00

What do you think of when it’s back to school time? A new box of crayons, new clothes or weekend parties! Like most of our promotions, this idea came from our staff one fall. The first few weeks of August, we often say farewell to a good number of our seasonal team as students return to school. Just those who have just graduated or are taking time off, and our international students, remain to complete our season.

We didn’t want to feel left out as those returning to classes eagerly planned their upcoming semester. So Back to School Daze seemed just the thing! Wanting to cover the complete experience, we decided to celebrate Fat Tire Friday, Sporty Saturday and Sleep in Sunday!

Since we really didn’t have enough staff for any team sports on those cool fall weekends, we struggled to come up with an individual sport that might work for a competition, when low and behold, we found this 1929 news story that answered our dilemma!

So we brushed up our skills for game on!And the good news is that so far, we haven’t broken any windows or put out any eyes!

Yo-Yo Champions!

Being from colleges and schools from around the world, we also love testing our guest’s skills with a Pop Quiz trivia game about our various mascots, countries and school logos.

How many can you name?

So just saying, start practicing your yo-yo skills now and plan to join us in the fall for throw back memories of your school daze and lots of fun!

Written by Lois Smith

Yo-Yo Competition glory awaits!

Day 84: Native American Influence

2017-05-08T07:00:00.000-06:00

The Baldpate Inn has been the welcome recipient of many Native American influences throughout the years.

As a young man, Charles Eagle Plume worked at The Baldpate Inn. Later in life, he operated a trading post not far from The Baldpate Inn. I remember visiting his store many times as a young one. I was thrilled by his tipi and artistic artifacts. On one special occasion, I was delighted in his kindness when he gave me a much-treasured feather.

The Baldpate’s Santa Fe Art Collection celebrates Native American life in the early 20^th Century, and other photos in our black and white photo collection depict many special moments.

A Golden Globe winning TV mini-series, “Centennial” (1978-1979) told the story of Colorado’s cultural and economic growth in the 18^th through 20^th centuries. Part of the filming took place at our very own Lily Lake. We have several photos of this time, and would love to know more of the stories surrounding them. Our Baldpate friend and photographer Moses Swindler (Street) recently posted a photo taken during the filming of himself with Actor Richard Chamberlain.

Our key collection also honors Native American history. Of several donations, one is from 1936: a key that had been used as the front door of the Cherokee National Female Seminary’s Administrative Building in Oklahoma.

A thrill of curiosity surrounds this beautiful "Baldpate 7 Keys" Native American styled jewelry. (Note the keys in the details!) We have always wondered who created these stunning custom pieces, and how and when they arrived at Baldpate. Another mystery, anyone have the story?

Written by Liz Rodgers

Day 83: Lemons to Lemonade (National Lemonade Day)

2017-05-07T07:00:00.000-06:00

One of the most challenging things about life, and indeed business, are the unexpected twists and turns. From the slight annoyances to the devastatingly insurmountable, the wise among us have learned to take a creative twist to the lemons of life, knowing that a challenging situation may turn out to be a blessing in disguise. So, on this National Lemonade Day, when life has handed the good folks of The Baldpate Inn lemons, we honor their spirit and unwavering determination to make the best of it, get creative with those lemons, and turn them into something delicious like lemon blueberry muffins, lemon ginger muffins, or pink lemonade pie!!

One of the biggest unexpected challenges that has been faced by The Baldpate Inn was the extreme flood of 2013. The reality of the damage to the property and loss of business, by being forced to close six weeks early, was a heavy and imposing challenge to overcome. The shift towards the positive began with gratitude, recognizing that everyone was safely evacuated. Through much hard work, persistence, and the healing balm of time, we are now able to see blessings that have come from this event. The generosity and kindness of family, friends, and even people we didn’t know, all reaching out to help demonstrated the very best in humanity. Perseverance paid off in the major improvements on the road, and indeed, we can now laugh at the cleaned out basement.

We are learning to see the bright possibility in every trying situation. As previously mentioned, even disappointing social media reviews turn into opportunities to improve, and better delight our customers. A new food trend can present an initial challenge that can result in a bouquet of new recipes and favorites! More to come on this soon!

Even this blog, as rewarding as it has been, has come with its own set of challenges. 100 blogs in 100 days is a lot of blogs, and not a lot of time, let me tell you. But the difficulties have been far outshined by the relationships and connections that continue to strengthen. The history of the Baldpate Inn has taken on new life, and been shared with so many curious folks. And, as an unexpected bonus, our archives are now much more organized!

As we are certain that life will continue to present the unexpected, we stand assured that the family and friends of The Baldpate Inn will continue to look on the bright side, find the silver lining, and enjoy those lemony treats at The Baldpate Inn.

Written by Liz Rodgers

Day 82: Seven Lazy Queens

2017-05-06T07:00:00.000-06:00

Shopping has always been a enjoyable part of The Baldpate Inn experience. In the early years of the inn, the Mace family took shopping to a whole new level, quite literally, with their “Seven Lazy Queens” gift shop and tower observatory.

Named for the seven women of Gordon Mace Jr.’s family, they included his wife, Tommie, and their daughters: Linda, Leean, Stana, Penny, Melanie, and Laurie.

A testament to the innovative spirit of Mace family, the tower and gift shop sat at the top of The Baldpate Inn’s drive, and directly across from Lily Lake. It opened in 1966. The tower sported unparalleled views of Longs Peak, the Estes valley, Trail Ridge and the northern section of Rocky Mountain National Park. The gift shop sold home décor, with “selections for the discriminating,” Gordon Jr. stated. This certainly piques my interest, and I would have loved to browse the gift shop and take in the views from the tower. These days, I enjoy shopping at the Baldpate Inn’s online gift shop and in person at the inn, with their variety of merchandise and collectables.

Today, the original tower of the Seven Lazy Queens is no longer there. It was closed off for several years before it was torn down, and I’m not throwing anyone under the bus, but the “Danger” and “Closed” signs may have been more of a challenge than a deterrent to some.

The building that housed the early gift shop now belongs to Rocky Mountain National Park, which is quite fitting, as they also own and manage Lily Lake. We are pleased to be surrounded with Rocky Mountain National Park lands, and salute the National Parks for their vision of preserving the past and looking toward to the future.

So if you are searching for a gift for that hard-to-shop-for friend, or even yourself, The Baldpate Inn’s history of providing unique and elegant items is certain to delight.

Written by Liz Rodgers

Source: Estes Park Trail, July 1, 1966

Day 81: Cinco De Mayo (National Salad Month)

2017-05-05T07:00:00.000-06:00

When you are known for your Soup & Salad Buffet, ya gotta talk about Salad and doubly so on Cinco de “Mayo” day!

No “mayo” in this specialty salad, but one of our most requested salads is our Jicama Two Step with just the right southwest flavor kicks and unusual ingredients that our guests love. I always get a laugh hearing those not as familiar with jicama, trying to describe it to fellow diners or just pronounce it!

I even had one sweet older lady, who thought it was our butter and suggested that we let it warm up more so that it would be easier to spread on her bread. (Jicama, sometimes known as the Mexican potato, is typically crunchy hard like a raw potato or radish, not really a spreadable option.)

One of our Texas cooks, Cori, brought the Jicama recipe to our attention, and although it is a bit timing consuming to prepare, it is worth the effort to enjoy this delicious and hearty salad. You can enjoy this salad at home as well, as it is included in our Collections of Baldpate cookbook!

Along with our fresh greens and bunches of toppings, perhaps you haven’t noticed the plan but we try with our specialty salads to feature a fruit salad, a vegetable salad and a sweet gelatin based salad. So we always looking for a new ingredient idea or flavor to incorporate. One of the newest is our Watermelon feta salad, wonderfully refreshing and delightfully simple to make!

Not so easy, but one of the staff favorites is our Peachy Keen sweet salad. Our refreshing peachy keen juice is a beverage enjoyed by our B&B guests during snack time each evening and so one of our creative staff members decided we needed to bring that flavor to the salad buffet. A tricky combo of peaches, pudding and the famous keen mix, if you love the peachy goodness of this salad, you have “Doc Jeff” to thank!

Come enjoy our salad bar with a variety of specialty salads, or create your own delicious concoction!

Written by Lois Smith

Day 80: Where in the World is The Baldpate Inn Staff From – International Staff & Star Wars Day (Part 2)

2017-05-04T07:00:00.000-06:00

One can only imagine how “other world” the Baldpate experience must seem to our international staff members!

We’ve been honored to have staff members from Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, England, France, Kosovo, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Spain, Turkey, and Vietnam, to name a few.

Our international students have been in the USA Work & Travel program which provides the opportunity for them to come to the USA to experience our culture, share their culture with us, and visit different parts of our country.

I know we have learned as much from them as they from us! Be it during 9-11 when it was hard for them to understand our shock, when bombings happen nearly every day in their homeland, or their amazement at the cost of a haircut or how “cheaply” we can buy some electronics! I will never forget the student that broke into tears with their first paycheck. When I asked if something was wrong, they said it was almost more money than their father would earn in a year! And then there is trying to explain taxes and social security…

We’ve had some awkward and some ahaa! moments talking about the roles of women or what is the perceived appropriate standard for the length of a work week. Often our US staff are amazed at the dedication of their world peers.

Not to say it has all been rosy! Occasionally my lack of world history has caused some strife as I’ve housed students together from traditionally non-friendly countries.

And of course, there is the occasional Inn guest that is irked when their server struggles to understand a unique request. We have learned to do our best to prepare our diners with an explanation of where their server is from, and that they are trying to improve their English – and that you may either speak to them in their language or English, and they will gladly get assistance if their English cannot be understood.

Our international students have enriched the Baldpate experience, contributing many things to the Inn over the years, including our key collection! One impressive key added was from a returning international staff member, Claudia, who requested and received a key to a secret passageway in the castle that inspired Braum Stoker’s Dracula! See the full story in our Key Room blog.

My hope is that we continue to each become better world citizens by our “other world” exchanges.

Written by Lois Smith

Day 79: Where in the World is The Baldpate Inn Staff From – USA (Part 1)

2017-05-03T07:00:00.000-06:00

The staff of The Baldpate Inn comes from all over the world! Tomorrow, we’ll talk about our international staff, but today, we highlight the staff of the United States.

Although many of our staff do come locally from Estes Park, and all around Colorado, we have had staff come from at least 36* states, including Alabama, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming! (My apologies if the “50 Nifty United States” song is now stuck in your head!)

*Note: It's possible there are more than 36 states, as our detailed records don’t go back to our earliest years. If we’ve missed your state, please give a shout out!

Baldpate staff have come from all states highlighted in blue

No matter where they're from, the staff enjoy exploring and experiencing Colorado, and especially Estes Park. And we are extremely grateful for the variety of cultures, traditions, and talent that come together to make the Baldpate Inn experience a rich tapestry, and truly unique!

Written by Liz Rodgers

Day 78: Baldpate Inn Weddings & Honeymoons, Part Two (Just could not finish this topic in one post!)

2017-05-02T07:00:00.000-06:00

Remembering weddings at Baldpate just has to include the staff members who actually met in the kitchen (Brad & Renee, Adam & Amanda, Jen & Doug among others). One just became suspicious when all the sudden, guys not scheduled on shift stopped by during closing to help some pretty girl with dishes!

And you gotta recall those who celebrated their weddings at the end of the season or years later. (Josh & Lindsey, Noel, Tate & Courtney, and more!)

Especially fun memories were the 2002 gals & guys escapes to Denver for the “stag" parties, hm, maybe best no photos here.

Would be remiss not to mention our treasured guests who have returned to Baldpate for many years to especially celebrate their anniversaries. Tony & Nancy, on June 24^thfor more than 20 years! Whitney & Elizabeth and so many more. Thank you!

Written by Lois Smith

Day 77: Baldpate Inn Weddings & Honeymoons, Part One

2017-05-01T07:00:00.000-06:00

The Baldpate Inn has been a proud charter member of the Estes Park Wedding Association since its beginning, but brides are clearly nothing new to our spectacular location.

After finding this June 1921 news clipping from the Estes Park Trail, one has to wonder just how many couples have been married or honeymooned at Baldpate Inn in the past 100 years!

Unfortunately, I have been remiss by not keeping a list of our brides and grooms for the past 30 years, but yes we do certainly have quite a few favorite wedding stories... some we can tell, some not so much.

Of course we've had lots of crazy times at weddings -- the mother of the bride dancing on the tables, the bride who forgot to eat and missed the reception because she fainted (not to worry, we served their cake at breakfast the next day), the newlywed photos in front of the main fireplace when it appeared there were antlers coming from the groom’s head. There were snowy moments, late-arriving grandparents and DJs, and the groom who was embarrassed to mention they had broken their bed somehow! We've seen our share of strangely shaped cakes –the armadillo groom's cake or the unstable and sticky mountain of donut holes that they wanted rolled in the dining room at the last minute.

Jen & Pete, 2000

Of course my favorite two Baldpate weddings were those of my own kids, Jen & Pete in 2000, and Mac & Holly in 2011.

Jen & Bridesmaids

Mac & Holly, 2011

Mac & Holly

Written by Lois Smith