Leaving Seattle for Colorado - how I came to buy the Mountain Goat Lodge

The DECISION TO LEAVE Washington State, my lifelong home, was easy. I knew that I could not take one more winter, one more rainy, muddy wet day, one more dark cloudy windy day, one more cold in your bones, depressive mood. So, the climate and the weather were my motivators.

Secondary motivation was my career. I needed a change – a chance to run my own business into which I could throw all my life experience, skills, passions and talents.

Lying in bed one early morning thinking about my life, I knew I wanted to move away from the dark NW weather into the sun. I didn’t mind going where it was cold or snowy, as long as there was sun. My husband’s job now afforded us the flexibility to live anywhere in the USA as long as he could fly to Houston every six weeks or so – so I had a lot to choose from.

I wanted to move, but I knew that if I just bought another house somewhere – no matter how nice –that my friends and family might not ever come to visit. People always say they are going to, but rarely do. But! If I bought an Inn, a lodge, a bed & breakfast – in a charming place with tons of year-round activities and attractions – then chances are they would visit (Build it and they will come!). This idea struck me like lightening. As soon as I thought it, I knew it was the right way, the right goal for me.

Once I had the goal, the rest came easy.

Even in the worst real estate market of our lifetime – I knew that I would be able to sell my home and my investment rental property – which is what needed to happen in order to buy the Inn. I hadn’t yet found the right place – but I started the process right away.

I searched the internet for anything that met my criteria:

Had to be a lodge, not an old Victorian mansion,

Had to be an existing B&B, with room for improvement

Had to have at least 4 guest rooms

Nice innkeepers quarters

At least 10 acres

Two hours from an airport

A sunny climate

Open-minded friendly people

Lots of year around activites

A drier climate for the goats.

Thankfully, I found The Inn Matchmakers, based out of Denver. Now, Colorado was not my first choice, however it soon became clear that the best place for our new home would be in Salida Colorado. It had everything on my list – everything almost – except the airport requirement– which is 2.5 hours away!