What’s better than staying at a lovely Colorado bed and breakfast? Staying at a lovely Colorado bed and breakfast that’s also a goat farm and you can do just that at the Mountain Goat Lodge in Salida.
Despite a late spring snowstorm that threatened to thwart our plans, my friend Kerri and I arrived at the Mountain Goat Lodge much later than we expected on a Sunday evening. We first stopped in Salida for pizza at Amica Pizza & Microbrewery. It was either the best pizza we’d ever taste or we were very hungry, or a little of both.
Once at the Mountain Goat Lodge, we tucked into our room for the night, exhausted and looking forward to meeting the goats in the morning.
A little sun peeked through our window the next morning, promising a better weather day. Downstairs, Gina was cooking up a storm while her husband, D’Arcy, made us mochas. The two hail from Seattle, so when D’Arcy promised that he could make a mean mocha, I believed him. I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, a part of the world where bad coffee doesn’t exist.
D’Arcy made good on his promise; the mocha was outstanding.
After a delightful breakfast of heuvos rancheros made with Gina’s chicken’s eggs and freshly grown cilantro on top, we were off to see the goats, the chickens, the ducks, the llama and the greenhouse.
While I had come to see the goats, Gina was the most fun on this short trip. I enjoyed her company immensely as we walked around the property listening to the stories of each individual animal. She adores her goats and chickens, but her nine new ducks are testing her patience with their constant quaking.
“I don’t even think the goats like all the noise,” she lamented.
We loved on the goats for a bit and then headed up the hill to tour the rest of the property.
Gina’s greatest love is for her animals, but a close second is her beautiful greenhouse. Over the last couple years, she’s turned the Mountain Goat Lodge into a farm-to-table bed and breakfast. During the summer months visitors will eat entire meals that have been grown on the farm, and even though we were there in the spring, a portion of the meal was from the farm.
In addition to the rooms inside the main house, Gina also rents out retro campers. At just $110/night, these are a great option for families, and while they don’t come with breakfast you can easily cook your own in the camper’s kitchen. You must book these campers early during the summer; the weekends are often booked solid.
Throughout the year the Mountain Goat Lodge hosts a variety of workshops including cheese making classes and chicken and goat care courses. This June Gina will host her first yoga retreat and has plans to add soap making and canning workshops this summer.
The Mountain Goat Lodge is six miles from Salida where you’ll find a thriving art community. Be sure to check out The Bungled Jungle while you’re in town, it’s my friend Kerri’s favorite monster art gallery. Rafting and kayaking the Arkansas River are popular activities in this area, or you could go soak at one of the nearby hot springs.
The Mountain Goat Lodge is online at MountainGoatLodge.com.
A big thank you to Gina Marcell for hosting us on trip.
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