Meet Melissa Brown | Hotel Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Melissa Brown and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melissa, what’s the most important thing you’ve done for your children?
One of the biggest factors in purchasing the property was the positive impact it would have on our two kids. At that time, our kids were 10 and 6. We wanted them to have experiences in the outdoors that they would remember well into their adulthood. Our little town of Lake City is in the most remote county in the lower 48, making it an excellent spot for kids to explore and have freedoms that they wouldn’t have in the big city.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Lake City Lodge is a small 8 unit boutique style hotel that we purchased in 2020.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
First things first…make a reservation at Lake City Lodge!!

Once we have checked it and got a great nights rest, start with a great breakfast at Chillin’ or Lake City Bakery. We would then rent a jeep or OHV to peruse the town and local trails or take the entire day and take a trip around the entire Alpine Loop. We would then end the day at our favorite dinner spot for some great southern style food.

After you first day of thrilling exploring…take today to do more relaxing activities. We would make a great breakfast at our place at Lake City Lodge because each unit has a full kitchen with everything you need to make your meal. Across the street from the lodge is a cute little putt-putt that is so nice, shaded and fun for kids and adults. After that fun, you can walk over and shop at the cute little General Store to get fun souveniors and other things you may have forgotten to pack. We would then walk over to Memorial Park for the kids to play at the park and let your dog run free at the dog park–yes, Lake City Lodge allows you to bring your furr babies. Next to the park is the confulence where Henson Creek and Lake Fork of the Gunnison river meet and you can have a picnic under the gazebo and wade in the the cold water or try your hand at some river fishing. Come back to your room in the afternoon to take a nap or read a book under the Lake City Lodge gazebo. On Tuesday nights you can go to the Lake City Brewery for trivia and Wednesday evenings old fashion BINGO is held in the Armory. In town, there is the local San Juan Soda Fountain where you can get a scoop of ice cream or hot cup of coffee. During the weekends you can catch a flick at the one screen, vintage and world famous Mountaineer Theatre. There are lots of local hiking that take you to beautiful waterfalls such as Whitmore Falls. You can make a dinner reservation at CIimb Elevated Eatery for fine dining. There are awesome biking trails as well as a pretty cool disc golf course up a mountain. For those with younger kids and those young at heart you can paint a rock, go on a scavenger hunt, or play putt putt at Sweety’s Wildlife Art Zoo. Another great attraction is Hard Tack Mine where you can explore an old mine and learn about how Lake City started. Take a drive up to Deer Lakes to try to catch moose and stop by Lake San Cristobal to boat, kayak, paddle board or catch some fish.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
A shoutout to the town of Lake City for welcoming us from the moment we signed on the dotted line. We are grateful for all the help we have received, from business advice to encouragement to take on this new challenge, and even in lending a helping hand when making unexpected repairs. We have many many new friends and are thankful that we get to go back to our little piece of paradise every summer.

Website: www.lakecitylodge.com

Instagram: @lakecitylodge

Facebook: Lake City Lodge

Image Credits
Charis Dickens Photography