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

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^th  for more than 20 years!  Whitney & Elizabeth and so many more.  Thank you! 

Written by Lois Smith

Day 77: Baldpate Inn Weddings & Honeymoons, Part One

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.

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

Written by Lois Smith

Day 73: Prom at Baldpate? At least twice!

My staff always rolls their eyes when I share “Life Lessons from Lois” ~ like unless you want glitter forever, don’t have Prom at your house. In 1995, for my son MacKenzie’s junior year, we agreed to host the Estes Park High School Prom at the Inn. Now put aside the fact that we don’t normally open until the end of May, an April prom is a challenge on several counts, the weather being a huge one!  That year, we had lots of late snow and so just getting into the building was a challenge. I remember hooking a hose to the hot water tanks to help melt the three foot stack of snow and ice blocking the drive thru under the porch!

Then of course since we needed an inside dance floor, we removed all the tables from the dining rooms (have no clue where we actually put them) and decorating commenced. It was quite the transformation!  Evidently it went well, according to this Mountaineer story. 

An extra special guest to the 1995 Prom was our Estes Park Mayor at the time, Bernie Dannel and his wife. What a fun discovery had been made, that 55 years prior, his 1940 Estes Park High School Prom (then called Junior Senior Banquet) had been held at Baldpate Inn!
 

I especially love this 1940 invite, with time for “shagging” after the dinner and program. The class roll lists read like an Estes Park who’s who from days gone by.

Don’t you wish I’d asked Mayor Dannel if he had a copy of his speech, “Reflections of The Deep?”

So actually I guess I don’t really know, was the glitter you occasionally notice on the Baldpate’s Dining Room floor from 1995 or 1940?

Written by Lois Smith

Day 66: Longs Peak Scottish Irish Highland Festival Guest Invitation

One of the most popular attractions in the Estes Park area is the Longs Peak Scottish Irish Highland Festival.  The festival is infused with colorful world class athletes, competing in jousting, caber-throwing, and more. It is quite a sensory experience with bagpipes and drumming, Highland and Irish dancing, as well as Folk music and Celtic rock. 

We have been honored over the years to have many Highland games families stay and dine with us. For some of our staff and guests it has been a unique new experience to actually witness men in kilts or the sound of bagpipes playing “Amazing Grace” before breakfast. 

Now, crazy as it seems, we don’t seem to have any sort of a key to bagpipes in our Key Collection. (Have one you’d like to donate? Please do!) 

We do have several keys with Scottish and Irish connections. Our collection includes the key to the Captain’s quarters of the four-masted “Star of Scotland” sailing ship built in 1887, which was operational until it was sunk by a German U-boat in 1942.  

As well, you can find the key to the Limerick Castle Stables in Ireland. And in 2013, we were most honored to receive the Adare Castle Key, from Adare Ireland, presented to us by the Countess of Dunraven after her visit to Estes Park.

The festival this year is September 7-10, 2017. The town packs out so make your Baldpate Inn B&B Lodging reservations now, and Dining Reservations after May 1^st. You’ll be able to enjoy the festivities in town and then retire to a mostly quiet retreat and excellent dining to refresh yourself.

Until then, Slàinte mhòr agus a h-uile beannachd duibh, which means, “Great health and every good blessing to you!” 

Written by Lois Smith and Liz Rodgers

Day 60: Music in the Mountains

Music at Baldpate has had many rhythms and tempos!  We don’t know as much as we would like about the earliest days, other than our Dance Hall was renowned for wonderful times. 

As mentioned before, when we shared bands with other local lodges, our night was Thursday.  Pictures of the Tall Timber Boys from our photo collection and notes from family members make us wonder even more just who all performed during those early years.  Know any stories? Please share with us!

The keys to our piano in the Dining Room  (albeit sincerely old) have been graced by many a guest.  

 
Nothing new apparently, we still love it when staff are willing to contribute their musical talents as well.

Our Photo Collection and Memorabilia tells us that at one time we even had an organ for entertainment which was eventually donated to Denver University.

Over the past 30 years, we have been most honored by the friendship of our neighbors at Rocky Ridge Music Center.  They have often treated us with performances and dinner music by stars from their students and staff.   

Baldpate’s long tradition of entertaining music will continue. So if you are thinking Music & Mountains, think of us!

Written by Lois Smith