A snug blanket of white snow lies on the ground this time of the year and we’ve entered the season of reading by the fire, snoozing more than we should, chopping and stacking fire wood, doing a little snow shoeing, and playing word games. That pretty much describes our winter months here in North Central Idaho. Up river folks, as we refer to ourselves, also take more time to socialize during the winter by holding pot luck dinners with friends and taking afternoon walks up the mountain side behind Reflections Inn.

This year one our talented friends engraved a 20 lb rock with two simple words on it, “One Pancake”.   The idea was to place the rock along the walking trail that is located up the hill behind Reflections Inn. The engraved rock would be placed at the distance it would take a hiker to burn off the calories of one pancake.   After consuming a hearty brunch, a group of us installed the rock on New Year’s Day, at a location roughly a third of the way up the trail.   Ultimately we will place three “Pancake” rocks along the trail, which is a distance of a mile and a quarter one way. This should add a little more fun for our guests who walk the trail – a trail that leads to a beautiful overlook of the Clearwater River Valley.

Most everyone who is serious about the hospitality business puts their guests and service first, as we do at Reflections Inn. But Ruth and I strive to go a little deeper. We want to honor our guests as whole human beings and recognize and respect their distinct differences. By appreciating our guests’ uniqueness we have come to recognize the best that exists within each of us. This makes us happy and content – and we believe this view better serves the needs of our guest.

Many Well Wishes for a Happy New Year!

Jim May

One of our earliest lessons learned (among many others) at Reflections Inn involved choosing the most appropriate market for our style of Inn.

The first lesson involved a bug hunt conducted by two young, precocious boys. They successfully completed an extensive bug hunt on our property, capturing many species of live bugs. The only problem was that they released all of them in their room. Their parents were impressed, dismissing the event as just another important lesson learned in life, saying, “Boys will be boys”.

The second lesson learned involved an inquisitive little girl I found in our bedroom, going through our drawers. She wasn’t stealing; she was just interested in what was in the drawers! The parents were enjoying a much deserved rest while reading in the sun and leaving their children to explore their surroundings, unsupervised.

The third lesson occurred soon thereafter and stood to punctuate the lessons learned from the first two events. A guest called to inquire about availability and asked immediately, “Is it possible to peacefully read a book at your Inn without being disturbed?” And with that, our decision was made.

Since we are sandwiched in-between two larger, family and pet oriented resorts, it seemed logical to rethink our market and focus on providing a “Quiet Getaway” for adults. We love children and we do occasionally make a rare exception for a child under 12, but we are careful to preserve the sanctity of our adult guests.

The quality of our guest space is important to us! Our sense is that there are a number of adults seeking the solace of a quiet place like Reflections Inn; set along the banks of the Clearwater River, in the foothills of the Bitterroot Mountains of North Central Idaho, where, in fact, they can read a book or choose to be by themselves with their thoughts. They have too often found themselves trapped in lodging that reminds them of the same noisy, hectic world they sought to escape from. The Reflections Inn promises the calm experience they seek! Join us and find out for yourself.

According to Baxter Black, a Western entertainer and social critic, rural people are different. We deeply identify with a “Sense of Place” and that is especially true in our case. Ruth and I enjoy looking up to find the horizon – it causes us to see all that lies in-between, including the people. I think suburbanites and city folks look down at their feet too often in their rush to get from point A to point B.

But there are other values according to Baxter that make rural people different. We work hard, believe in something beyond ourselves, and for the most part, we are gracious and express gratitude. We also love the land, family, friends, and readily help others in our community who are in trouble, even if we don’t especially see eye to eye with them.

So it’s with a lot of pleasure that we keep seeing Reflections Inn in different ways through the eyes of our guests. Even a brief stay may mean an all-important moment of respite from the gnawing problems of a scary world. I was standing in the parking lot one day when a young delivery man drove up. The first thing he said when he got out of his truck was, “Wow, this is beautiful!”. Of course, he had just moved to Lewiston, Idaho  from Las Vegas so his response was understandable.

Not long ago we helped an elderly couple who stumbled into the Inn late one night. They were lost, tired and very confused. They had mistakenly booked a room in Grangeville, Idaho (40 miles away), but we were not about to turn them around and send them up the winding mountainous road to Grangeville in the dark. They sent us a note once they arrived home saying that we had indeed ‘saved them’ and that their brief stay at Reflections Inn turned out to be one of the highlights of their trip.

For us, a genuine welcoming smile and looking out for our guests’ safety and comfort is a core commitment. The Reflections Inn is more than a quiet getaway in a beautiful and scenic area of the Northwest. It is about valuing the relationships we develop with our guests and, yes, helping them see the beauty that surrounds them, the beauty that exists in their lives and in ours!