#109 The Creede Hotel

Creede, Colorado

I don't even remember how Don heard about this old hotel, but he made reservations for a stay, 3 years ago. There were devastating wildfires that summer and we had to call from the car to cancel our reservations. The only roads into town were barricaded.

No Fires

So we made an attempt to return this past fall.  When we arrived, it almost looked like smoke, lingering from 3 years ago.  But the quiet little town was just soggy with fog and cold, drizzle.

Funny Little Hotel

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We arrived on September 22,  just a day or two before the hotel was going to close down for the winter.  It looked dark, so we hoped it hadn't already!  Don and I were determined to stay at this historic place that was once the best of about 100 hotels in the once booming town of Creede. 

Signs

There were 3 doors.  The one on the left was to the darkened restaurant.  The middle door entrance had a barrel with a closed sign.  Luckily, the door to the right had a note welcoming us.  There were only 4 rooms listed and ours was the only one with a name next to it.  It looked  like we might be the last guests of the season.

Heading Up

The hardware on the door was pretty ancient, so the door wouldn't click shut after we entered.  We headed up the steep stairs and hoped there were decent locks on the 4 guest rooms upstairs.

Calamity Jane Room

I was pretty delighted we had gotten the room that Calamity Jane supposedly stayed in.  Her portrait in the room looked nothing like Doris Day, who played her in a very silly musical in 1953.

Jane Style?

I'm not sure if Ms. Jane would have loved this decor?  The white iron bed would have suited her fine. But would she have adored the two pink walls and ruffled curtains?

Cozy

It was chilly and damp, so we cranked up the heat to enjoy our little room.  There were some old bits of furniture that might have been around in Jane's day.  The dresser and mirror looked about right... if you blurred your eyes and imagined a white pitcher and bowl, instead of the coffee maker. 

The Bathroom

I'm guessing there were no bathrooms when this small hotel was built over 120 years ago. I would love to know the history of this funny bathroom.  The floor was sort of tilted, which made me chuckle as I stumbled on the linoleum.  I appreciated the attempt at creating a "place for stuff" next to the sink... with a little shelf. ​

 The Mystery Shower

The toilet was sort of tucked into a niche in the wall and the vintage metal shower was a hoot.  At 5 am, the shower was less amusing, when Don and I both woke to the sound of water sucking down a drain.  I staggered in to investigate and the floor of the shower was still draining water.  When I reached up to feel the shower head, it was dry.  "Calamity!  Get out of this shower!" I laughed as I turned to crawl back in bed.  Jane's ghost?

Relaxing Spots

Inside our small room, we did have a little tea table of sorts.  It just made me laugh to look above the table cloth and flowerpot to see the portrait of Calamity.  She was holding that gun like she was angry about this frilly room decor.  Or was she just proudly protecting her guests?  I preferred the porch table instead.

Porch in the Morning

It was chilly in the morning, but we had a little coffee and enjoyed our view of Main Street, which was as quiet as the evening before. I was glad to see there was an emergency ladder draped over the railing... in case the ghost of Calamity Jane got any wilder!

The Rest of Hotel

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The Western Room was beneath the 4 guest rooms. I'm not sure how this space was used originally when the hotel was called "Zang's".  There were enough tables in this space to probably hold every resident of the town of Creede.

Western Memorablilia

Maybe in the summer tourists fill the space, but we got it to ourselves.  We took our time looking at the western movie posters and antique toys.

I felt the need to pose with my cowboy boots, but they seemed to get lost in the shadows.  I should have known I could not outshine Gene Autry, smiling down from his poster in his fancy hat!

The Restaurant

Attached to the north end of the hotel is the restaurant that is oddly enough known for it's delicious food.  Don and I had reservations for 7, but there were only a couple tables being served, so we had a drink at the bar, first.  Dave who has been the owner and chef for 15 years came out and chatted a while.  He showed us a photo of John Wayne at the bar in the 1950's.  Our western road trip seemed to be connecting us with John Wayne and Calamity Jane over and over!

Our Quiet Feast

Dave told us how he moved to Creede to escape the new Colorado Boom Towns. He was tired of watching the old mining boom towns, like Boulder and Telluride being taken over by the wealthy.  As we feasted on crab cakes and Caesar salad, pork tenderloin with spinach... and mashed sweet potatoes with bacon, brandy and maple syrup... we tried to imagine how a tiny place like this could serve such a feast!

Breakfast

In the morning, we were back for breakfast , which was included with our stay. While our egg scramble cooked, we sipped our coffee, nibbled muffins and browsed through books about haunted hotels, which featured The Creede.

What's Notable?

This was not the first time Don and I have been the only guests at a hotel or inn. But usually the host or caretaker has a room in the building.  I'm not sure which is more eerie, knowing you're all alone or knowing the host (whom you've just met) is sleeping in a nearby room.  But compared to our other stays, this was the most dreamlike and mysterious.  The very thought that we could enjoy a gourmet meal on a rainy night in a deserted town in an empty hotel  just makes the whole memory more surreal.  I'm so glad we finally got to have our stay!