As
the new proprietor of Big Creek Inn, two miles from the south
entrance of Yosemite National Park, she hopes to be expecting
company for years to come in her newly refurbished 5,000-square-foot
bed and breakfast. It opened this month."I'm a refugee from the management world," says Salisbury, who has a degree in health administration. As a consultant to medical practices and hospitals, she dealt with the business, administrative and financial components of medical organizations and hospitals.
That was only a year and a half ago. In October 2000, she had spent a rejuvenating week hiking and exploring in Yosemite with friend and co-worker Louisa Creech. Though she had visited the park many times in the past and was familiar with the area, something was different about this stay. She knew at the end of the week she really did not want to leave.
On their last day of vacation, heading back toward San Diego and the job she had held for the past 20 years, she said to her friend, "There has to be a better way to earn a living."
She realized that her profession, though it offered security and good pay, had stopped being fun. With determination, she began a search for a place to establish a bed and breakfast inn near Yosemite. When she found the Fish Camp location, she knew it was perfect. The house was in need of a major renovation, but she was not deterred.
Pam is a very high-energy person. She knows how to get things done," Creech said. "I have to call her every week and ask about her latest adventures."
Salisbury has chopped firewood and crept under the house to make sure the crawl spaces are critterproof, along with practicing her handyman and decorating skills. Dealing with roof leaks, plumbing upgrades and the installation of a security system have been both challenging and satisfying.
Though she appreciates her friend's abilities, Creech can't resist revealing that Salisbury gave herself a bloody nose the first time she tried to put snow chains on her tires. Living at an elevation of 5,000 feet, the new innkeeper has had an opportunity to perfect that art in the past year.
Salisbury admits that the quietness of the area took some getting used to after being accustomed to the stresses and noise of the city. Now it is something she does not wish to give up. "My 24-year-old daughter thought I was absolutely nuts, having a mid-life crisis or something, but after being here, I think she understands now."
The guest rooms and living areas of the inn, decorated by Salisbury, have an open, uncluttered feel. Light neutral colors and large windows give a bright and airy ambience to the house, which was built as a private family's retreat in the 1970s. "I think people will appreciate the privacy," she said. "I've soundproofed all the rooms, and it is a real getaway."
Guest quarters upstairs each have their own bathroom and private balcony with a view of the creek and pastures between the dense pines and cedars. Luxury bedding and pillows invite visitors to relax in comfort.
In the sitting room, shelves are stocked with board games and an extensive video library. In a separate alcove, visitors can use the computerized telescope to explore heavenly wonders.
The large downstairs breakfast room, furnished with cherry-wood, mission-style furniture, projects a comfortable elegance. Cushioned sofas face a massive stone fireplace. Room rates are seasonal and range between $100 and $185 per night, including breakfast and afternoon cheese and wine.
The property is on Highway 41 near the bend of Big Creek, where the rushing stream changes direction almost 90 degrees and heads north toward Wawona, just like the park visitors who pass through this settlement. Generations of anglers have come here to catch their limit of trout. In earlier days it was a logging camp. Even further back in time, because of artifacts found here, the area seems to have been a favored summer campground for native tribes. In the early 1900s, Fish Camp became a stopover for park visitors. Photos taken as early as 1919 show a lodge and general store.
An open house for Big Creek Inn March 23 hosted about 50 guests, an impressive turnout during a spring storm that brought several inches of new snow. Salisbury planned the event to introduce herself and her new enterprise to the community. Considering that the full-time population of Fish Camp is about 30, the open house was a rousing success.
Don and Chris Isbel, area residents for the past five years, enjoyed the reception. "It's a beautiful place, and not over-decorated. I think it's going to do great and we wish her well," Don Isbel said. "She puts out good food."
According to Ted Aldershof, chairman of the Fish Camp Advisory Council, who has owned property here since 1987, there are several bed and breakfast businesses in the area. He said Salisbury's new venture fits well into the small community, and he's delighted to see the results of her work. "She's done a nice job in fixing up the place," he said. "A lot of thought went into this, and she has a good business plan."
Many of the established local B&Bs tend to be a little more "comfortably rustic" in style, he said, but new small businesses such as this are beneficial without making an adverse impact on the area's resources. "Fish Camp retains a small-town feel," he said, "and people want to keep that."
As part of her research, she visited a number of inns and lodges, which helped her develop an idea about the features she appreciated. "It is designed to be like a place where I would like to stay," she said.
In fact the Big Creek Inn is more than a business venture for Salisbury. It is her home by deliberate, life-changing choice.
Details: (559) 641-2828 or www.bigcreekinn.com e-mail: bigcreekinn@sti.net.
-- Rochelle Frank is a free-lance writer living in Mariposa.
