This week we took our son to his first mountain experience. We chose to go up to the Idyllwild Inn where my old friends Josh & Emily White are the hosts. In a world of cookie cutter hotel experiences the Idyllwild Inn is a refreshing change.
There is something special about a business that has been family-owned and operated for generations. Josh & Emily are the 4th generation at this Idyllwild, CA landmark. It is very clear that the rustic mountain experience is important to them. You can tell it by the way that they keep all of the rooms extremely clean, the constant improvement projects, their community involvement, and the way that they interact with guests and staff… that this is a place that is unique.
While most other businesses search to find their “story”. They have more stories than they have time to tell. It is no surprise that they book out for Christmas a year in advance. That people plan annual vacations for a week at a time for “their” cabin. (These too are booked far in advance and they plan their year around their trip not the other way around).
Idyllwild is a secret in Southern California for one reason: It’s not on the way to anything. You have to go there intentionally. Most Californians are too lazy for that! I’m sad that it took me years to get back myself and experience the Idyllwild Inn (the last time I was in Idyllwild was for a backpacking class in college).
I’m glad that we made the journey up to Idyllwild for my son’s first mountain experience. Hopefully it will become a tradition and he’ll take his kids there too.
