Elkwood Manor B&B
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On our most recent trip to Pagosa Springs we wanted to stay just out of town where it was a bit quieter. We ended up picking the Elkwood Manor B&B, and this peaceful spot comes with one awesome view.
The Elkwood Manor B&B is located on US 84 just outside of Pagosa Springs. From the east end of town just turn south onto US 84 and drive for 2.5 miles to Easy Street. The driveway for Elkwood Manor B&B is to the right immediately after turning onto Easy Street. There’s a large sign so it’s easy to spot. At night Easy Street can be missed due to how dark the road can be, the high speed limit on the road, and the fact that there isn’t too much marking the turn from a distance.
Once we arrived we were greeted by Jim and Odilia who run the bed and breakfast. They showed us around the premises and its amenities. Then they took us to our room and told us about breakfast, happy hour, and more.
One of the biggest features of the Elkwood Manor B&B is the large deck with a wonderful view of the San Juan Mountains in the distance. It’s a popular spot for guests to get married, and when we first arrived there was a very small wedding going on and the couple was exchanging their vows.
One other feature of the Elkwood Manor B&B is the two cats that live on the property. This wasn’t a deciding factor in staying here, but it didn’t hurt our choice. The cat we saw the most was Kate. She’s a long-haired orange cat who is quite adventurous and loves being petted. The other cat, named Skorpios, is a black cat who is a bit more elusive to find at times, but does like to sit in front of the fireplace and get pets as well.
The Elkwood Manor B&B has 5 different rooms for guests to stay in. Each room looked great, but we chose the Wilderness Loft Suite because it is a bit more private when compared to the others. The room is accessible from the stairway in the kitchen. The room itself is quite large. It comes with a king-size bed, fireplace, and a nice comfy couch to watch TV from. The bathroom is nice, and the rocky wall gives off a log cabin feel.
The room comes with its own private balcony with a table and chairs for guests to enjoy. From the balcony there is a nice view to the east of the hills and Blackhead Peak in the distance. The room also has an additional (indoor) secluded seating area that wraps around the stairs and overlooks the dining area. Generally the room is quiet, but guests can be heard in the dining area if they get loud enough.
Each morning Jim and Odilia cooked us breakfast whenever we finally decided to emerge from our room. Breakfast was different each morning; it would always be just enough food to fill us up, but not too much to slow us down for hiking each day. Our first morning we had french toast, sausage, and sliced fruit. The next day was a frittata with sausage and a cup of yogurt with fruit. Each meal was quite tasty and would always come with orange juice and any other hot drink we could want.
At night they offer a happy hour for the guests. Here Odilia would give us a list to pick a drink for her to make, and she definitely likes to make her drinks a bit strong, but we weren’t complaining. We’d also get a small appetizer to snack on, and this would vary each day. The first day we had some egg muffins with bacon-wrapped water chestnuts. The next day was a small shrimp salad with crackers and two different types of hummus for dip. These snacks and drinks were a nice way to start the evening, and it fortunately didn’t fill us up before dinner each time.
The Elkwood Manor B&B has many other amenities for their guests to use. In the dining room there is a Keurig and water heater with many types of coffee and teas to choose from. There’s a hot tub and firepit outside and across the small courtyard area. We didn’t use it since we had just gotten back from the Springs Resort Bath House, but the view from the hot tub is nice and much more private. Special towels for use specifically at the Springs are also provided if requested. Jim and Odilia also have many ideas for guests on what to do in the area. With the recent snow, we weren’t planning on going to the Piedra River Trail, but after their recommendation we did go, and it was amazing. They even let us take a set of Yak Tracks to attach to our boots to help with the snow.
One other nice thing about the Elkwood Manor B&B is how little light pollution it has. Taylor was excited to try getting some star photography done, but unfortunately the near full moon was out on the only clear night we had. It illuminated the mountains quite well, but unfortunately made seeing stars a bit hard. He did get a few nice photos at least.
Our stay at the Elkwood Manor B&B was great. It’s much quieter than being in town but is surprisingly only about 5 minutes away from central Pagosa Springs. Jim and Odilia were wonderful hosts, and it was nice having the cats to keep us company at times. We’ll have to make sure to stay here again next time we’re in town.
Google Maps Link: Elkwood Manor B&B
