Gold Mining towns hold a special interest for me, so when a girlfriend and I decided to take a night away, Greenville, Ca on Hwy 89 was our destination. The 12 mile winding drive along Lake Almanor’s East Shore was spectacular that day. A new blanket of snow had frosted the forest and ribbons of mist danced across the water and settled in the trees, giving a relaxed hush to the day’s mood. A few angelic rays of sunshine sneaked through to set the woods a-twinkle and sprinkles of snow drifted down from the heavily laden branches. It seemed the woods were yawning and stretching after a long winter nap. Getting away from kids and chaos, a nap at Sierra Lodge and Trading Post seemed a wonderful idea to us. Mother Nature knows best.
We arrived late in the afternoon to find the Trading Post Store portion of the business closed for the day but a welcoming sign invited us to check in on the 2nd floor. Old rough cut barn wood graces the walls of the entry hall and several hand painted murals and history tidbits line the path to the main stair case. Several character cutouts painted by artist Stephanie Stemcha occupy Sierra Lodge and Trading Post and I have to say my favorite is the spry old miner and his faithful dog at the bottom of the stairs. He reminded me of my own gold mining Daddy and our old mutt Digger Dog, which made me giggle. A soft love seat and dimly burning lamp, along with a lightly stocked bookshelf, make up one of several quaint sitting areas throughout the 2nd and third floors. Each room on both lodging floors has a hand drawn mining scene above the door, just another touch of detail added to this gold nugget of a lodge. We rang the bell outside the adorable little check in window that brought to mind the telegraph office from an old western movie. Warm and friendly manager Carol was on her way out but still took the time to walk us to our lovely room and invite us to check out the store between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., their regular year round business hours. After peeking at the elaborate window displays on our way in, I was curious to see all the treasures of the 3 room store.
Our comfortable king sized bed was built from logs and I had a great view of downtown from my pillow. 
A mountain mural on the walls of our room was another piece of hand painted eye candy that make Sierra Lodge and Trading Post such a treat. The microwave and mini fridge were just we needed for our popcorn and chick flick plans. Plenty of thick soft towels and a good deep bathtub invited a long hot bath, a must on a girls night out. Main Street Dinner House (also featured this month) offers on site fine dining just downstairs so dinner was no fuss and delicious. Afterward, we enjoyed a quiet night in,
curled up under the crocheted afgan we found draped over our corner arm chair. It was good to get away with an old friend. Nightly rates at this golden find are very reasonable at $55.00 per night for the smallest rooms, $65.00 for medium and $75.00 for the largest king rooms like our
s. 
The third floor houses cute little apartments that rent long term for $550.00-$750.00 per month with all utilities as well as cable t.v. included. A great find for the single guy or young couple moving to Greenville.
Our morning visit to the Trading Post proved to be a shoppers joy. This unique shop has a bit of everything from second hand furniture to fine jewelry. Of course it wouldn’t be a genuine miners place without some real raw gold nuggets and there were plenty of those. Oriental and African art pieces, big game head mounts, stained glass and musical instruments are just a few more of the countless treasures to be found at Sierra Lodge and Trading Post. Owner Ivan Coffman has a great eye for the eccentric and unusual. We bought a delicate silver and turquoise ring as a momento of our relaxing visit. There are several small antique shops in Greenville and a brochure at each, to help you find them all. We had a great time. So whether you go for the night, the shopping, or just happen to pass through Greenville, drop in on Carol and her fuzzy little pooch Chuck. They’ll be happy to show you around.
