Downieville, CA: March 2021 — Longtime adventure seekers, Michael and Sonya Meline, purchased Riverside Inn (which they renamed Riverside Mountain Lodge), a 12-suite rustic lodge in the mountain biking boomtown of Downieville, California nestled in the Tahoe National Forest. The couple moved to Downieville with their son, Gregory, after they say they looked at over a dozen properties in Colorado, Idaho, and California before settling first on the purchase of the town's other river-front hotel, the Carriage House Inn.

“The Carriage House was the culmination of our five-year dream” remarks Sonya. “We just never imagined we would purchase another property so soon after the inn. The Riverside [Mountain Lodge] had been shut down by the previous owners for the entire year of 2020, and with COVID-19, they had no plans to reopen. We felt the pain our visitors felt when they called to book a room at the Carriage House, and we had to turn them away because we were full. There just wasn't enough supply to keep up with the demand! We also felt the pain of the local community who relies on the tourism economy with 1/3 of the hotels in the area being shut down.”

Sonya said that while she and Mike were waking their dog one afternoon, they noticed signs of life at the then-shuttered Riverside Mountain Lodge. It was the former owners of the lodge who offhandedly said “Hey, you guys should just buy this place!'” and from there the seed was planted. 

COVID created huge swings in the couple's guest bookings throughout 2020. They were forced to cancel months of reservations during the peak season of 2020 in April through June with the California stay-at-home orders in place. However, when they were finally permitted to take reservations again, the bookings poured in.

“We were so busy that even with all the extra distancing, masking, and sanitation and other measures we had to comply with for COVID, that the late summer-season made up for a dismal spring.”

“People just want to be in the mountains with everything going on.” said Michael Meline. “We were even full during the mid-week at the inn, while hotels in cities and more densely populated areas were really hurt by COVID. Here, with fast internet, many people can still work-from-home, but then they can do it with the wide-open spaces and the mountains to keep them company. Or [they can] walk out the back door and be steps away from one of California’s most clear and unspoiled waterways on the Yuba River.”

Mike once worked as a fabricator and materials scientist in the automotive, aerospace, and sporting goods industries. One of his favorite roles was in the R&D department at Soft Ride Bikes where he discovered a love for mountain biking. He was drawn to Downieville because of the trail system that brings all who travel them to some of California’s most enjoyable terrain, complimented by breathtaking vistas. Mike commented that “it really is an exciting time with e-assist mountain bikes becoming a reality. This allows people of lower experience levels, to get places they would have never been able to go before. Also, it's great for people who would normally take a public shuttle, who with COVID still rampant, are not interested in getting into a van with people outside their pod. For both of these reasons, eBikes are the dawn of a new era for mountain biking.”

The Melines report that they already have several week-long-bookings for the entire Riverside Mountain Lodge, and they plan to increase these types of buyout events — stating that the mid-week stays are also good for the community. They hope to do more company retreats, small weddings, and family reunions. “We inherited several of these groups that buyout the hotel. One comes every year for what they deem the Summer Kickoff Festival. They rent almost every room in the entire town, and there are several unique event spaces here including The Masonic Hall and the picturesque meadow of The Lure Resort. While here, groups partake in the riding or hiking on the trails and river sports such as rafting, fishing, and swimming in the many hidden swimming holes of the Yuba and Downie. 

It’s so cool to be in the middle of all these group events and feel the energy and excitement as the town fills up with people escaping city life” said Sonya, who herself used to plan large-scale events and festivals. “I can’t wait to go rafting on crystal clear waters with big rapids and no crowds” added Mike.

For more information about Riverside Mountain Lodge, or the town of Downieville through the eyes of the Meline Family, reach out to Sonya Ziegler Meline at sonya@riversidemtnlodge.com