John and Pam Lansing moved to Montesano about a year ago from California.
Like a lot of couples, they were looking to try something new in semi-retirement. John was about to retire from a career as a firefighter. They’d both worked in real estate and Pam was tired of being a landlord.
“I’d always wanted a bed and breakfast,” Pam said.
They visited Vancouver, Washington, and looked. They looked along the East Coast but didn’t like the weather. Then they found a house in Montesano.
“I think the house really found us,” Pam said. “John actually found it online.”
Today, the Lansings have run the Montesano Inn for about a year.
“This house really fit what we wanted to do. Look at the house, it’s gorgeous,” Pam said during an interview on the first floor of the house. “We moved up here. We are Washington residents now. I never thought we would ever move out of California. But there was a lot of things that happened in California that we didn’t like any more. Unfortunately, most of our family lives there. But we’re trying (to get them to move up here).”
They are adjusting well to the Northwest. For the interview, we sat in comfy wingback chairs in front of a warming fire. They were wearing matching green shirts with a Montesano Inn logo embroidered on it over a similarly embroidered pink awareness ribbon logo.
They both lost their mothers to cancer.
“We had breast cancer awareness shirts made up for October (breast cancer awareness month),” Pam said.
“We’ve been staunch advocates of cancer awareness,” John added.
They would like to get the community involved in activities supporting cancer awareness.
“I’m really passionate about organizing a cancer walk,” Pam said. “I’d like it to kind of be a little bit of a lot of different things. We went to a fundraiser at the high school. They were raising money with a bake sale and auction. And they gave the money they raised to a gentleman who’s fighting cancer.”
Pam has an ambitious goal for doing something next year.
“It could be a walk, it could be a bake sale, there are a lot of things that it could be,” she said. “It takes a lot to pull something together like that. I would love the community to come together with it. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could have a walk. I did the Susan G. Komen walk for six years and John was a medic.”
They moved in at the end of last November and began painting, cleaning, gardening, the ususal things a new homeowner does. But they also made some major changes inside.
“We took away one of the bedrooms and added two bathrooms,” Pam said. “We now have three bedrooms on the second floor and each has its own bathroom.”
They also got active in the community.
” Two months after we got here, John started volunteering over at the fire department. And I’m on the Chamber of Commerce board,” Pam said. “We’re just always trying to find ways to be active. We love this community. We
A sink in one of the bathrooms Oct. 31 at the Montesano Inn in Montesano. Photo by Michael Lang | Grays Harbor News Group
Above, sun shines through a window into a bathroom Nov. 2 at the Montesano Inn in Montesano. Below, the home of George Hubble, built in 1903, is today the Montesano Inn.
One of the rooms Nov. 2 at the Montesano Inn in Montesano. Photo by Michael Lang | Grays Harbor News Group
Pam and John Lansing, the new co-owners of the Montesano Inn in Montesano, live in the carriage house, to the left of the inn, seen Nov. 2, 2018. Photo by Michael Lang | Grays Harbor News Group
Pam and John Lansing, new co-owners of the Montesano in in Montesano, hope to host more weddings at their gazebo. Seen Nov. 2 in Montesano. Photo by Michael Lang | Grays Harbor News Group
Michael Lang | Grays Harbor News Group Co-owner John Lansing laughs Nov. 2 while discussing the history of the Montesano Inn in Montesano.
The Montesano Inn in Montesano, seen Nov. 2, is more than 100 years old. Photo by Michael Lang | Grays Harbor News Group
Photos by Michael Lang | Grays Harbor News Group Co-owner Pam Lansing discusses changes to the kitchen Oct. 31 at the Montesano Inn in Montesano.
Sun shines on the back patio Nov. 2 at the Montesano Inn in Montesano. Photo by Michael Lang | Grays Harbor News Group
The west side of the wrap-around porch Nov. 2 at the Montesano Inn in Montesano. Photo by Michael Lang | Grays Harbor News Group
The north side of wrap-around porch Nov. 2 at the Montesano Inn in Montesano. Photo by Michael Lang | Grays Harbor News Group
The north side of thewrap-around porch Nov. 2 at the Montesano Inn in Montesano. Photo by Michael Lang | Grays Harbor News Group
An oval stained-glass window stands out in a room Oct. 31 at the Montesano Inn in Montesano. Photo by Michael Lang | Grays Harbor News Group
An ornate screen stands in a bathroom Oct. 31 at the Montesano Inn in Montesano. Photo by Michael Lang | Grays Harbor News Group
A statue in the main entryway greets visitors Oct. 31 at the Montesano Inn in Montesano. Photo by Michael Lang | Grays Harbor News Group
A lighted statue greats visitors in the main entryway Nov. 2 at the Montesano Inn in Montesano.
A lighted statue greats visitors in the main entryway Nov. 2 at the Montesano Inn in Montesano.
