My husband and I are retirees who have lived in Pollock Pines since 1996. Because our home is small, we have occasionally stayed at the Westhaven Inn so that visiting friends or family members could occupy our single bedroom. Conversely, our guests have sometimes stayed at the Inn rather than "bump" us from home. Everyone we know who has stayed at the Inn has agreed with us that it provides clean, comfortable accommodations at reasonable rates.

We are therefore at a loss regarding one reviewer's extremely negative description of the Westhaven Inn; Pony Express Trail, the road upon which the Inn is located; and the whole Pollock Pines area. While we do not own a business along the Trail, nor are we related to anyone who does, we feel compelled to defend the reputation of this impugned local establishment, as well as that of our beloved community.

First, seven of the eight other posters offering opinions on the Inn indicated they resided outside the Pollock Pines area, so we presume this reviewer, who gave his/her location as "Camino", actually lives in that town. However, since Camino is located adjoining Pollock Pines just three miles west of the Inn, it seems reasonable to question whether this reviewer actual "traveled" to our vicinity.

Second, the reviewer describes our local segment of the historic Pony Express Trail, which runs directly through a pine and cedar forest, as "the trashiest road (he/she has) ever seen". However, having traveled this byway hundreds of times over the past 14 years, we have never had occasion to view it in this light. In fact, as native Californians, we've found the whole Pollock Pines community to be more "roadside junk free" than 95% of the areas we've visited up and down the state.

Third, given the reviewer might have meant "trashy" in some other sense, but assuming he/she would not have been referring to our sometimes-homespun local residents, we urge potential visitors to view these photos of homes and businesses along the Trail (if necessary, please cut and paste the urls into your browser window):

http://www.noehill.com/eldorado/cal0704.asp
http://www.golyon.com/mlsphotos/81/4/29/2581369.jpg
http://www.postlets.com/create/photos/20100327/162209_PET_1.jpg
http://media.point2.com/cdr/listing/cbe4/4c9c/edc8/84fc3f8afb1163a91205/w475h356wm.jpg
http://spyhunter007.com/paul_dean_family_album.htm
(please scroll down to the Pollock Pines Library)
http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/16744088/6458-Pony-Express-Trail-Pollock-Pines-CA/
http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/16436383/6091-Pony-Express-Trail-Pollock-Pines-CA/

We acknowledge rusticity, but trashiness? Come on!

And, fourth, we can only say the reviewer's recommendation that travelers "pass right through Pollock Pines" smacks puckeringly of "sour grapes". This is a town of about 5,000 in which a "major traffic jam" means more than two cars are "backed up" at the bottom of the Sly Park Road off-ramp (which usually happens only when campers are flocking to Jenkinson Lake on summer weekends). So, OUR recommendation is that you take a look at these photos of the lake and some of the nearby homes currently offered for sale:

http://everywheremag.com/places/1314
http://www.eid.org/recreation/sly-park-camping.htm
http://aboutpollockpines.com/slyparkrecreatio.html
http://www.directhomes.com/Property/111441414/3263_Gold_Ridge_Trail_Pollock_Pines_Ca_95726
http://www.directhomes.com/Property/109730312/3431_Sly_Park_Rd_Pollock_Pines_Ca_95726
http://www.directhomes.com/Property/111266246/5603_Sierra_Springs_Dr_Pollock_Pines_Ca_95726
http://www.directhomes.com/Property/115248989/4645_Dio_Linda_Ct_Pollock_Pines_Ca_95726

And NOW tell us, do you really want to "pass right through Pollock Pines" based solely upon this "independent reviewer's" advice?

P.S. For history buffs, the following website outlining Pollock Pines' interesting past may also be of interest:

http://www.thepollockpinesepic.com/