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Sunnycrest, the Story of the Cheyenne Cañon Inn

trolley and walking up to the casino had once provided this. After the demise of
the trolley system though, most gamblers arrived by driving their personal
automobiles, which would be parked on the street in full view of any passerby,
This made it easy for any snoop to recognize who was inside. When Pearl
Harbor was bombed on December 7, 1941, and the United States entered World
'vAvar II, there was little excitement for gambling as the community and country
geared up for war. The Dixieland Casino embraced the war effort by closing its
doors.

A SECRET ROMANCE AND MARRIED LIFE: 1940's

The residential complexion of Cheyenne Canyon changed greatly during the
1940's. It was now a mature neighborhood showing its age. Things were quieter
and there were considerably more run down properties. Many of these were
defunct tourist houses that were eventually sold and converted into sanatoriums.
A charming shabbiness attracted artists and others who set up small shops and
summer fruit stands to cater to the visitors that still frequented the unspoiled
canyons at the foot of the mountains. Cheyenne Canyon had become a quaint,
peaceful place to live. This must have suited Grace. She was glad to part
company with the casino and return Sunnycrest to its traditional use as a
residence and guesthouse. Army officers stationed at Camp Carson, now Ft.
Carson, were the primary boarders during the war years. Others, like John W.
Brink, whom she called "Brinksy", took on a much different role.

Grace was totally infatuated by Brinksy from the moment they were introduced;
even though their ages were separated by quite a few years. She was still a girl
and he was a young man working in the insurance business. Evidently, they kept
close track of one another for quite some time before becoming romantically
entwined. Their secret love affair lasted for many years before they got married
in the 1940's, even though it must have been obvious to anyone that was close
to Sunnycrest. Brinksy became a permanent tenant, residing in what is now
called the "Villa Room". Since his room was located on the opposite corner
directly across from where Grace slept, it was easy for the two lovers to share a
clandestine rendezvous without much notice from anyone else. Once they
married and their secret romance was revealed, Grace changed her name to
Grace Casey Brink and quit claimed Sunnycrest to Brinksy. They remained
married until he passed away in 1966.

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