Recess Inn B&B, Ethel
November 2019
For seventy years, the school building that now houses the Recess Inn welcomed students in tiny Ethel. In 1910, all 12 grades held class inside its walls, but the last school bell rang in 1980. Today, Ethel’s current population tallies approximately 50 people, and students attend school in a neighboring town.
History buffs will be glad they detoured to this slice of Americana because, for the past 25 years, the inn has preserved the history and stories of all who entered its doors. An added bonus, train buffs will enjoy watching the Burlington Northern and Amtrak barrel enroute to Chicago.
Innkeeper Nancy Morford, who lives just down the street, says, “My brother rescued the building from demolition. Eventually, our cousin from California envisioned the former school as a bed and breakfast and a family gathering place.”
In 1992, almost everyone in town helped restore the building. Nancy remarked that people were so excited to have the old schoolhouse spruced up that they happily volunteered. One pastor was skilled in carpentry, and the mayor and her husband spearheaded the wallpapering.
Principal Oral Hawkins impacted many students during his 40-year stint. His piano and desk still grace the library along with the original blackboards that span one wall. Memorabilia scattered throughout the inn includes the original handheld school bell, athletic jerseys, readers, dinner buckets, desks and more. Lining the downstairs walls, senior class pictures date from the late 1940s and ‘50s with classes that averaged 11 students. Large wood shelves in the kitchen once stored school supplies.
Many students come back, and some request to stay in their former classrooms. My girlfriend, Diane, and I stayed in the Primary Room, where the first through third grades were taught. Perfect for a girlfriend getaway, it contains a queen and double bed. Another bedroom served the fourth through sixth grade classes. Across the hall, the bedrooms were former high school classrooms, while junior high held class in the basement.
Available for guest use, the red and white, fully-equipped kitchen makes the inn an excellent spot for family reunions and large gatherings. The inn doesn’t offer Wi-Fi but does have cable television.
In the morning, Nancy often serves her signature made-from-scratch biscuits and homemade gravy. During our stay, fruit, scrambled eggs, meat and her homemade sour cream coffeecake rounded out a delicious breakfast.
Visit RecessInn-com1.webs.com for more information.
Flint Creek Inn, Arrow Rock
July 2019
"Population 56” read the sign as my husband and I drove into the National Historic Landmark Village of Arrow Rock. Located approximately 45 minutes west of Columbia and north of I-70, we had been looking forward to experiencing the tranquility and charm of this early 1800s river town. Lewis and Clark mentioned it on their 1804 expedition, and travelers along the Santa Fe Trail filled their water barrels at Big Spring, still visible today.
Flint Creek Inn sits nestled in gardens and surrounded by trees. A lovely patio and front porch invite birdwatching in summer and bald eagle viewing in winter. Owners Ardee and Penny Tyler, originally from Oklahoma, warmly welcomed us.
“We fell in love with Arrow Rock’s cleanliness and quiet,” said Penny. “So, in 2017, when Ardee semi-retired from his construction business, we bought the inn.”
After snacking on Penny’s saucer-size, homemade cookies and cheesy-herb dip from the common area refrigerator—also stocked with complimentary beverages, wine and beer—we hopped into a golf cart and toured Arrow Rock with Ardee. In this tiny berg, “weekenders” own a number of cottages, and locals sit on their front porches on Sunday afternoons. Visitors can walk to Main Street for shopping and to the Lyceum Theatre for Broadway-quality productions. Restaurants, such as Catalpa and J. Huston Tavern, the oldest continually operating restaurant west of the Mississippi, serve exceptional cuisine. Adjacent to the town, Arrow Rock State Park claims a number of short, hilly hiking trails, including several that lead to the Missouri River.
The Tylers have extensively remodeled Flint Creek Inn with relaxed, prairie-style décor. Guests check in on the main level. The lower level houses a large common area and five rooms with private baths, each named after the official state birds of the states along the Santa Fe Trail. Ardee built the beautiful, black walnut trestle table, where guests eat breakfast, as well as the Edison light fixtures on pulleys that will eventually grace each room. Intentionally, there’s no television, but catching a game or movie is no problem thanks to excellent internet.
For breakfast, Penny whips up her favorite recipes, culled from inns around the county. “Dinner at the Inn” is served family-style each evening, reservations required and at $22.50 per person. With the exception of her grandmother’s homemade salad dressing, which she uses for potato salad and coleslaw, Penny is happy to share recipes with guests.
Visit FlintCreekInn.com for more information.
Main Street Inn, Parkville
May 2019
Situated in historic Parkville, just 15 minutes from downtown Kansas City, Jason and Kathy Ayers, owners of Main Street Inn, were drawn to this river town’s tranquility. Boutiques, galleries and dining line Main Street, all in the shadow of the clocktower on neighboring Park University’s campus. Additionally, the trails of English Landing Park and the Parkville Nature Sanctuary caught their eye.
Extensive smoke damage caused by a fire at the house next door necessitated a total makeover.
Upstairs the hallway displays the paintings of local artists, many from the Cathy Kline Art Gallery, which is located in the former train station depot. Each of the three upstairs bedrooms contain thoughtful amenities such as recessed headboard lighting and local, Zum organic toiletries. Outside, the wrap-around veranda invites relaxation. Guests can meet the Ayers’ adopted cat, Mr. Ray, but pets aren’t allowed upstairs.
In the mornings, homemade bread, made from seasonal ingredients, and French pressed coffee are delivered by tray service to each room. At 8:30 a.m. in the dining room, Kathy serves a fruit course and hot entrée, such as a savory egg dish or red velvet waffles.
“Guests can park their car and not get back into it until they’re heading home,” says Kathy. “They can walk downtown and to the park, dine at Café des Amis or opt for a wine tasting at Wines by Jennifer just down the street. That’s what we love about our town.”
Cottage By The Castle, Camdenton
February 2019
Sitting on the back deck of Cottage by the Castle, the lake shimmered through the trees as I sipped my morning tea. Boat traffic was at a minimum on the backside of this Big Niangua cove, an arm of Lake of the Ozarks. The only sounds were from cars that navigated the twisting lake road in front of the house. The rooster crowed, and the chickens that supplied eggs for breakfast clucked contentedly in their pen. Pet ducks swam in a small pond. Peaceful.
Originally built as a bed and breakfast in 1995, and conveniently adjacent to Ha Ha Tonka State Park, the home functions more like a small inn. Guests can choose from four upstairs bedrooms. They have the first floor to themselves where comfy couches and a large flat screen TV in the common area make the perfect spot to relax. Friendly and welcoming, owners Ron and Christina Hoffmeister live on the ground level.
The first floor kitchen is stocked with snacks and homemade cookies or cupcakes. A coffee bar sits in the dining area where breakfast is served. Mornings start with a Greek yogurt and fruit parfait. Savory or sweet main entrées might be a cinnamon roll casserole, frittata or breakfast burrito.
“I originally thought about opening a restaurant because I love to cook,” says Chris. “After we stayed in an antebellum home in Mississippi, my dream turned into running a bed and breakfast.”
They settled on the house after she and Ron had worked their way around Missouri looking at properties. In May 2017, they moved from Wappapello near Poplar Bluff. Chris began redecorating the bedrooms with a mix of antiques and reproductions. Next, they gutted the kitchen and breakfast room. Outside, they added a new hot tub under the gazebo and refreshed the flower beds.
At neighboring Ha Ha Tonka State Park, Spring Trail winds down 300 steps to a crystal clear spring. Heading the other direction, a fairly steep hike ends at the castle ruins for a bird’s-eye view overlooking the lake.
The Hoffmeisters rent single-person kayaks for $25 per day and a canoe for $50 per day. Floating the calm Big Niangua River is popular, and Ron will transport canoers to a put-in point for the six-mile float back to the house. Guests can also bring their own boat and launch it just up the road.