Sick of fidgeting, flying and foraging for food? Missouri B&Bs are a serene alternative.
By Diana Losciale
Scratch Missouri's surface and you'll find far more to do--and far more unusual places to stay--than the maps reveal. Say hello to the bed-and-breakfast, which burgeoned when Americans gave up traditional one- and two-week vacations for multiple long-weekend excursions. Hear a little history. Relearn the game of Hearts. Enjoy the hum of the universe from a screened-in porch or walled garden in a small peaceful town.
B&Bs cross the line between hotel and home, often in that little town we all grew up in ... or wish we had. Louisiana (99 miles north of downtown St. Louis) is home to THE EAGLE'S NEST (www.the eaglesnest-louisiana.com), a B&B that's actually an inn, with a winery, a cooking school and a bistro to boot. Shorn of frou-frou, the inn has queen beds and hot tubs in every room--and a remarkable tombstone tour.
THE COUNTRY COLONIAL B&B (www.jamesport-mo.com/countrycolonial, 270 miles north of downtown) is surrounded by the antique and specialty shops of tiny Jamesport (population 505), but the invitation to romance is its 1865 stylings and moonlit carriage ride through the Amish community.
Queen of surprise, the B&B pops up on life's road map just when you think you've been everywhere. THE CLIFF HOUSE INN (www.lakecliffhouse.com, 200 miles southwest in Osage Beach), has a "wow" factor--if sunsets were for sale, this would be the place to buy them. Acclaimed for its historical charm, Joplin's PROSPERITY SCHOOL BED & BREAKFAST (www.prosperitybnb.com, 288 miles southwest) is situated on two acres blazing with roses and peonies.
Some B&Bs host themed weekends--such as the murder mysteries at THE PARLOR BED AND BREAKFAST (www.theparlor bandb.com, 89 miles south in Ironton). In Columbia, look for THE GATHERING PLACE (www.gatheringplacebb.com, 125 miles west). Reservations are tricky on Mizzou-football weekends, but leisurely travelers, road warriors and parental units will love the space year-round. Academe's never far: one suite is named Missouri History 101, and the penthouse is Chemistry 305.
REAGAN'S QUEEN ANNE (www.reagans queenanne.com, 118 miles north in Hannibal), translates Victorian ease into atmosphere and amenities. Guests breakfast with Mark Twain (portrayed by a well-studied actor) as they dig into strawberry-stuffed French toast.
B&Bs make it possible to escape, and that's a rare achievement these days. NAPOLEON'S RETREAT (www.napoleons retreat.com), an 1880 Victorian located in St. Louis' Lafayette Square, has trumped style and trapped time. If St. Louis itself were a mansion, this would be the salon.
On the corner of Public and Locust in Augusta (48 miles west) sits the H.S. CLAY HOUSE (www.hsclayhouse.com). Set in wine country, where it's fun to wander, the H.S. Clay House merits every possible B&B superlative. Credit hosts Leigh and Alan Buehre, or their welcome punch, or the history sprawled across the Red Room's walls, or all the amenities one could sigh for.
VISIT WWW.BBIM.ORG FOR A LISTING OF INSPECTED AND APPROVED B&BS AND INNS IN MISSOURI. CHECK OUT WWW.ABBA.COM FOR NEIGHBORING STATES.
