Last Christmas, Mitch and I received a very special gift from our family - a holiday at The School House Bed & Breakfast in Rocheport, Missouri. Our trip was postponed twice - first by my MIL's stroke in the Spring, then by our move to Springfield. We finally went on or trip the day after the election.
The School House B&B is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is an absolute gem! It has been featured in Southern Living and Midwest Living magazines and, most recently in USA Today's 10 Great Places series.
I snapped this pic of the back of the inn just before we hit the Katy Trail. Mike and Lisa Friedemann own the inn and are the most gracious innkeepers I have ever met. If you want to be pampered and spoiled, you definitely want to check into this inn! They prepared a gourmet breakfast for us each morning, which was a real treat.
I chose this room for our stay because it still has one of the original blackboards from the days when children ran through the halls. This one was called the Schoolmaster; there are 10 beautiful rooms in the School House.
Next door is a recent addition - the Dormitory. It is very popular with bicyclers who converge on the town during the busy season. A secure bicycle storage shed is nestled on the grounds between the School House and Dormitory.
This is Mitch in the courtyard after breakfast one morning. He made a couple of adjustments to his bike, then we headed for the Katy Trail.
The Katy Trail is a big draw in Rocheport, population 208. This historic little village sits on the Missouri River and is filled with quaint shops, gourmet restaurants and a winery. Rocheport is known as the scenic gateway to the Katy Trail State Park. The Katy Trail is America's longest rails-to-trails project and currently spans 225 miles of Missouri; Rocheport sits at mile marker 178.3.
Mitch headed off to pedal to a nearby town and I took off in the other direction with the camera.
The Katy Trail in Rocheport runs right along the Missouri River. There's water on one side, and high bluffs on the other.
A mile or so away from Rocheport, I found this unique room built into the side of the bluff. It was built by railroad employees decades ago, for explosives storage.
I found some persimmon trees along the trail. Of course, I had to snap a picture.
This is the Missouri River. I am not fond of water, so I stayed away from the trail's edge.
Mitch and I enjoyed every minute we spent in Rocheport, and plan to return to the School House Bed & Breakfast very soon.
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