December begins with a Foot of Snow!!

November ended with freezing rain and ice, something we dread in Hannibal hill country. However, we awoke December 1st, to a twelve inch blanket of white. In itself, a snow of that magnitude is not exactly easy to navigate, but it was better than "skating" on an icy landscape...that's for sure.

Christmas decorating is nearly complete. I know, I know...we're late according to merchants, but we just don't like to rush the season here. The old girl is looking quite festive. And as promised we vowed to share the information on a magnificent theater performance in Hannibal over the holidays. The Shepherd's Tale is being performed the first two weekends of December, and begins daily shows on December 16. Follow this link to the info page: http://www.heritagestage.com/shepherd.html. This is a fascinating show and will surely leave the audiences feeling the Christmas spirit. This year they've added a dinner of Shepherd's fare, which we are excited to experience ourselves.

Check our website for last minute discounts. And for a great gift for family, friends and co-workers, remember that gift certificate purchases are classy, quick and easy. Give us a call and reserve your stay in December. Come enjoy the beauty of the season in America's Hometown.

Happy Holidays

A November to Remember

We survived a very, very busy October, and are Thankfully making it through November in spite* of the weather. (*tongue in cheek). Following the non-stop October occupancy, we took a couple days and went to Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky. The trip was relaxing and exciting too. One thing we did was to visit Three Chimney's Farm where Seattle Slew was stabled. Now it is home to such notable Stallions as Smarty Jones, Dynaformer (sire of Barbaro), and many amazing others. I was able to touch the velvet nose of Smarty Jones and was in heaven, being the horse lover that I am.

The best November news is that our exterior painter was here and nearly finished the old girl's new coat! It looks as if he'll have to finish the small areas on the back of the house in the spring. During the same time, we'll be working to put a new coat of paint on the porch railing and upper spindles. It will be so nice to see everything looking fresh with shiny paint!

The end of the month brings a special time to be Thankful for all the wonderful things we have in our lives, and we hope you have a special Thanksgiving with your loved ones. It will also be time for Holiday decorating. As always, we'll have Seven Christmas trees, and will use more than 7,000 lights. We're hoping to have the old girl all decked out by the end of the first week of December. We never like to rush Thanksgiving and thus don't begin setting out Christmas decor until after Thanksgiving is over.

Remember that we offer Gift Certificates for loved ones, friends and co-workers. As with each of our guests, we provide our Gracious Hospitality and Comfortable Elegance in this magnificent Queen Anne. On our website we have provided numerous links to our Gift Certificate page. Just click a link, complete the request and we'll take care of the rest. It's a simple, quick and perfect gift.

December notes will include information about "The Shepherd's Tale". Check back next month.

Happy Holidays!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Trick or Treat! Already givin' the raspberries

...so much like her Daddy. A perfect little pumpkin. Happy Birthday Grandpa Norm.

Ahhhh Autumn, in the Hannibal hills...

Yes, Autumn has arrived. Last night we lost some of our pretty annuals to the cold (about 33 degrees). The problem was the windchill. We're hoping that the tropicals will survive tonight in the gazebo. They need to be sprayed before bringing them inside and it was raining yesterday. I don't know about you...but I think it is way too early for freezing temps. Thankfully this cold wave is going to be short lived and weather will warm tomorrow a bit. Leaves are turning quickly and when we have a cold snap, colors come on fast. Since we have no vacancy for weekends in October, don't delay in booking your weekday getaway while you can still enjoy the colorful trees before the leaves drop. If you want to lock in this year's prices for weekends next October, we can certainly book you now for the "Leaf Peeper" season next year. Remember that our Fall Folk Life Festival is the 20th & 21st of October next year. You can still come to enjoy the festival this year 10/21 & 22, but premier lodging is impossible to find at this late date. So book an October weekday (with year round discounted pricing), drive to Hannibal and enjoy the colorful foliage, tour our quaint town, relax in our Victorian Queen, enjoy a restful slumber, and Judy and Norm will fix you a delicious breakfast. Maybe your entree du jour will be her *New* Apple French Toast with Cider syrup. Yummmmmm

Just HAD to share!!

When we're not providing hospitality for our guests, cleaning and caring for this Victorian Queen, our little Princess is occupying our thoughts. Ok, I admit...she's constantly on our minds.


This is our adorable grand-daughter, Kaylie. She is 5 months old and has the prettiest blue eyes. We hope you enjoy the photos.

Perfect September Weather

The hummingbirds are still buzzing, but will soon depart. Though I love the warm colors and cool nights of Autumn, I will miss our Rubythroats when they decide that the south is a more suitable place to live during winter months. September has been busy with guests, as our days and nights have yeilded the perfect late summer weather. This makes for a wonderful time to visit Hannibal and tour the town. Or just come visit and relax at the Pettibone Mansion. A rocking chair on our verandah is calling your name. Bring your book and rock away your cares as you enjoy the time away from the rush and noise of the city.

Back to School ALREADY??

If you're someone who prefers smaller crowds, this is the month to come to tour Hannibal. Since school will be starting soon, Hannibal is a little bit more quiet for a couple of weeks. August is an ideal month to visit Reagan's Queen Anne, as we have some August dates which are completely open, meaning that you may not be sharing the house with other guests. Now "that's" privacy! Oh, and YES we DO have air-conditioning! So, if you feel like you need to get away, check our availability online, or give us a call and we'll let you know our availability for the date(s) you choose. Mention that you saw this Blog and we'll discount your room rate in August by $10 per night Monday-Thursday, to help defer the outrageous costs of gasoline. We hope to hear from you soon.

Breakfast with Mark Twain HIMSELF

Yes, that's right...Breakfast in our magnificent dining room with Mark Twain HIMSELF! (Check the link on our website.) July, August and September are the perfect months to come to explore all the wonderful and new things Hannibal has to offer. Hannibal is home to Mark Twain HIMSELF (authentically portrayed by the talented and nationally known actor Richard Garey), who offers theater shows, walking tours and Breakfast with our guests in "our" dining room. On Main Street, the Mark Twain museums have been transformed recently. If you've seen the old museum, you won't recognize the new Interpretive Center! There is also a new (soon to open) reconstructed Huck Finn home, the downtown is bustling with activity, new shops and galleries have opened, and a wonderful facelift is taking place. Don't forget to ride the nostalgic Mark Twain Riverboat and visit Mark Twain Cave just south of town. Recently, Hannibal officially became one of Missouri's notable destinations and big things are happening here. We're excited to see what this new status in the eyes of state government will mean for our sleepy little rivertown. Come stay with us for a few days and enjoy our quaint town, great history and of course Reagan's Queen Anne Bed and Breakfast. We'll provide you with Gracious Hospitality and Comfortable Elegance, the perfect place for relaxation, along with many options for entertainment right here in America's Hometown.

June Gives Way to July

Flowers are blooming at a feverish pace (at least the ones I fed before my little "vacation" at the beginning of May). June was a very busy month for us and helped us hit, yet another record for occupancy. July is just around the corner, and will bring Hannibal's National Tom Sawyer Days to life. On our homepage, you'll find a link to the CVB website and NTSD webpage. Check it out to see all the fun activities planned for June 30~July 4th! We'd love for you to come stay with us and enjoy our town, our home and your "Summer Vacation". Don't forget to book our exclusive "Breakfast with Mark Twain" experience. It's more fun than you can imagine. See you soon! Yes...We have central air-conditioning!!

Where did MAY go??

After spending time with my new little sweetheart and her parents, I am feeling like the month of May was the shortest month on record. Oh, and I had a birthday too. Maybe that was reason enough for May to pass quickly. At any rate I've been planting flowers and tropicals, one of my favorite summer jobs. Now if the raccoons will just stop digging out the new potting soil at night, they might just survive the summer. Yes, I mean both! I love raccoons, having raised several, but they need to leave my flowers alone or they may just find themselves in new "digs" in the country.

We've been on hold with the upper floors of the exterior painting over the past several weeks. We're hoping to see the painter again this month. In his absence Norm and I have been working on some of the first floor painting projects. We even found a window on the west side of the house that doesn't appear to have been painted inside the storm window, since the house was grey and white. That would have been back in the 80's. It will be exciting for us to see this ole girl with fresh paint!

Hannibal will be in full swing this month. Mark Twain HIMSELF will once again be in his theater, or you can always request his presence during breakfast, when you book your stay with us. Downtown museums, attractions and shops will have summer hours, the Mark Twain Riverboat will be running all excursions daily, the Trolley and Train will be on a regular schedule, and don't forget The Clopper too. Of course, the Mark Twain & Cameron Caves are both open year 'round. Come visit us! We have a wonderful veranda and rocking chairs calling your name. We look forward to hearing from you.

New Grandparents!!

Kaylie Elizabeth, our first grand baby is HERE!! She is absolutely beautiful!! Mom & Dad are doing fine and are really enjoying being blessed with this new little life. Grandma Judy will be going to see them in a couple days. Grandpa Norm and Weagle will be staying behind to "take care" of the homefront and supervise the exterior painting project, which is about one-fourth completed.

Spring has Sprung!

April is here! The flowers and trees are blooming. New flowers and perennials are being planted daily. This is the most wonderful time of year for Judy and her love of flowers.

The wait is short for the arrival of the first hummingbird of the season. Surely transients will be stopping by for a "hit" to carry them through the rest of their journeys north. Our resident little jewels begin arriving about the last week of April. With the warm weather we've had, we're hoping they arrive even earlier. Judy's feeders are filled and ready for dining.

It sure was refreshing to smell the cut grass last week. And though the job of cleaning the pond and waterfall was not pleasant, it looks beautiful. The waterfall is cascading, bubbling and providing a perfect bathing spot for the songbirds. Judy has just added some new copper tulip-shade landscape lighting. When you visit, be sure to walk to the back to view the waterfall and pond in the evening.

March has arrived!

March has arrived calmly in Hannibal. The meterologists say that there will be plenty of moisture for Spring flowers. My guess...next week we'll have some early daffodils. The early tulip leaves are about 3 inches tall now, and hyacinths are close to popping too. I love this time of year! Today I clean the pump in the pond. It's not one of my favorite jobs, but the fish appreciate it and blooming plants really put on a show after being watered with pond water.

We're looking forward to your visit!

Wilson's Chamber has a new look!

Each winter we do a project (or two), to spruce up this old girl. Last winter our Captain's Quarters was transformed. This year Wilson's Chamber was the focus, so our second floor "Twin" bed chamber has a new look. Though winter months are a bit quiet in the midwest, fortunately for us this winter, we have been busier than usual and guests have been our focus. This means putting a few projects on the back burner for the time being, but we're not complaining. We'd much rather accommodate guests, than 'work' on painting projects! The new pictures will be up soon, so check the website periodically for updated photos. We have a couple smaller projects in the works too, and will update info on those as they happen.

Soon, soon...warmer weather will arrive, and so too will our exterior painter! Yes, the exterior is getting a makeover, finally! We've searched high and low and have found a brave soul who has signed on to climb to the highest peaks of our Victorian Lady, and is scheduled to arrive this Spring to give our old girl her "new coat". We promise that he will not interfere with your stay. There are plenty of places which are out of the way, where he can work when guests are in house. We really can't wait to see this beauty when her paint is all fresh and bright.

Last week we noticed that the daffodils and tulips are starting to peek through. That's something else that excites the gardener in Judy. With temperatures projected to be in the 70's on Wednesday, there will likely be some massive yardwork going on. The waterfall needs to be cleaned so it can operate properly...yucko! That's such a slimy job. Today, the fish seem to be mouthing "feed me". They're ready for spring. Several of the tropical hibiscus plants (brought inside during winter months) are still blooming. But seeing them in full bloom outside is much more gratifying. Come on March!