Deck the Halls!!

Nine Foot Alberta Spruce with Tiffany Ornaments

For the first time in ages, our Christmas decorations are UP by the 3rd of December! The B&B was on the Hannibal Regional Hospital Auxiliary Holiday Home Tour on December 4th. My procrastinator persona was suppressed and we accomplished all the decorating before the sun was visible Saturday morning. 

So far, December has been quiet, allowing us to begin to tackle the indoor projects. We'll be painting again, and we'll be attempting the repair on the Fisher Paykel dryer and ceiling fan in the laundry room. Both were put on hold due to the busy season. Now we have time to work on a few of those lingering projects needing attention.

We are open for business year 'round. So give us a call and we'll turn the heat up for you. This big old girl can really suck up the energy dollars in a hurry, so thermostats are lowered when guests are not in house. Our Victorian Rose Chamber acquired a great little Electric Fireplace this autumn. It sure adds to the ambiance and "warmth" of the room. There may be some exciting additions to the Captain's Quarters this winter as well. We'll see how those projects materialize.

Dolls and Christmas...a little girl's delight!

2010 has been a very busy year here at Reagan's Queen Anne. We were blessed with WONDERFUL guests and must thank all of them for making this our best year!! The Country Magazine feature was a Godsend and we look forward to hosting many more of those Country Magazine folks. Some are already scheduled for 2011.  

We wish all of you and yours, a Blessed Christmas and Happy New Year.

Nativity compliments of Thema Reagan

Gift Certificates are always for sale. So if you have loved ones, co-workers, or friends who would enjoy the gift of a stay in our BandB, click here and we'll set you up!!  
Gift Certificate Purchase

Time to decorate with PUMPKINS AND MUMS!!

It is hard to believe that it is late September. I feel like I'm on a fast train. How can life whiz by any faster?? This is a good time to take a deep breath and be thankful for all the blessings in our lives. Slow down, watch the leaves change and feel the weather cool. I'm also a bit saddened that we have just 2 of our little hummingbirds still hanging around. The twenty-two counterparts have flown the coop and are probably in TX by now. Geeeeeeeeeeeesh...it seems like they just got here. We prepare our own nectar, and used over 40 pounds of sugar this year. The birds arrived about 3 weeks later than usual, but they were fighting with a vengeance, male and female alike. It was strange to see them be so intent upon guarding the 10-13 feeders we put out this summer. I will miss the little jewels until next April/May.

Today I dug out the Autumn decorations. I'll be working on the inside tomorrow. Then it's time to buy some mums for outside. I found some Stella D'oro daylilies at 50% off today, so I'll get those and some tulips planted soon. I'll definitely need to spray myself down with skeeter repellent though...they are wicked right now!!

The year has been GREAT!! We've been fortunate to have a busy year. That allowed us to schedule a few days off for some innkeeper R&R, and visit with Illinois family as well as travel to Florida to be with Tim and his family this month. We definitely feel blessed. Kaylie was here with us for a week too, and she was such a big help with guests! We thoroughly enjoyed having our little innkeeper's assistant here with us.

So, our local trees are beginning to show the effects of the end of summer and beginning of autumn. Some trees have begun to transform. I always look forward to the gorgeous colors of the season. The remainder of September is nearly full, but we do have availability on the 29th & 30th. The Mississippi River Valley puts on a magnificent display of colors in October, so don't delay booking your stay! October is filling FAST! We have just one room open for the Fall Folk Life Festival 10/15-17, and there are more openings near the end of the month. Just click here for access to our calendar: http://www.webervations.com/magic-scripts/resbook.asp.

We hope to see you in the next few weeks. Come enjoy Autumn in Hannibal...

Dog Days of Summer

We've arrived once again at the point when school buses are busy hauling the kids back and forth to school. It just doesn't seem possible that summer will be over in but a month. Here at Reagan's Queen Anne, we've been super busy over the past year and time continues to FLY>>>>>. Thanks to our wonderful guests past, and those we've yet to meet, our year looks like it will be right at the top of the charts.

Many guests ask how the two of us handle this by ourselves. Well, we're both thankful for auto-pilot, that's for sure. Working this hard seems like second nature at this point. This year we are surviving it well. We have taken some short R&R trips this summer, to rejuvenate and refuel for the guests to come. Most recently, we visited Tuck U Inn at Glick Mansion in Atchison, KS. What a delightful getaway! We will want to call Loman and Chris again, for sure. Just a few weeks after that, we thoroughly enjoyed a stay with Bill and Debbie in Augusta, MO, at the Lindenhof B and B. We are looking forward to more sneak aways in the future, just like those. It's great to fraternize with fellow innkeepers and be on the receiving end of pampering. Sharing recipes is always a plus too! We are excited to have some new items on the menu.

So, join us in Hannibal this summer and autumn. If you hurry, you will certainly be entertained by our 2 dozen hummingbirds. Don't delay if you're coming to see them. They'll be leaving in mid-late September. We've prepared over 35 pounds of sugar nectar for them over the past couple months, and they continue to drain 80% of the 9-10 feeders we put out daily. Here is a photo I took on Tuesday. I've been working with them to feed from my hand. What a thrill that is!

We hope to meet you soon!

COUNTRY MAGAZINE!!!

We are Excited!! Not only have we tweaked our website, hopefully making it even better...
We have been featured in the June/July 2010 issue of Country Magazine! Until the photographers came to shoot the recipes we had prepared, we had no idea how involved food photography can be. WOW...it was fascinating. Country published a very nice article and photos, along with SIX of our signature recipes. We hope you enjoy the feature and will try the recipes. Better yet...come to Hannibal in this "Year of Mark Twain" and stay with us at Reagan's Queen Anne. We'll cook you up an extraordinary breakfast, each morning of your stay. Don't hesitate. We're not kidding...you better hurry if you want to visit this summer. The phone she is a ringin', and we are filling fast! Hannibal will be filled with events, programs, celebrations, readings and gatherings, to commemorate the life, legacy and works of Mark Twain. Join us this year as we honor the fascinating life of America's most beloved author.

July 2010

Tom Sawyer's Days have come and gone. The weather was perfect! If you missed out, plan for next year and book early. We were full for several months and were forced to turn away more than a dozen requests for lodging during the Festival. Book early!! Business is brisk, so don't hesitate if you know the dates you'll be traveling through Hannibal this summer and autumn. Availability is limited for the rest of the month and beyond. Hope to meet you!

Look for the cover of the above magazine and the feature inside. Here are a couple of the photos and a couple links to the videos from our local ABC and NBC TV channels.

Courtesy of Country Magazine
Story/ Melissa Phaneuf
Photos/ Alise O'Brien

Click Photo for Video link
Additional video from KHQA

Yes Virginia, there is a SPRING!!

Hallelujah!! There will be no more winter in Hannibal for several months! The scenery is absolutely beautiful here this week. Bradford Pear, Magnolia, Forsythia, Red Bud and Quince trees and bushes are utterly gorgeous now, and flowers are abundant. Pollen is up, of course, but at least we don't have so much pollen that our vehicle has turned yellow. Family in Georgia is really suffering through a heavy dose of pollen the past several days and their white truck is the same color as the Yellow Submarine!

It feels so good to have 98% of the waterfall done! It looks better than ever and the Koi, Shubunkins, Fantail and Comets are loving the fact that warm weather means that they can eat again. Photos will be added soon! I can't tell you how good it feels to get outside to work in the dirt!! Today I tended to the Althea tree(hope it survives the summer), Coral Bells, and some Fairy Rose bushes. The dark (8ish) put a stop to work on the biggest bush, so I will complete that job tomorrow. We fed the dandelions, broadleaf and various other weeds some death juice, in hopes that soon they will wither away. Our plans are to move some of the Zebra grass before the ground hardens. The rain has made that job easier than ever....maybe tomorrow. We'll be planting hostas soon too. I'm excited about some interesting new flowering plants this year, which will make the landscaping fun.

We have some fantastic news! Hal Holbrook will be in Hannibal to celebrate our year of Mark Twain, and will perform at the Hannibal High School gymnasium on May 8, 2010. Tickets range from $35-$100, and will go on sale Friday, April 9, at the Museum, and can be purchased by calling 573-221-9010, ext. 404. Or, book your stay with us and we'll get the tickets for you. For the Twain enthusiast, this is something you don't want to miss. Hal is coming to the end of his days of traveling the country to perform and this summer is a wonderful time to see him in person. Norm and I saw him perform in Columbia, MO, just 2 years ago. We were able to meet him after the performance and it was quite awe inspiring. I read earlier today that he has been portraying Twain for 56 years, about 9 years longer than Clemens himself was known as Mark Twain. Holbrook's performances sell out to audiences around the world, and he is booked solid in 2010. Don't delay in making plans to come here to stay with us, and enjoy this premier performance! We still have a couple rooms open. Click the following link to our Webervations page, to book your stay at Reagan's Queen Anne on May 7th and/or 8th: http://www.webervations.com/magic-scripts/resbook.asp?memberid=jreagan722 Let us know you are coming, and we'll get your tickets!! Again, don't wait too long. This event could sell out quickly.

Hope to meet you soon...

Happy SPRING!!
Judy & Norm

Jonquils and Hyacinths say "WINTER IS OVER!!"

At least we HOPE so!! I've been through a lot of winters in my life and I believe this is the longest I remember. We're so glad that the furnaces (all three of them!), won't be running at a greyhound's pace as they were over the winter. I'm so looking forward to having some decent weather where it feels the same inside as it does outside. A few more days/nights of cooler weather is ok. I'm just really anxious to get outside and do all the neat things we have planned for the yard this year. I know I'm ready to get my hands dirty in flower beds etc! We have many flowers popping up in the various flower beds and back by the pond and waterfall. I just love to see the daffodil heads swaying in the breeze. The little yellow Minnows are pointed straight at the sun and look like little smiley faces with a sunburst bonnet. I fed our fish yesterday for the first time since November. They were following me for a couple weeks each time I stepped near the pond. When the water temp holds above 55 degrees, I start them on cold season food pellets. They were really glad to have some real food. Now that we're in a mini cold snap, I'll refrain from feeding again until the sun warms the water again. Hey, you can feed my fish at the bottom of the page on my google gadget! Check it out. Just click your mouse in the "ocean" and food will appear. They will gobble it up.

We've been clipping along here this year at a pretty good pace for our quiet season. We're really optimistic that The Year of Mark Twain will bring many new and return tourists to Hannibal and it will be a busy summer for us. We don't always look forward to the hard work it requires, but once we're on a roll it all just becomes second nature. We're getting in the groove of being busy with guests every night. I must admit that I did enjoy sleeping in this winter from time to time. Now I know how it was easy for my Mom (who was always up at the crack of dawn), to sleep later in her mid-life and senior years. I'm at the mid-life point and will be a "senior" soon enough! :0) I'm used to the early mornings and later nights again now. Actually, it's 11pm and I'm still sitting here typing away.

We're really looking forward to meeting new folks this summer and are excited about several things for the year of 2010.
**We are opening our dining room to the public (tourists who are staying overnight in a lodging establishment other than Reagan's Queen Anne). Our website tells the whole story, but in a nutshell --we're offering our "Breakfast with Twain Experience" on a fist come-first served basis, when we have open seats at our breakfast table. In the spirit of Twain: "Well behaved adults and children 12 and older are welcome!!" Check our website for dates and Email to: twain@reagansqueenanne.com or call us (888)221-1251, for reservations and pricing.
**We are working on some options for Twain Packages which we hope to have completed by the end of March...stay tuned!
**We are also blessed to have been included in several publications this year, with a very special one to come later this summer...stay tuned! Hopefully, the media blitz surrounding the Year of Mark Twain will make it difficult to find a room in Hannibal this summer.
**If you are listed on Facebook, we encourage you to become a fan of both of our accounts, Reagan's Queen Anne Bed and Breakfast, and also our Mark Twain Adventure page.

Once again, we don't know what the spring and summer will bring with regard to precipitation, but please remember that downtown Hannibal is protected by a very strong and dependable levee system. When the media is reporting that the Mississippi is over it's banks and in danger of Fl------ Hannibal (we don't use the F-word here), the tourist sites are still dry and operating. Even the Riverboat operates in high water when the river is above fl--- stage. So don't worry that Hannibal will be closed. Barring a Biblical Fl---, the town will remain OPEN FOR BUSINESS!

Snow...

January and February 2010 continue the strange weather patterns of 2009. We've had more snow this winter than in most all others combined(10yrs). The winter birds of the area are thankful for the feeders we keep full for them, but they're eating us out of house and home this year! We are really looking forward to warmer weather and spring flowers.

As we mentioned in our last blog, 2010 is the "Year of Mark Twain". We are doing something special this year. As we have for 8 years, we continue to offer an exclusive experience for our over-night guests. When requested in advance, Hannibal's own, Richard Garey(a very talented actor), will join our guests for breakfast as he plays the role of Mark Twain. This has been a very successful and enjoyable addition to breakfast in our magnificent dining room. Guests love the experience. Since Hannibal is celebrating such a special milestone this year, we at Reagan's Queen Anne wanted to do something more for tourists who come to experience Twain. This year, we are offering opportunities for tourists who have not stayed overnight, the chance to join Mark Twain Himself for Breakfast in our magnificent dining room, (limited space available). We'll post "space available" dates weekly, when Twain is scheduled to dine with our guests. The HCVB will also be updated regarding information about the Breakfast with Mark Twain Himself. We'd love for you to stay overnight with us, but if that is not possible, just check our website to see if Mark Twain is dining on the day when you'll be in town, and if we have space available at our breakfast table!

February has been fairly quiet this year, thanks to all the snow and cold. We are happy to have several couples here tonight celebrating Valentine's Day.

We're looking forward to warmer days, and especially the time when flowers bloom and hummingbirds return.

Check out our page on Facebook and become a fan. To all of our previous guests, you can also add photos you've taken during your stay with us. Here is the link:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Hannibal-MO/Reagans-Queen-Anne-Bed-and-Breakfast/50673082233?ref=ts

We hope to see you soon!!

Farewell 2009...Ringing in the "Year of Mark Twain-2010!!"

We just remarked the other day that 2009 passed more quickly than any other year in our lives. It has been a whirlwind. We had many months which turned out to be our best and some which were mediocre. Our year turned out to be exceptional considering the economy, in spite of November and December having been fairly quiet. Gift certificate sales were better than last year, which is encouraging for 2010. A big thank you to our 2009 guests who helped to make it close to our best year in ten!

We're excited about 2010, in Hannibal. This is "The Year of Mark Twain!" Here in Hannibal, this is the year we will celebrate the birth, writings and anniversary of the death of America's most famous author, Mark Twain. Hannibal will be offering many new things this year to commemorate the 175th anniversary of his birth, 125th anniversary of his famous writings, and 100th anniversary of his death. In early January, there will be an article in the St Louis Post Dispatch, showcasing many of the happenings in Hannibal this summer. Reagan's Queen Anne is offering opportunities for tourists who have not stayed overnight, the chance to join Mark Twain Himself for Breakfast in our magnificent dining room, "limited space available". We'll post dates when Twain is booked, and if there is space available weekly. The HCVB will also be updated regarding information about the Breakfast with Mark Twain Himself. We'd love for you to stay overnight with us, but if that is not possible, just check our website to see if Mark Twain is dining on the day when you'll be in town, and if we have space available!

Surely you're aware that it is pretty darn cold here in the midwest currently. We're fortunate that we have excellent heating here in this old house. Our three furnaces are keeping up nicely. We have about 6 inches of snow, but our city does a great job of clearing roads and streets for travelers. So if you're considering a getaway, your favorite room is available this month. We're also offering a lower rate on weekends, and have waived our 2 night minimum this month. On any Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday in January, our rates are $20 lower than the published rate, per night. Just mention the January Special and we'll apply the lower rate for your stay. Click the link above to take you to the info page on our website.

We look forward to meeting you and sharing some of the new recipes we've added to our breakfast menu.