YAY for SPRING!!

I'm not sure I've ever been more happy to see things start to turn green, and flowers blooming. The winter of 2013-14 was brutal and we hope we will not endure one like that again. We're sure that many of our future guests are really happy to GET OUT OF THE HOUSE TOO and we look forward to meeting you!!

February brought many celebrating Valentine's Day. Following the super quiet January, it was nice to have guests in the house again. It wasn't our best February by far. We'd prefer not to repeat another two winter months like that.

Last month, March turned out quite well. Occupancy picked up and we began taking calls and online reservations for months ahead. March was a very good month. We're looking forward to a great summer here in Mark Twainland!

These beauties will soon be blooming...

Flowers are blooming and we're awaiting the first hummingbird of the season. Our feeders have been out for 2 weeks. Rubythroats have made their way into southern Missouri and we expect to see our first ones in a week or two. I can't wait!! We've begun painting outside and doing some maintenance, and yard work and it feels so good to be outside. The pond is clean and our four surviving fish are doing well. The next step is to clean out the waterfall and get it running again. I pray that there is no leak in that waterfall liner, because moving all those heavy rocks to replace the liner is an arduous task and I just don't know if I want to tackle that on my own again. So send some well wishes/prayers for the time when I get to the cleaning and start up of the waterfall.

We have 2 rooms open for Just Girls Weekend on April 25 & 26. This is a wonderful time to come to Hannibal and enjoy "Girls' Time". Click the following link to learn more, Just Girls Weekend Hannibal and then BOOK YOUR STAY!

We have a business guest here for 4 days and I'm looking online for some new Gluten Free recipes for breakfast on Friday morning. Today we prepared Buttermilk Oatmeal Gluten Free Pancakes to accompany the fruit, Hua Moa Pua'a Ipu(egg dish) and Bacon Rosettes, and the plate came back clean. Ok, so back to work... We would LOVE to meet you!!

January Is for Eagles!!

There is something GOOD about cold weather and a frozen Mississippi River. We have EAGLES galore in the area. They are so majestic and watching them as they fish and compete with each other is something everyone should see. We viewed hundreds of them at the Lock and Dam in Quincy, IL, earlier in the month. They are simply amazing to watch.

We've had a decent month with regard to guests. January is not typically busy where guests are concerned, so hosting guests and taking reservations for future months is always welcome. Our heating bills for the month are paid! We are truly OVER the frigid temperatures this winter and will welcome warmer days, as soon as Mother Nature decides it's time.

February is just a day away. Here at Reagan's Queen Anne, we celebrate Romance all month long for Valentines, and offer some special gifts for each celebrating couple. Our "Delightful Specialties" page on our website, with various items to make your visit even more special, is also available. Click the following for our webpage and links to make your reservation for your Sweetheart Getaway. Valentine's Special

We hope to meet you in February, but if that is not ideal for you, it's always possible to reserve online when the "Stars Align".

As 2013 Comes to a Close...

Following the slower than usual Autumn, we were glad to see that December turned out better than we predicted. We had more guests stay in December than in several previous years and sold Gift Certificates as usual. The month began frantically with decorating for Christmas. Norm was a great cheerleader from his resting spot, as Judy was the only one with enough energy to scurry around decorating each room and outside. Thankfully, Norm's R&R paid off, and his energy has returned following his visit to the hospital in November. Envision him being more physically involved with 2014 decorations. :) The onset of the decorating occurred earlier last year than ever before, to meet the deadline of December 2nd! We hosted FOUR bus tour groups in early and mid December and truly had fun hosting the groups. They were all delightful folks, and it was nice to share our "Victorian Gal" when she was all decked out for Christmas. The weather cooperated for the most part, in spite of some piles of snow.

Again, we were thankful for family living close enough to drop in for a few days. Gina and Haley drove from Illinois on Christmas Day and stayed a couple days with us to celebrate a Blessed holiday. Since we thought it best not to travel and instead stay close to home, we regretfully postponed our Christmas with family in Florida. It was a tough decision. We had looked forward to seeing the grandkids enjoy Christmas morning, for a couple years. So maybe we can gather together this year.

Again...Thank You to all of our wonderful guests, both new and established repeats, for the success we've enjoyed for nearly 15 years!!

Here are a few photos of the Christmas Decorations...

Thankful for Many BLESSINGS

November 2013 was a memorable month. Though business was slower than we had hoped for late October and November, a higher power "had our backs". Norm spent the afternoon in the ER, and following night in the hospital on Thanksgiving Eve. Apparently, he was in need of some down time after a busy year, and it took a Divine intervention in the form of a "wakeup call", to bring that to the surface. Now that we have Norm's blood pressure under control again, we are "forced" to enjoy some time off from the busy months, and what a Blessing that has been. Feeling better than he has for a year or two, Norm is back to daily walks, has more energy, and a positive outlook for the future. We spent Thanksgiving together at home, and truly realized how blessed we are. So in November, we were(and remain) Thankful for Many BLESSINGS.

World's Worst Procrastinator...or Just Plain BUSY!?

Obviously, I have not blogged for nearly a YEAR!? How on earth did that happen, you wonder? Well, I am as shocked as those who are reading this, that exactly 11 months have passed since I was last on this page. So...Let's rewind and start with...

November of 2012
Thanksgiving is usually quiet here by design. I really like to have the holidays blocked off for family time, so we close on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Gina and Haley came for Thanksgiving and we had a great time as usual. Honestly, I don't remember the weather, so maybe it was unremarkable.

December in Hannibal was a normal one in 2012 as well. The house was pretty quiet. We decorated for the few guests who stayed and they enjoyed the Victorian Christmas atmosphere. We sold a number of gift certificates and we spent Christmas watching some college and pro football, since the NHL was locked out. It was nice to be able to relax and warm our toes by the fire.

January
The new year just blasted on in with plenty of snow and some ice during the second week. A couple from Illinois had to reschedule their stay due to a fall on the ice in Peoria, just as they were packing the car to head to Hannibal. We were staying toasty warm inside, but the cold of January in the midwest held true to form and we had plenty of days to sleep in and work on inside projects, such as painting and deep cleaning. We cleaned out the basement too. We also had the misfortune of our truck being involved in a Smash and Grab in St Louis. We had planned to stay in St Louis to go watch a Blues scrimmage game after the NHL lockout ended. After the thieves took our suitcase, laptop, some CDs, our Ford Owner's Manual, and my Travel mug, we decided we should just go home. We had a broken window on the passenger side of the truck and it was pretty darn cold on January 15th in St Louis. What a nightmare to endure.

February brought more guests and we had a very good month considering. We're betting that Feb of 2014 will be even better, as Valentine's Day occurs on Friday. That always means a full house for that weekend. We also were able to get the truck in for an appointment with the body shop and they vacuumed out thousands of small pieces of glass from the window being broken in January. It sure made a difference with the sound of the speakers...no more buzzing and vibration! Darn those thieves!!

March
What a great month we had in March! Hannibal's Annual Chocolate Extravaganza was the 2nd week of the month, and the downtown was buzzing. We had an opportunity to complete an outdoor project replacing wood and painting during some warmer days in March. Oh the projects...at times they seem to never end. We were BUSY in March with guests, but we still had time to go to St Louis overnight and spend a night with family to celebrate Christmas in March with Gina and Haley. Our St Patrick's Day was busy too, and that's a good thing for a B and B with an Irish name.

April
Certainly everyone knows how slooooow molasses is when you pour it?.Well we had a 'Molassesly' slow April. Maybe that makes sense, considering that February and March were unusually busy as guests are concerned. It was odd though, to have such a quiet April. We wondered if it was a trend for what to expect during the remainder of the year, but as you'll see, we were pleasantly surprised that the rest of the year turned out very well. Part of the reason for lower totals in April was the week we spent in Florida for our Granddaughter's 7th birthday. We had a wonderful time. Judy's youngest son Tim was deployed, and we all missed him. Our visit helped to fill the void of not having Daddy there for the birthday celebration. Kaylie and Kaden were such fun and Grandpa really had a workout keeping up with them.

May
Business was pretty good in May! Then on May 20th an EF-1 Tornado hit. The Hannibal storm followed the EF-5 in Moore, OK, on May 20, which devastated that area and many lives were lost. It was horrific. Hannibal endured a much less severe storm later that same day and there was no loss of life here. We had straight line winds over 100 mph and it was an eerie sight at sunrise on May 21st. There were trees, BIG, OLD trees, uprooted, broken off and void of the majority of leaves, some over 100 yrs old. Many were lying parallel to the ground with roots attached, as if a giant had just pushed them over and exposed half of the root ball. Riverview Park had 200-300 trees damaged. We saw one with bark ripped down top to bottom, from 40 feet high. It was still attached to the top of the tree and just peeled off, exposing the naked tree. Norm walked our block and cautiously picked up each shingle he saw, hoping that none would be the red which adorns our roof. It was a relief that none of those shingles had blown off our roof. We did lose our fence in the back, which surrounds the parking lot. So now that new fence we needed for a couple years prior, is finally up. We both worked for a couple weeks, between hosting guests etc, and put the fence up ourselves. No longer will we have to paint that fence! YAY!! Some buildings were damaged in the downtown and some outlying areas. One building on Main Street lost a large portion of the third story. The worst news for us was the damage to the waterfall and pond in the back yard. We lost three of our 24 inch Koi. The power was off for several hours and the pond was filled with muddy water from the wind and rain, which accompanied the tornado. The big fish suffocated, as the oxygen was much less than necessary for them to thrive. Survivors were, one Koi, a Shubunkin, a Fantail, and a Fancy Comet. The waterfall repairs will have to wait until spring of 2014. We wonder if our hummingbird population was affected by that tornado, as well as the Oklahoma tornadoes. Our hummingbird flock was about 1/3 the normal number we usually see here over the summer, and it is possible that severe storms in May could have caused problems for them in their travels to their summer 'homes'.

As May came to a close, Norm arranged for a special 60th birthday for Judy. We traveled to the Arcadia Valley in southeast Missouri and stayed at a wonderful country B and B, with a great innkeeper. What a perfect getaway. Judy caught a dozen fish at the lake near the cottage, we had a delicious dinner at a restaurant that was closing the next day, due to the proprietors retiring...what a shame to lose that restaurant in the area. And we investigated a lot of the local area including Elephant Rocks, Johnson Shut-ins, the Battle of Pilot Knob Civil War site, and toured a cabin owned by, Vincent Price's sister. Price, who has long been one of my favorite horror film actors, spent many days there himself. We ventured to Caledonia and found the coolest General Store. It was a wonderful mini-vacation. We returned back to work...refreshed and ready to take on a busy summer.

June
The busy season started off well in June. It was quite hectic around here with only four of our available days with no guests booked. We worked really hard in June so that we could take some time in July to enjoy a visit with family. The weather was delightful in June and we had some great folks stay with us. Though some flowers were planted early in June, Judy had several allergic reactions to gnat bites and was unable to spend any length of time outside, other than to go out after dusk to water the flowers. Now that was annoying and tough for Judy and her green thumb. Maybe a Beekeeper's suit is in order.

 July 
Tom Sawyer Days dominates July in Hannibal and this year was typical. There were fence painters, Toms and Beckys, Crafts and Gifts at Central Park, Carnival rides, and of course the Fourth of July Parade and Fireworks. For a small town, Hannibal always has the most AWESOME fireworks!! After the festivities had ended, family arrived in early July and we had fun times for a few days. Grandson Kaden's first trip to Hannibal turned out to be a great one. Sister Kaylie has a bit over a half dozen visits, so Kaden needs to catch up! He had a lot of fun doing what most kids enjoy in an old house with a cool stairway, and totally enjoyed sliding down the banister. He was very good in a house full of antiques. They spent time playing with cousin Haley and Gina loved spending time with her brother and sister-in-law. It was her fist time meeting Kaden, and it appeared that she was captivated by his neat little personality. It was a lot of fun having the family here. Considering that we took off for 6 days in a row the second week of July, business was pretty darn good. Not including the 6 days when we hosted family, we had just 2 days without guests in July. What a month...whew! We really pushed it for the remainder of the month and again hosted some special folks, who make innkeeping enjoyable. Along with all the new friends we met, our repeats from Iowa are top of the crop guests! We're blessed.

Amazing and thoughtful are a couple of the best descriptions of Norm. He arranged for another special vacation, this time for Judy to spend time in Florida with both of her sons and her youngest son's family. Norm stayed home and hosted all the guests, made hummingbird food, watered flowers and cooked and cleaned while Judy had fun. There is never enough time with grand kids and children when they live so far away. This has been an exceptional year of visits with family.

August
So it was Back To Work full time, for both Norm and Judy at the end of July and beginning of August. What an incredible month. August normally gives way to lulls when school starts. For whatever reason there was NO lull. The usual opportunity to work on projects outside did not materialize in August, as consideration is always given to guests, and minimizing inconveniencing them with maintenance projects and noise. We hosted several groups for 3 days and one group was fourteen guests! Now that's a houseful. Following the big group, we ventured to Hermann, MO, overnight for an innkeeper's R and R. We stayed at the most delightful B and B just north of Hermann. We will definitely be going back there. What wonderful hosts, food and accommodations. And YES, innkeepers DO visit other B and Bs...

September
On to September and another incredibly busy month. What a year this has been. Our occupancy was great in September and even allowed us to take a few days to do some celebrating of our own. We were not able to celebrate our 22nd anniversary on the day, but did get to spend some time mid-week, investigating some genealogy in Indiana where Judy's father's family is from. It was a nice anniversary, albeit a bit late on the calendar. This month also brought some beautiful weather. We were able to turn the AC off for a few days and enjoy the comfort of having the same perfect temps, inside and out.

 October 
The month of harvest, magnificent colors of changing leaves, and Scary Halloween. Again in October we hosted multiple groups for 3 days. Days off were few and far between leading up to our Fall Folklife Festival weekend, which was a huge success and the weather was incredible.

We were happy to have youngest son Tim spend a couple days with us. He helped us with two maintenance projects outside, which we were unable to reach to repair ourselves. We drove him to the airport this morning and noticed that the leaves in the area are really changing now. With the colder temps heading our way on October 22, that color change process will be boosted along.

Our available rooms are scarce in October, but click the following link and see what you can find:
Check for Available Dates Here! We hope to meet you soon!!

H A P P Y     H A L L O W E E N ! ! ! ! ! 2013!!!

Procrastinator...Who ME??

Miss Kaylie - Assistant Innkeeper at Reagan's Queen Anne 

So really?? It has been 4 MONTHS since I was here last? Say it isn't so! So much has happened in all that time. First of all, we've had a good year thanks to all of our wonderful guests. We survived "the drought that wouldn't end". Well, for the most part...several potted plants had other ideas about surviving, but we gave it our best shot. In July, I was lucky enough to get to travel south to pick up our grand daughter, Kaylie, and bring her to Hannibal for 2 weeks. She is the BEST apprentice Innkeeper after her 2 weeks of training. We hosted a lot of guests during her training.  She loves to help us in the kitchen and was also a great help in the laundry room.While she was here, Grandma and Kaylie found time to make a summer dress together. She had her school picture taken in the dress, and I'm sure she told her classmates that she helped make it. Time with grandkids is something that I cherish. So after Kaylie's training, a visit from her cousin Haley and Aunt Gina and a trip with them to St Louis to the City Museum, an AMAZING visit to a farm  in Illinois to participate in banding over 60 Rubythroated hummingbirds(where Kaylie released the very first bird), a few trips to the park to play, and then on her last day-- a trip to the St Louis Zoo, we flew south again to spend time with family and celebrate little brother, Kaden's 3rd birthday! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE spending time with the family. We visited Sea World for Kaden's birthday, and it was AMAZING!

Grand kids at the Manatee tank

We all missed Papa Reagan! Grandpa offered to stay home so that he could run the business. This was no small chore. Not only did he have to host several guests the week Grandma was gone, but he had to make gallons of hummingbird nectar, feed the dozens of little jewels, and clean feeders daily. He also kept the plants watered in the 100 plus degree temps, and made sure the fish were fed and monitored the pond level. He did all of the cleaning, cooking, and hosting! I can't thank him enough for sending me to Kaden's birthday, so that I could enjoy treasured time with the kids and grands. He's a wonderful husband!!

Reagan's Queen Anne Maple Trees 2012 - Hannibal, Missouri

Ok, so that takes us through the second week of August here at Reagan's Queen Anne. August, September, and October, we were super busy and met a multitude of wonderful guests. We were blessed with a gorgeous September and October with the most colorful leaves we have seen in our 13+ yrs in Hannibal. The drought must have been a factor. Fall Folklife Festival was a huge success the third weekend of October. We turned away at least a couple dozen requests for rooms, due to having only 4 rooms to offer. The festival is our most favorite weekend of the year here. If you think it's something you'd enjoy...you better make your reservation NOW. We book that weekend waaaaaaay early. So don't procrastinate! Book it HERE!!

To celebrate Norm's birthday, I insisted that we take a trip.  So we headed south and visited Clarksdale, MS, home of the Blues(the music, not my hockey team). Then we stopped in Natchez and stayed at a B&B with a "million dollar view" overlooking the Mississippi River. From there we headed northwest, to Fort Worth, TX, and spent time with my brother and his family and thoroughly enjoyed NASCAR race weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, for the 2nd year in a row. We had a fantastic vacation. The only thing we wished would not have happened, we observed when we arrived home. The pond, with our 8 Koi, Shubunkins, fancy Comets and a Fantail, were barely surviving in just 8 inches of water. They are used to their pond holding about 1000 gallons and being about 3 feet deep!! Dorsal fins were nearly dry on the bigger one, and the pump was within an hour or so of burning up because it was so close to not being submerged. Thankfully, we arrived home in time to save them, and immediately filled the pond. They are all doing well. It was quite scary at first. Several of them were severely depleted of oxygen and veins were visible. But just about 2 hrs after we filled the pond and oxygenated the water, they were all looking healthy. Thank God that we arrived home when we did. Apparently the falling leaves had covered the netting to the point that the fountain was spewing the water over the bank until it was nearly gone! I was so glad that there was not a puncture in the liner. At first I thought that the local raccoon population had knocked a jagged rock into the pond. That was not the case. WHEW!!

Thanksgiving is this week and time continues to FLY by. Happy Thanksgiving to all our former and future guests! May you spend time with family/friends and not eat too much... We'll soon be decorating for Christmas. We hope to see you before the end of 2012, but will certainly welcome you in 2013! Blessings of the Holiday Season to you and yours. Remember that we sell Gift Certificates, which are a wonderful option for gift givers.

And We Thought March Was Unusually Warm...YIKES!

Considering the heat we've endured recently, it's hard to remember that we had such a wonderful Spring, but April and May were truly delightful when it comes to weather and guests. We had sufficient rain to grow the flowers etc, and then came June and a more "desert" like climate. If memory serves, we had rain just twice from the end of May until one day in July! To say that things are dry would be a gross understatement. I'm sure the water company(BPW) will love us, however. Some days, when the temps were around 115-120 heat index, I watered my potted plants twice in one day. They still look pretty, since I was vigilant about caring for them and moved them into the shade on occasion. The same cannot be said for the lawn. It's nearly impossible to find appropriately colored grass anywhere. The midwest heat has been brutal for the past 2 weeks, and as in many midwest towns, set long standing records. As of Sunday 7/8, we're finally out from under that heat wave, Thank God! Now we're experiencing much more normal summer temps and it's a joy to be outside again. We're also seeing many more hummingbirds, now that the heat has subsided. We're hoping to have our usual 2-3 dozen, but it seems our numbers may be down a bit this year. They are still incredibly entertaining and never cease to amaze. I have counted a baker's dozen so far.
Hannibal's National Tom Sawyer Days over the Fourth of July was a big success in spite of the heat. Some of the rides were closed during the heat of the day, but the numbers of folks who came to town were consistent with last year's numbers. Our guests enjoyed all there is to do during the festival. Check it out online and plan a trip next year during our National Tom Sawyer Days. You'll have a great time. And Hannibal doesn't cancel fireworks when there is a high alert for fire. They shoot them off over the river. We heard that there were more folks than usual this year to watch the display on the evening of the 4th, because so many surrounding communities canceled their fireworks due to the high fire hazard. I know of one couple who drove from Athens, IL, specifically to see the fireworks in Hannibal, and they were well pleased with the fanfare.
We've been busy this year and are thankful for all of the calls and reservations. We look forward to meeting you one day. Just click here: www.reagansqueenanne.com and make your reservation to come to Hannibal, and
"Write Your Own Story", in Mark Twain's hometown. Our central A/C is cool and comfy, whether it's 75 or 105 outside.

Ahhh, the Sweet Smell of Freshly Cut Grass...

No doubt about it, Spring Has Sprung! Flowers and trees are blooming, grass is greening, and it is not even April!! I heard this morning that this is the warmest March on record. It's been nice to get to work outside. Friday was the first day that the waterfall was working, and boy does it looks and sound fantastic. That new pump is a powerhouse! Don't get me wrong, the muck and cleanup was gross, but it is so nice to have it working. And you know, I truly think the fish appreciate the waterfall too. They just seem to be swimming more happily. :0) 


So, I'll put in my plug for all the ladies out there who NEED to book Just Girls' Weekend at the end of April! 


Pack up the Sisters, Daughters, Moms, Grandmas, Cousins, Aunts, and Girlfriends, and come stay the weekend at Reagan’s Queen Anne Bed and Breakfast in Hannibal!! We’re centrally located in the downtown Historic Central Park Neighborhood. Shopping, restaurants, galleries and all the fun are within walking distance. We offer double occupancy rooms for 2 guests, and suites which will accommodate as many as 6 guests. Our property has numerous common areas for gathering to chat, card and or board games and do what we girls do best: Giggle! So get ready for some fun. Get your “Giggler” on…and come to Hannibal in April!    Our website: http://www.reagansqueenanne.com/


We still have a couple rooms open. It's such a fun time. 
Check out the link to the page: Just Girls' Weekend in Hannibal, MO 
You can book your stay from our website, or at the following link: Book It HERE!

"POP" Go the Daffodils!

Tuesday, March 6 was the day we saw our first daffodil on the grounds here. It still seems a bit soon since we had such a strange (but welcome) winter. It's time to cut back all the ornamental grasses, some of which are nearly 8 feet tall! They really looked pretty over the winter and with little snow, none of them were flattened down and continue to stand tall with their dried plumes. Our fish are a bit confused too. They're ahead of schedule as well, and have been looking for food for a few weeks now. But they must wait until the water temp is above 50. Surely they noticed that the pond never froze this winter either. I'm looking forward to getting outside to start working in the soil. As of Saturday, there is a little starter flat of heirloom Chocolate Cherry Tomatoes in the kitchen. I'm anxiously anticipating germination. I hope they do well this year. I'll let you know Jules. :0)

Come visit in March. 
We'll celebrate St Patty's Day. 

Loving a Mild Midwest Winter!

February 1st, 2011

From the 18 inches of snow of a year ago, to a winter worthy of "Mild" status, we are grateful for exceptional winter weather. That being said, it will be interesting to see what happens to our flowers which have been fooled into an early Spring, but I'm sure they will do just fine. I must say that we have never seen the Surprise Lilies pop up in FEBRUARY! The leaves are 6 inches tall. The good thing is that those leaves will die back and then the "Naked Lady" flowers pop up in August. Now if we can make it through the next 4 weeks with no extended hard freezing, those Spring emerging flowers will survive nicely. Having been blessed with warmer temps than usual, the Koi pond has not frozen over once this season. The Koi and Goldfish are a bit confused, and come to the surface constantly to see if it is time to EAT. But they too will be just fine with all this warm winter weather, and will be fed when the pond temp gets back to a stable 55 degrees.


As usual, this has been a busy winter inside. We've been cleaning closets and working on room projects to make some typical improvements. Each winter we keep ourselves busy with such fun... It feels good to purge the closets and basement of things that are not needed here, but could be useful to others. We've donated a lot to Good Will, and have passed along some collectibles to others. We are listing things on eBay too. What a great venue to sell and buy, :0)!


Make your plans for summer early. Come see why Reagan's Queen Anne is Top Rated! We're anticipating a very busy summer season in 2012. Here's the link for convenience. Check Availability and BOOK YOUR STAY!

Beautiful Autumn..."Warm" Beginning to Winter

Reagan's Queen Anne Bed and Breakfast, Hannibal, Missouri

This 2011 photo of our two sugar maples in late in October, is a magnificent display of nature's artwork. When all other trees on our street were nearly or completely bare, we still had this beautiful array of color at the front door of our home. These maples are stunning and really look so nice against the paint scheme sported by this Victorian queen. If you are one who enjoys the colors of autumn, be sure to bookmark our website to go back to occasionally, or to see updates next summer and early autumn. We always let folks know what stages to expect of the metamorphosis, which occurs in our regional forests and the local trees noted for "showing off" the wonderful artist's palate of the colors of fall.

We'd like to thank all those who visited this year! Thanks to our wonderful guests, 2011 was another good year. Though we would love to have outstanding occupancy every year, matching 2010 and the two top years preceding that, we knew that eclipsing that would be a challenge in this unstable economy. As we've done since we opened our business, we try to help out by offering lower rates on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. We certainly filled rooms a lot during those days this year. So, for all those who will choose to cross the threshold of this beautiful vintage lady called Reagan's Queen Anne, we look forward to meeting you. To all of our wonderful repeat guests, we always look forward to your next booking. We love to hear from our guests, "We feel like we've been friends forever, and are as comfortable as can be in your company." We're looking forward to a great 2012 and providing a cozy, comfy respite for you all in the not-too-distant future! To all of our repeat guests who are participating in our Frequent Stay Program, remember that credit is recorded when you send others too. Just tell your friends, family, co-workers, etc. to let us know that you referred them to us. 

Christmas has passed for yet another year, and this year it was not "White". Time we spent with family helped us forget that Christmas and snow go together like peanut butter and jelly. We enjoyed the Avenue of Lights in Quincy, IL, went to the movie and had fun spending time with family. We're thankful that we have seen only a couple dustings of snow thus far this winter. Our local weather is unseasonably warm for December/January and we are loving it! Now that being said, we do hope for some colder weather to hang around for a bit this month so that our Mississippi River Flyway Eagles will once again dot the skies and trees near the riverbanks with their magnificence. There is a local pair which lives here year round, but local numbers reach into the hundreds of eagles when the river freezes during winter. Check our website for more about our Bald and Golden Eagle visitors by clicking the following: Eagle Visitors near Hannibal

American Bald Eagle

We are working on a few projects, as we do each winter. Our third floor suite will soon have a shower to compliment the clawfoot tub. We'll be doing some interior painting and hauling some things to auction, from closets upon closets full of antiques and collectibles. Rather than keep them packed away, these things need to be enjoyed by others.           

Happy New Year!! Let's hope for an economic recovery that will benefit us all. Blessings, Hope for the Future, and Well Wishes to you and yours. Norm and Judy

Sizzlin' Hot Summer

Ok, so let's catch up! We endured a very busy June here at Reagan's Queen Anne. Thank you to all the guests who crossed our threshold and allowed us to host them here in this grand Queen. As most weather watchers know, the midwest has been scorching this summer. Following a very wet spring, we've been hot, hot, hot here in the nation's middle.


July was not as busy as we've become accustomed to in years past. We're sure that the economy is mostly to blame. A delight in spite of all this heat and the slower July and typically slower August, is the nearly 3 dozen hummingbirds we have battling for food at our numerous feeders. We purchased larger ones this year, so that we were not refilling 10 feeders daily. All of the 8 oz feeders we have are drained twice a day, and 20 ouncers are the way to go. I believe we've used 50 pounds of sugar this year already and they are nowhere near migration yet. I'm guess-timating that we'll use in the neighborhood of 60-65 pounds before they leave. I sure do love watching them and will miss the air show, and even the daily making of the nectar when they depart. We've never had this many birds all at once and they've been here since the 3rd week of July, so it's doubtful that we have any migratory hummers stopping by for a "To-Go" meal just yet. We also enjoyed a visit at the end of July from Gina, Haley and Karen. We've always had fun when Gina and Haley come and can't wait for them to return! We took a ride on the Mark Twain Riverboat and saw one of the resident Bald Eagles in a tree on the island on the east side of the river. What a cool sight!


Continuing with the heat, August has been brutal. Now I did (personally) get a bit of a break from the 1st-9th, as I was in Florida with Tim, Kathy and the kids. I really enjoyed my visit and wish it would have lasted longer. Norm was a real trooper while I was gone. He fed the fish daily, watered the plants daily, and fed those hungry hummingbirds daily as well. He learned how much work it is to care for those little jewels. He also hosted guests while I was gone for 6 of the 9 days I was away. He did all the cooking, cleaning and handled everything while I was enjoying myself. He came through with flying colors, and plates came back CLEAN! I owe him big time for sending me to Florida for our grandson's SECOND Birthday!

Kaden's 2nd Birthday!! Yummmmmmmm, CAKE!

Shortly after I returned from FL, we made a huge change in the Victorian Rose Chamber. Our talented woodworker, Don, made some new sideboards for our mid 1800's Walnut Eastlake bed in that room, and we converted it to a queen! A brand new Sealy mattress set and our "new" room is open for business. The first guests who stayed in the "new" Victorian Rose said that the bed was heavenly. Our next project is to put the shower in on the 3rd floor Captain's Quarters. That will be completed soon! We're also making changes to abide by safety and fire regulations. That is so important in any business where the public is served. We're happy to provide this enhanced security for our guests.


So, it's back to the kitchen to make more hummingbird nectar. They are absolutely
c- r- a- z- y  today! This is the time when hand feeding them is possible. It is fascinating to be so close to these little miracles of flight.

More next month! Until then...This is one of our male Rubythroats who has claimed the spiral staircase feeder as "HIS". He guards it sitting just above it it on a Hummingbird windchime. They will entertain, in more ways than one!


It's off to the mountain of laundry awaiting me, following a full house last night.

A May to Remember!

May was a busy month! On the 3rd, Norm and I left by train and headed to Chicago. We then flew from O'Hare to Honolulu on May 4th, to attend oldest son Billy's wedding!! It was great to finally meet Kacey's family and celebrate such a beautiful wedding in breathtaking tropical surroundings. That is NOT a big poster behind them! The flora and fauna surrounding this historic Hawaiian Fish Pond, which connects to Kaneohe Bay and the Pacific, was paradise at its finest.

Billy & Kacey Shreve - Moli'i Pond, Kaaawa, Hawaii

The wedding party!

Don't you feel sorry for these two? They are forced to live in the beauty of the tropical paradise called HAWAII!! I keep thinking how I could grow my tropical hibiscus "outside" year round. Currently, the dozen potted hibiscus bushes and tree we have, are yet to be set out for the summer.


Ahhh, the sweet aromas stay with you for a long time. The plumeria and tuberose were not only beautiful, but sweetly aromatic and heavenly. I can almost smell them now. The bridesmaids wore yellow plumeria leis, and the Moms' leis were tuberose and roses. The men wore tea leaf and kukui nut, traditionally.


So we arrived home on Friday the 13th. Though I'm not a superstitious person, somehow Friday the 13th was not the luckiest for us. Norm was not feeling well a couple days before we left Hawaii and suffered on the flight back. He's well now, but he passed it on to me!! Thanks, buddy! :0) I've had bronchitis twice now this spring! I'm on the downhill side of it now, thankfully, and am feeling about 98% now! We came home to a hail damaged vehicle too...bummed about that.


Something else we did was to bring the rain along with us. No, not really, but it seems that way. Hawaii was unseasonably wet for this time of year, and it seemed to follow us home. We've been waiting and waiting to be able to paint the porch and can't manage more than a day at a time without rain here. I won't even mention the severity of weeds with all this rain. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...so we're doing our best to work outside when weather permits. Maybe a few more appeals to Mother Nature would help?? So if you're so inclined... Thanks! I'm hoping to get the waterfall working again this week, and am hoping I won't need to replace the pump. Those babies are expensive and it seems that about every 4-5 yrs, they need replacing. Ugh...


Our hummingbirds are back in full force!! I've seen 8 of them that I counted all at once. I'm sure the 2 dozen or so will be here after the babies hatch. We have 4 males and 4 females at the least, so that bodes well for having at least 8 more this summer. They are eating a LOT of our home-made nectar. I'm thinking that we'll go through another 40+ pounds of sugar this year.


Business is good, in spite of being closed for about 18 days from the beginning of May, while we were gone and then recovering from colds. So don't delay in making reservations for the summer. It's filling fast! Not much left for Tom Sawyer Days around July 4th, and weekends in general are pretty full already. Our Fall Folklife Festival still has openings, so be sure to reserve your room in a timely manner.


HANNIBAL IS NOT FLOODED! We have a levee system which keeps our downtown dry, and business as usual. Though the flood gates may be in, our Riverboat still runs from a location just a few hundred yards up river. Retail shops etc on Main Street remain open when the gates are in, so don't let that deter you from making your trip to Hannibal this summer. Hannibal is OPEN FOR BUSINESS as usual.


Hope to see our repeats and new guests soon!
Judy and Norm

Our Stormy Midwest Spring

Thankfully, Hannibal has been spared when it comes to severe weather. So many places around us were hit with tornadoes and ENORMOUS hail! I saw some photos of hail, which was larger than a baseball! The damage that does to the windshield of a vehicle is phenomenal. We hope that all of our guests have been safe throughout April thus far. Hannibal flood gates are in as of today, Wednesday, 4/20. Not to fear, Hannibal is still OPEN FOR BUSINESS! The Mark Twain Riverboat is still cruising too. Don't let the media scare you into thinking Hannibal is flooded. We have a sturdy and BIG levee, and it protects all things tourism.


As the story goes...April Showers bring May Flowers. Well this year our flowers are EARLY! The spring rains and warm(ish) weather has encouraged things to pop! Our Lily of the Valley(normally flowering in May) is blooming and the aroma is heavenly. We have some beautiful RED tulips and Paper Whites, which are also producing a wonderful sweet smell in the air. We are still waiting to see our first Hummingbird. I'm sure they will be earlier than last year. Cinco de Mayo was the date last year...more than 3 weeks later than usual. I've put 2 feeders out, just in case.


The work continues on the yard and maintenance of this old girl. We began a porch deck project this month, and have been "patiently"(not so much), waiting to finish the painting. Last year I painted most of the porch ceiling and will put a finish coat on in May. We have several porch posts which need to be reset as well. Water wreaks havoc on wood, wherever it has opportunity to sit. Ah, one of the most common maintenance issues with an historic house made of sticks.


Timing...Here's the trick: Work when guests are not disturbed, when cleaning and inside housework is complete, and when rain does not inhibit the work. We're glad that we have so many guests scheduled. That makes it easy to put noisy projects on hold. But we sure would like to get the painting done if the rain would just hold off for a few days at a time. I guess it could be mid May before we can get that accomplished, from the looks of the extended forecast! We are booked full the next 2 weekends, with several guests peppering the calendar on weekdays, and we're thankful! Maybe if it's too wet to paint, I can get some of the yard work done. We killed sections of our yard to get rid of some very annoying and hardy weeds. Now the plan is to reseed and get that nice carpet of green down. Some areas will become flower beds, rather than grass. I'll be setting some plants out in current beds in the next week or so. I have hostas, coral bells, Stella lilies, Peony, hybrid daylilies, bleeding heart, liatris, and various other things that are just right for planting now. I'm excited about what things will look like this summer. Norm said he was buying me some Hydrangea bushes this year too...RED ones! We'll put them in the front where the bushes were removed. We planted some ornamental grasses and hybrid daylilies last year and they look GREAT. I have been contemplating putting some grasses in the median between the sidewalk and the street. We'll see how that goes. Seems that there is never a dull moment here. If it's not maintenance, or getting my hands dirty, it's my role as laundress for the mountains of sheets and towels.


Stay tuned for news about our summer special which will be in cooperation with McDonalds! We'll update you when it goes live.

One of Our Favorite Celebrations and SPRING!

                 It's soon to be SPRING!  I look forward to celebrating the Irish heritage of our last name! This is one of my favorite times to celebrate. Now since I was adopted and can't truly identify my heritage, I can claim whatever I want, right? With a last name like "O" 'Reagan, I guess it's ok for me to be Irish in March. There is no question about Norm whose parents' surnames were Mcguire and Reagan, so celebrate we will! Why don't you join us at Reagan's Queen Anne Bed and Breakfast in Hannibal, in March!?

Spring Crocus!

         I LOVE Spring, all the newness of plant growth and G R E E N !

Following a long snowy winter, it's always a welcome sight to see the green sprouts peeking through the soil. Within the past few days, I have seen crocus, daffodil and hyacinth leaves poking through, and I just can't wait to see the wonderful colors of spring flowers. The floral aromas wafting through the air make things feel all fresh and clean.  And...when Spring arrives, I know that soon we'll see our little GREEN jewels, our Ruby-Throated hummingbirds. I hope they are not late arriving this year. We didn't see our first until MAY 5TH of 2010! Cinco de Mayo is about 3 weeks later than usual for our hummers to reach northeastern Missouri. I mentioned last year that we served up over 40 pounds of sugar to these magnificent and amazing little feathered friends. It's quite a job keeping up with them! We hope you will consider a visit to our little slice of heaven here.

   

One of our Females enjoying a morning snack, 8/9/08

 We've had a local flock of about 2 dozen hummers for the past few years. It's not easy to count them, but I have seen 18 all in one place here on occasion.


And I know that having 9-12 feeders out in different parts of the yard, will draw some to the areas I can't see when I'm in the front, side or back yard. It's possible that we have more than 2 dozen. Oh, I just can't wait to see them again!

Two Thousand Eleven

  A new year begins... We are working on projects in places much more snuggle-y warm than it is outside, and we're excited about what's new for 2011. We've been testing new recipes over the winter too. And that is always fun for our guests, who don't seem to mind being our guinea pigs. Thankfully we haven't had a "thumbs down" to a new item on the menu, and hope 2011 will follow that same trend. We worked on a muffin with bacon inside today, but it needs a bit more tweaking before we bring it to our breakfast table. I know exactly what it needs, so in a couple weeks we'll try it again. This is something I enjoy doing. Of course Norm would love being the taste tester more, if everything we made followed the CHOCOLATE theme. But I have to keep reminding him that not every breakfast tastes good with chocolate. I hear you Chocoholics out there, and not to worry, we have no plans to eliminate it from the menu. :^)

Eagles congregate along the Mississippi River

  Our weather this year has been perfect for Eagle watching. The last weekend of January brings Eagle Days to Clarksville, MO.Click the following for the Eagle website-- Eagle Days There's no better way to learn about our nation's symbol, than to have an up close encounter with these beautiful and magnificent birds. Bring your binoculars and cameras and dress warmly. On Saturday or Sunday night, following or prior to your day of Eagle watching, come stay in our own "Eagle's Nest", our third floor suite. We'll warm your insides with hot chocolate, tea or coffee, and provide a place where viewing the river is one of the suite's various amenities. Occasionally, we've seen Eagles soaring from the windows in our Captain's Quarters. **UPDATE! Captain's Quarters is reserved. We do have our Victorian Rose Chamber available. Just click the following to make your reservation: Reserve Here

  We still have some availability for Valentine's Day. As always, we love giving our guests gifts on Valentine's Day too. So make your reservation for a Valentine's getaway and we'll treat you to chocolates, candles and our special "thank you" for trusting us with your special Romantic Escape with a loved one. Click here to make sure that you have beautiful accommodations for your sweetheart. Reserve here for Valentine's Day


  Just click a link above and make your plans to spend a night or two in Hannibal together. We can't wait to meet you!

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