Dear’s Rest achieves, I believe, the best of both worlds when it comes to cabins in the woods and bed and breakfasts because it is both. Tucked away from the hustle and bustle of city dwelling, nestled deep in the Ozarks, this B&B offers privacy and solitude for guests. When you make a reservation you know that you’ll have an entire cabin’s worth of space to yourself—no sharing that clawfoot tub with strangers and no flimsy door between you and the honeymooners next door. However, Dear’s Rest is not just a cabin, it is a full-functioning bed and breakfast. If you’re enjoying a stay without your four year old, you just might awaken to Linda and Allan in the kitchen, creating one of their masterpiece breakfasts. (If you’re sleeping with your four year old, you’ll probably wake when the sun begins to peek over the horizon. “Mom, the sun’s out,” when translated, means “Look alive, Mom. Open your eyes, sit up and get out of bed!”)

And the breakfasts, oh, the breakfasts! Day one of our vacation included Linda’s specialty, fruit compote, a gigantic plateful of heart-shaped waffles with golden pecan syrup, a salsa & cream cheese omelet (now I’m drooling again), bacon and fried potatoes. For those who enjoy reading about food, I’ll continue… The next day we ate broiled grapefruit (seriously delicious), English Muffins Extraordinaire, fried potatoes and orange julius (the best I’ve ever tasted). The final day, the morning Jeremy and I held back so we wouldn’t go into food comas on the drive home, we oohed and aahed over a platter of sweet rolls, sausage, those delightful fried potatoes, and a cheese souffle. So so good. Tonight I’ve eaten a full dinner at home and I still wish I could take on one of Linda’s breakfasts.

We did attempt activities other than eating. After praying for sunshine in the days leading up to our getaway, we enjoyed a warm Sunday afternoon in the new pool (new-to-us at least, it wasn’t there ten years ago) and spent some good time splashing and wading in Bull Creek. When the heavens opened up and the downpours began, we played in the sleeping loft and watched Babe, the same movie Jeremy and I watched at Dear’s Rest on our honeymoon. For the life of me I can’t tell you why we watched that particular film when no children were about, but there you have it.

We even managed to bring a bit of the Ozarks home with us. A matching set of ticks: one for Liv and one for me. [shudder]