#49 Potter's Mill Inn in Bellevue, Illinois

An old Flour Mill in Iowa

When we were planning our 3 week road trip, I found this mill on the internet.

A Lucky Find

I was actually looking up info on northeast Iowa, when I learned about the old mill in Bellevue.  The mill was built in 1843, and was powered by a giant waterwheel.  For many years the mil produced flour and eventually closed in 1969. When I learned about the mill, it was getting ready to open as a bed & breakfast and restaurant. I was able to reserve a room before they even opened.

A Cold October Day

We arrived on Friday afternoon.  The cold winds blew us right from the car to the Potter's Mill sign, swinging on an old piece of machinary.  At a glance, the red and white wooden structure looked like a large house.  If it hadn't been so dang freezing out, I would have stood there and studied the odd doors and windows.  This was clearly no house.  There were doors where houses have no doors.

Lobby?

We walked through a hefty door, that you would never see on a house.   We found no lobby inside.  It's a mill, after all.  The lower floor of the mill had been turned into the "Flatted Fifth Blues and BBQ Restaurant".  It smelled good.

Mill Stuff

There was also a lot or "mill stuff" decorating the limestone walls of the restaurant.  There were wheels and chains and grinding things... the only thing I recognized were some bags of flour! (I should know a whole lot more about this kind of thing, because my Dad's family owned the Meyer Milling Co. in Missouri years ago.)  We took a few minutes exploring, until our host, Mark arrived.

The Inn Area

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Mark took us up in the elevator, which was a surprising luxury.  The doors opened on the third floor to a cozy common area with a couch, rockers,  table with checkers and more curious mill equipment, that I won't attempt to explain.

The Mill Suite

There were only 4 guest rooms, so it wasn't difficult to find our room which was named, "The Mill Suite".  Ours seemed to be the only room that had a deer head there to greet us!

Warm Wood

I loved the old floors!  Something about the wind whistling outside made the smooth, dark,  171-year old floors seem extra cozy!

Our Room

The first thing I saw when we entered was this funny thing hanging down from the ceiling!  It looked like some giant mouse trap getting ready to catch me!  And I loved it.  This is what we were paying for, the experience of sleeping in Iowa's oldest mill!  I'm so glad they kept this stuff.

"No Lace"

Mark almost seemed sheepish as he showed us our room. "We don't do lace," He reminded with a laugh.  Did we look like people who expected room service?  The curtains were about as sheer as lace, though.  The north window was in view of the parking area, so we had to think twice before parading around in the nude!

Coffee and Chairs

There was heat in the room, but the very sound of the wind made us excited about making a little coffee with the Kuerig.

We settled with our mugs into the blue chairs to relax for a while.  I had to chuckle as I took in some of the odd decorating details.      I pretty much loved the lamp/table between the two cozy seats! Not only was there a mill picture on the lampshade, but there was a hinged lid that lifted to expose a little barrel shaped container of games. Tiddly Winks! Haven't seen that game in a while! 

A Curious Bathroom

We had a rod and curtains, in place of a door to the bathroom.  Once again we were chuckling at yet another hotel bathroom with privacy issues. (We've had our share)  We did have a mighty nice tub, but no shower. And there was a step up into the bathroom, so we had to be cautious to remember that!

Windows

I love a view and we had a great one, looking down on Potter's Mill Creek.  It faced the east, which might have offered a good sunrise, except the bluffs across the creek were pretty high and close... and there was no sun in the morning, anyway. Our north window had a view of the railroad bridge.  We enjoyed the rumbling trains (with no whistle) at night.

Food

It was the perfect evening to stay in.  We followed the smell of BBQ to the first floor. We chose to eat and drink at the bar instead of the tables, since everyone seemed chatty and welcoming. Our room stay came with a complimentary appetizer and we picked the fried green tomatoes with crabmeat.   Dessert-like delicious!  

We also shared some shredded pork served on fries. Both perfect for a cold night!

Hanging Out

The best part of the evening was visiting around the bar. We spoke with a local mom who had been at the homecoming game and raced over to Potter's Mill for warmth.

We spoke with Ron and Linda (pictured) and a couple others who gave us great tips for places to see in the next few days. And we chatted with Inn owners, Mark and Rachel who shared about their adventures of opening this place a month earlier.

Morning

We rose early and tiptoed out to the common area to grab some breakfast nibbles.  No other room guests came out to join us.  Mark said he and Rachel don't like to push the let's all gather around for breakfast thing.  

I'm actually fine with that, but my clothes were beginning to get tight from eating on the road, so I wasn't up for a big sit-down breakfast.

Nearby

We did manage to take in a few sights near the Inn before leaving town.  It was well worth a stop at Bellevue State Park, just across the creek from the Inn.  We found a great view of the town and the Mississippi, but a rather disturbing view of a few boys racing to get off the railroad bridge as a train approached, blasting its horn!

They managed to scramble off just before the train crossed. Then they were back on.  So, in other words, there is excitement in Bellevue and the Mill area!

What's Notable?

We stayed in a mill!  And we got to support the preservation of a piece of history... and support a new business!

But in truth I may remember our cozy gathering at the bar as much as anything.  We always learn from the people we meet as we travel. We gained more info in that 2 hours than any other stop on our trip.  We took notes from our new friends and followed through with suggestions.  

Good people encounters can be a real bonus!