#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 mill 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 & BBQ Restaurant". It smelled good.

Mill Stuff

There was a lot of "mill stuff" decorating the limestone walls of the restaurant. There were sheets and chains and grinding things. The only thing I recognized were some bags of flour. 

I should actually know a lot more about mills, because my Dad's family owned the Meyer Milling Company in Missouri, years ago. But that was long before I was born.

 

​The Inn Area

​We took a few minutes exploring, until our host Mark arrived.

---

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.

 

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 handing down from the ceiling.

 

It looked like some giant mousetrap, getting ready to catch me! And I loved it. This is what we were paying for. The experience of sleeping Iowa's oldest mill! I'm so glad they kept this stuff.

"No Lace"

Mark almost seemed sheepish, as we entered the room. "We don't do lace," he reminded with a laugh. Do we look like people who expected room service? Hopefully not.

 

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 nude.

Coffee and Chairs
​

 There was heat in the room, luckily.

But, the wintery sound of the wind made it seem chilly. We were excited about making a little coffee with the Keurig.

Awesome Lamp

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
​
The entrance to the bathroom had a rod and curtains, in place of a door. We chuckled at finding ourselves once again, in a curious hotel with a quirky bathroom set up. Luckily bathroom privacy is not number one issue.

 

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 about 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. 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 at 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. Mostly I was glad we weren't being served a big sit-down breakfast. My clothes were beginning to get tight from eating on the road. 

Nearby

 

We did manage to take in a few sights near Potter's Mill 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. I cringed as I watched them 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, as if they do this daily. 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, on our travels. 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!
​