#273 - A Grain Bin in Phillipsburg, MO

Sleep in a Silo?

I was pretty excited last April, to realize Don and I would soon sleep in a silo for the first time.

Well, we didn't. We slept in a grain bin. I was calling this thing a silo for a while, but now I've been enlightened. 

Two Bins on Route 66

These two bins were originally used by a mill in Oklahoma, to store dry grain. Typically silos hold the moist stuff. 

The Triplett family purchased and moved these bins to their property a couple years ago. They now sit on Old Route 66, on a spot that has held cafes and lodging, going back to the 1920's.  

600 Square Feet

The idea of sleeping in a metal can made me wonder about claustrophobia.

But the bins are large. 600 square feet! And each has two windows, plus an opening in the top for sunlight.

​Our Bin

We arrived on a Monday afternoon. I love to make use of a hotel porch, so I   pulled a stool outside for a little sit.

I sipped on my Mother Road Black Cherry Soda and absorbed the sunshine. It was April and windy. If it had been a little warmer and calmer we could have used the grill and table.

Inside!

​We stepped inside and I was delighted to find the perfect combo of rusty-rustic walls, with yellow-red color pops! 

The kitchen nook reminded me of catsup and mustard... or Shell Oil Station... or actually the colors reminded me of a pair of yellow & red patent leather shoes that I adored as a tot! I love color connections!

Wood & Metal

To the right of the door was a wooden stairway, following the curved wall  up to the sleeping loft. I was happy for this. I think the other bin had a spiral staircase. Spiral staircases are fun, but tricky for carrying bags.

I've never been inside a grain bin or silo, so I might have guessed the corrugated metal was original. But all of the interior was added by the owners, Andy and Brandy. I so love their names, btw!

Sunshine

It was nice that we arrived on a sunny afternoon, with beams of light pouring through the opening. 

It was also nice that there was a.c. and heat. I imagine this space could get very cold or hot, without!

​The Loft

The sleeping loft was a lot more spacious, than many of our Notable Night hotel rooms.

I'm pretty sure we've never had denim curtains like these before.

Costumes?

When I spotted the overall-curtains, I was tempted to remove them for a quick photo shoot. I've been known to pack props and costumes, for our road trips. (I love a little silly photo time!) Why didn't I pack some farmer outfits for us? ​

I decided to just admire the overalls and not try to wear them. I also admired the door headboard and the flour sac pillow. 

​Good View

It was hard to reach the window, over the bed. I had to just guess about the view behind the overalls.  Fields and trees, I'm pretty sure.  

The view over the railing was fun. I loved seeing all the decorative details.

I love the textures of the wood, glass and metal, in that little display. I also love the nostalgia. I wonder about the people who once used the old lunch box or the yellow cooler? What I really loved was that nothing smelled musty or rusty. No smells of moldy grain either. The bins are kept clean, even if they look old.

Where People Get Clean

The place where guests get clean, was also clean. 

Andy, Brandy and their kids must have had fun coming up with some of the unique bathroom features.

Location

After exploring the space a little, Don and I took off to explore the area. First we learned that Phillipsburg is small. Very small. There might be a couple hundred people there, but we saw no one. There however was lots to see on our drive. Click the photos below for details.

It was a Monday, so even venturing 15 miles to Lebanon didn't give us many options for dinner. We did however find some candy (for a sweet dinner) right across the highway. The World's Largest Gift Shop and Redmond's Candy Factory were indeed open on a Monday.

Clever Bartender

We could have cooked a little something in the microwave, but had food in the car. We went for an easy dinner of our cheese, crackers, fruit and nuts. There was no coffee table, so we grabbed a stool to hold the fancy martinis that Don made... using our candy purchase!

Our green-apple and creamsicle candies added an interesting flavor (and color) to our martinis!

Cheers!

We set the camera timer to capture our toast. Cheers to our first stay in a grain bin!

My camera was sitting across the room on the Royal Crown Cola table, below the TV.  The bin's diameter is 22 feet, which means that TV was a long way away! My eyes are too old for that. We read some of the interesting books we found sitting around.

Sunset at the Bin

​Around 7:30, I was suddenly alerted to the change in light.

I leapt from the couch and dashed out for a sunset photo. I was glad no other guests had arrived, with photobombing vehicles. We had the place to ourselves and I had a fun view of the sun sinking down, between the bins!

What's Notable?

So we slept in a bin! For less than 100 dollars we had tons of space, all to ourselves. We could sing as loud as we wanted.

Of course my singing was slightly muffled by the sounds of nearby Interstate 44. That's okay. The car sounds reminded me of the old days of car travel on Rt 66. What a fun combination for a Notable Night...

One night in an authentic grain bin, that happens to sit beside the old Route 66 Highway! 
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