Kimmswick Anniversary

Years ago, when my wife, Kathy, and I would take a week vacation around our wedding anniversary (6/12), I would surprise her by planning it, though it would be a total surprise for her. When we spent it in the little town of Kimmswick (about a mile from our home), there was only one place to rent a place to sleep overnight (the Greenhouse Inn), and, it still is. As of this, I made the reservation 8 months in advance in order to ensure we’d get this week there.

So, there was only 1 unit at this Inn, but, it was roomy and very pleasant. One of our favorite restaurants is the Blue Owl (in Kimmswick); we used to go there for years before we moved to Imperial, near Kimmswick. So, going to this restaurant for breakfast, before continuing with our vacation was not unusual. As we left the restaurant, it seemed like I was leaving town, but, I pulled-into the driveway of the Inn, to my wife’s amazement!

Kimmswick was one of my wife’s favorite places, as its downtown area contained 50 shops. This surprise was even more dramatic as, the year before, we went to Florida. Shortly before this week, there was a significant flood in Kimmswick, but, we could walk around the town, from shop to shop easily, at this time.

As of the recent flood, there weren’t many shoppers visiting the town, and, since we were the only ones staying at the Inn, word about us spread about town, such that, even before we entered a shop, they seemed to realize who we were, and, we were treated like royalty. There were 50 shops in town and we went to each one and bought something from each one.

During this week, the St. Louis Blues hockey team was playing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Since we didn’t know the channel on the TV at the Inn was going to show the championship game, and, since we lived only about a mile away, we went home to get this info., returned and taped the game - we won!

There were only 4 restaurants in town, including the Blue Owl - we ate a few times at each one; fortunately, each one was good, and, sometimes, we’d get some meals to go to eat back at the Inn, which had a refrigerator, microwave and stove; so, we cooked meals at the Inn too.

The owners of the Inn were a gracious & friendly couple, who also owned a mansion, next to the Inn, as well as a motorcycle shop that the husband operated, and, another shop selling nick-nacs and other collectibles, run by the wife.

We thanked God for this very special, unique experience for our anniversary vacation, which was located only about a mile from our home, where we still live.