Whiteley Creek Homestead

LIFE AT THE END OF A DIRT ROAD IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA

organically grown triticale in our field
canoeing in our wetlands
raspberries growing wild on our property
our back porch fieldstone fireplace

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Why stay at Whiteley Creek Homestead?

Scan0008_2 Welcome! Grab a cup of tea, java, mocha and make yourself at home. Allow me to introduce you to my bed and breakfast. My goal in creating this blog, and my retro bed and breakfast's atmosphere, is to inspire you to create and surround yourself with things that are just plain fun.

A Green Routes destination, located on thirty-five acres three miles from downtown Brainerd, Whiteley Creek Homestead Bed and Breakfast was featured in Minnesota Monthly Magazine Great_midwest_escapes_2August 2005, Midwest Living Magazine July/August 2005, Great Midwest Country Escapes Book  2005 , St. Paul Pioneer Press Sunday, October 24, 2004, and Country Home Magazine July 2000.

Our bed and breakfast builds upon Brainerd's heritage as a farming community centered around the railroad and mining industry. A signature entree, "Flossie's Eggs on the Rails", was named after one of our most prolific laying hens. Breakfast is served in the 1890 railroad passenger car "Queen of the Meadow Blooms Tearoom." 1930s-40s cars and trucks, vintage farm implements and tools laid to rest amongst flower and herb gardens, laundry flapping in the breeze, and antiques scattered throughout the rooms and property recreate an earlier era in history. Nutrient-dense food is prepared with carefully selected organic and locally-grown ingredients purchased from a local CSA farm, weekly farmer's market, a neighborhood food co-op, and direct from local farms. Vegetable, flower, and herb gardens are maintained using sustainable growing practices (i.e., natural fertilizers and pesticides, crop rotation, companion planting, composting, rainwater collection, and mulching). Thirty-five acres, with purposeful planting to attract and protect wildlife, has walking trails and a wetlands area with a creek for canoeing.  The Cuyuna Range open pit mining lakes for fishing and boating, Crosby's Croft Mine Tours, French Rapids Trails along the Mississippi River, Paul Bunyan Bike Trail, Paul Bunyan Arboretum, and the Pillsbury State Forest offer outdoor activities nearby. The Chamber of Commerce web site www.explorebrainerdlakes.com lists specific area events to assist you in planning activities when you will be visiting the Brainerd Lakes Area. In the evenings, wrap yourself in the warmth of a fire crackling in a huge outdoor fieldstone wood-burning fireplace on the screened wraparound porch. OPEN MID-MAY THROUGH OCTOBER. Regrettably, we are not able to accommodate children or pets at our lodging establishment. We have chosen to be an adult retreat… a respite for guests desiring to rejuvenate their physical and emotional energy… to recharge. So that we might provide an atmosphere conducive to that end, we have structured our B&B environment to be as slow-paced, quiet, and free of distractions as possible.

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3 responses to “Why stay at Whiteley Creek Homestead?”

  1. Esther Peters Avatar
    Esther Peters

    I say, why not stay at Whiteley Creek Homestead? I live in Merrifield and came across your website by chance. I am so happy I found you. I am wondering, may I and some of my family members come and ‘tour’ your grounds? My sister lives in Duluth and she loves Bed and Breakfast facilities. I know she would love to see your place and maybe she will stay a night or two since I live in a camper in the summer and have no room for her and her husband.
    I strolled thru your website and after reading about your family and the “Dirt Road” article, tears were streaming down my eyes. I know exactly what it means to walk down a dirt road and explore for hours, as that is how I spent many of my childhood days.
    Recently, my family and I were allowed to tour our old family farmsite, only to find that the only original bldgs left are the barn and family home. My feelings were a mix of joy and sadness, as I know the home will be torn down soon.
    So when I stumbled upon your site, it reminded me of the good old days when life went by a little slower, but days were filled with family and friends activity galore. My favorite things to do, as were yours, were to help with farming and best of all, ‘play’ in the garden and walk down the dirt road on my way to my sister’s house where I would sit her children. My sister has since passed away, due to cancer. She and I were most alike and I miss her dearly.
    You have a great connection to your brothers even though they are not physically present. You are a very fortunate gal having been raised in a natural environment, and having provided a loving and learning environment for others.
    I just want to thank you for all you have done and all you will do to come. Some people want to make a difference in the world, but you already have, and I thank you for that, and so do many, many others.
    Thank you, and God Bless You!

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  2. Adrienne Avatar
    Adrienne

    Hello, neighbor! You truly understand the simple joys of a dirt road, Esther, especially one that takes us home. After growing up surrounded by dirt roads, I am blessed to live at the end of a long dirt driveway even now… at the homestead my husband and I have shared for forty years… the homestead that has been our bed and breakfast since 1999. In the morning, before breakfast is served and again in the coolness of the early evening, I often see guests slowing their pace to walk down our dirt road. That makes me very happy.

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  3. Harold and Jo Schwalm Avatar
    Harold and Jo Schwalm

    This is a wonderful B & B! We enjoyed our “three marigolds” cabin – rustic and fun to see the old time furnishings. We loved the very tasty and healthy breakfasts cooked by Adrienne and served in the train car. Such fun! SOOOO much better than staying in a hotel!

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