Nauvoo River Cottage

"Nauvoo" understandably translates as "Beautiful." It is a renown place of fascinating history, presented through free and family-centered activities. We hope you plan on spending some quiet down-time in the cottage just to draw upon the peaceful persuasion of the place being on the wide, blue river. We have decorated our cottage as we have decorated our previous homes, with a Scandinavian touch. We hope you enjoy the heart-warming, cheerful, and fresh charm of the cottage. Valkommen! We have plenty of woodland property for you to explore and make all the noise you want, and no other party will hear or notice. We consider our porch our first room, as it has an open view of the wide river right in front of you and plenty of seating. We also have a picnic table there with a gas barbeque. Our kitchen table sits only 6 or 7, but the picnic table is enough for our given guest count. The cottage is compact but open, and fine for families who wish to spend their days sight-seeing the area and come home to it's cozy comfort. We regret our dock went down river some years ago and since then there is no beach left. However, across the street and kitty corner is a relaxing walk along the river on the mowed green grass of the Hammas Scenic Turn-out. You can see why the slips of shore are often called by visitors as "shell shore." The Nauvoo/Hamilton area is renown for its geodes and guests sometimes come just to seek them in streambeds and in the river. We have many around the yard that we have found. Our house is located on a half hill with more of the river bluff behind us. We have plenty of room for parking. Our driveway is challenging for RV's at the present and we counsel you to bow out of that challenge. Entrance to the front door is a key number punch and we will contact you a couple days ahead of your arrival for the code. We welcome you, and preferably, to contact us 2 to 7 days ahead of time when you have understandable anxiety knocking on your head while planning the departure for your journey. Your family is welcome to the full use of the house. We have two sheds that are not part of your dream package. The old red shed was once a screen porch by the former owners (and curious peekers [only] in it's doorway can see that it then became a chicken coop and is now more of a habitat for woodland critters among our lumber piles, lawn supplies and sundry items). The view of it from the kitchen sink window is not pleasing, but the contemplation of the space does present promising possibilities. The Wi-Fi password is located on the refrigerator. We have Roku streaming tv with Sling Blade. We hope you find the books, games, keyboard, and other distractions we offer in the home. There are private places, as well as an overall open feeling with a vaulted ceiling and loft. The windows overlook the river and the cottage interior colors seem to bring the outside in. We have placed an introduction to our home in a scrapbook on the coffee table and we hope you make that an eager priority upon arrival. Please feel free to text or call for any questions or concerns before or during your stay. We will get back to you as soon as we notice your message. We live in Minnesota, but have local competent cleaning women and handymen we can call upon to make your stay satisfactory and hopefully, ideal. Also, before you feel desperation, you may call Airbnb to answer anticipated given questions we left them and to also try to contact us. We are located adjacent to a scenic turn-out that offers a nice stroll along the river with picnic tables and invite you to discover "Shell Shore." This portion of the river is located above a dam and lock on the Mississippi River, and is given the added name of "Cooper Lake." You can watch long barges traveling up and down the river in the spring and summer and hear the distant sounds of the coal shoot and railroad across the river. In the fall and winter there are bald eagles who fish in the open area of the dam beside the next town downriver and many can be seen while taking a walk outside the cottage. The area is known for its geodes and many come from far just to seek them out in creek beds. We are surrounded in woods. There is so much to see in Historical Nauvoo, and the downtime in the cottage is just the right ending of a busy day. See the moon over the river in the middle of the night and the shining blue of the river when you sit up in bed in the morning. Again, Valkommen! The town of Nauvoo has a Dollar General. There is a mom and pop restaurant called Grandpa John's in Nauvoo, as well as a couple of hotel restaurants. Nearby Hamilton to the south has some groceries at the Hy-Vee Pharmacy on Broadway Street and also at the Dollar General on Keokuk Street further east in town. Hamilton and the town of Keokuk both have fast food stops. Larger Keokuk has both a Wal-Mart Grocery and an impressive HyVee grocery store, the latter with a wonderful salad bar and many choices for prepared foods. We recommend Angelini's Ristorante Italiano on Main. If you are coming from the west, West Burlington has even more fast food stops and restaurants. During the Nauvoo Pageant season, it is best to plan to eat prepared food outside of the town of Nauvoo . . . and consider saving and eating back at your nice home-away-from home. You might consider your plans and menu for your first two meals before you leave home. For your first breakfast, we do have a baking center (including an extra large flour container, such as for pancakes, in the bench seat), but maybe just bringing cereal, muffins and fruit from home and making a short milk stop right before arriving is an easy and popular answer, and have a big Mom breakfast the second day. Shopping is a chore the day you arrive, but the second day it may be considered an exploring event. We have the basics of ketchup, mustard, relish, and dressings in the refrigerator, and seasonings and oils in the cupboard next to the stove. There is a baking center with basics, such as baking soda, baking powder, sugars, and flours. Other unopened foodstuffs left in the cupboards are to be considered gifts from other guests left behind for you. There is cupboard space left for your own groceries. We are offering a whole house for the price of two hotel rooms as a considerate gift to families. We wish to clarify the host's pricing option, that the price stated on the site is for a party of 6 and $15 for each guest up to 9. We are thrifty ourselves and feel this is still a very good price for our space. I have heard "This is the most comfortable I have ever been in Nauvoo!" and we want you to be comfortable on your visit to Nauvoo. Larger parties should consider that in our whole house there is only one, 1, uno bathroom. Either conclude that you want/need to stay in another of the honestly charming places in Nauvoo with 2 bathrooms or that you are close family. Pets are allowed. Please consider that other guests may have an allergy and would like to know how recently animals have stayed. Please contact us at the time of your reservation. Fees are $10 per night for one pet, or $15 for two (and, sorry, a $5 penalty if you fail to notify us and we discern it). If there is more cleaning needed, we may resolve the fee afterwards, calculating the cleaning woman's fee. Please clean any mud or worse on carpets promptly and visible fur on furniture before leaving. Consider bringing a yard screw and tether if your dog roams. The rest here is only counsel for parties of 7 to 9 guests, so pass on reading if you have less. Most inquiring guests consider that they are close family or friends and figure they will be spending much or most of the day in Nauvoo seeing the sites. We counsel that you NOT give the call to go to the bathroom before you leave for the day, but rather wait and park at the public parking with the large public restrooms on the main street of Mulholland where the shops are, or at the Visitor's Center, Family Living Center, or near the other historical shops and homes. Rather give the call to use the restroom right BEFORE you return home. And consider taking morning or evening shifts for showers. It is common for family and friends upon hearing you are visiting Nauvoo to want to join in the fun. We welcome them. Please remember the Honor System during your stay. Airbnb is strict on only insuring guests to only the agreed number, and 9 persons is the house limit, and we rely on the Airbnb foundation.