Friday, July 6, 2012

If You Happen To Be Tooling Along Highway 70 Near Pocahontas Il. And Need A FANTASTIC Place To Sleep For A Couple Nights, Look For This Sign! Status: You Gotta Check This Place Out!

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This is right off highway 70 about 40 miles east of downtown St. Louis. We pulled off just to check out the Village Square antique shop and shoot some pictures of this amazing sign. While shooting the sign I decided to ask the Powhatan Motel owner if it might be OK if I took a look at one of the rooms and maybe shoot some photos for the blog. He was more than happy, which took me by surprise...until I saw the room.


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Ka-Pow! How's THAT for a nice surprise! The rooms have all been renovated with all new

furnishings, new paint and floors! This really left me speechless. I did not expect this at all. But

that's not all!

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Sha-Bam! Nice big TV (Ok, not as big as the 6t7 Motel's TV), contemporary desk and an (oddly

placed) mini fridge.  Don't it look so nice and clean!  And a person laying on the bed can see the

TV while another sits at the desk on their laptop.

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Back outside for a moment. The owners obviously take great pride in this vintage motel. Look at

the flowers in the window box! I love the lock that requests privacy or maid service. Classic!  The

Powhatan Motel is amazingly clean, both inside and out.  It's truly a joy to know that there are little

locally owned Motels like this that are nice.  Somehow it's become part of my mission to find them

and promote them!

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I know that it's just a funky stain job but I think it really speaks volumes about the care and effort

that the owners have and have put IN to this place. Kinda warms your heart don't it? The thing

is...what's around here? I guess it's maybe 20 or so miles from Carlyle Lake but this really is the

kind of motel that seems to be for weary road travelers! Well, whatever. We've promised the

owners that we will be back to stay a night or two. There are several antique malls and stores

in the area so I'm sure we'll find something to do! We were just so flabbergasted by how

beautiful the room was! And cheap too...I think it was less than $60 a night. I need to give the

owner a call and confirm that since I think it might have been closer to $50 a night!

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I don't think that the tile in the bathroom is actually vintage...and to me that is even MORE

impressive! To put that much effort into keeping it real... ::shakes head:: ...when we go back I'm

gonna have to interview the owners in detail to find out their motivation. This could not have been

cheap! It's my most sincere hope that the owners see a wonderful return on their investment. From

my quick visit and look around they certainly seem to deserve it!

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If you are ever coming to St. Louis via I-70 from the East, consider staying a little ways out of

town, saving a lot of cash, staying at an amazing Motel and supporting a locally owned business.

There's even a diner style restaurant (I'll get ya a review of that next time too!) just outside your

door should you need breakfast or coffee in the morning!

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11 comments:

  1. I love this! Something so special about finding these little gems on the road. Thanks for sharing.

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  2. Dana said exactly what I was going to say: Wow! Those floors are amazing!

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  3. Sometimes these little gems are pure happy surprises!!!! Thank heavens they're out there!!!

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  4. WOW! that place has been there forever. I grew up in central IL at it was a tradition to stop there going to St Louis for breakfast. My husband and I were going home the other morning and I thought about stopping there...next time we will!

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  5. Road trip! Any other recommendations in the area other than Pocahontas for antiques/flea markets/junk shops? I like to dig for goodies. Thanks.

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  6. Awesome!!! The wife and I will mos def be stopping there next time we travel from our home in Springfield Mo to see the fam. in the Chicago area.... Thanks!!

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  7. Have you guys been to Cuba, MO to check out the Wagon Wheel Motel? I've heard good things and keep thinking I'll plan a short trip and check it out but it hasn't happened yet...

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  8. Wow this place is amazing!! Great restore from the owners!

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  9. I live here in Pocahontas IL , and also work at the restaurant for the people who own the motel they do take pride in the motel and the restaurant and keep them very nice . Thank you for posting something so nice about us

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  10. Thanks for the pictures and review. This is fantastic, from the custom floor design through the retro details like the lock and Scotties box, and even outdoors with that teepee for the playground! And so clean too. Old motels like this are indeed hard to find.

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