October, 2016 Edition
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Great intimate places to stay in Southern Utah
The husband struts for a minute as they go into the private living room/library of their guest suite. The wood stove in the back of the large room is already prepared with a basket of fragrant juniper logs alongside. Together they go into the bedroom, and both happily catch their breath.
“Told you it would be better than a hotel,” he says with relief. His wife is already adoring the handmade bed quilt and asking questions about what to do the next day. After they both visit the host’s garden, with their little dog, they are all (dog included) wearing smiles. New converts to the bed & breakfast experience.
Staying at a B&B or small personal inn isn’t for everyone — it takes a special breed of traveler. Someone who doesn’t want to get up in the morning with breakfast served in a plastic wrap and impersonal service. Hmm, it takes someone who likes the personal touch.
Instead of walking down a lobby, you could be greeted by a burro! At Burro Flats High Desert Lodge, the friendly burros Chocolate Bear or Donny are waiting for attention. Excellent host Celeste is always bursting with ideas on what guests can do and eager to share her expertise.
“We are just five minutes outside Kanab town center but we are rural, and we simply provide a different atmosphere from hotels,” she said. “From our place, you can put on your running or hiking shoes and take off into this exceptional landscape. From here, you can hear wind chimes and birds, and that is special.”
That is just the beginning of the many very special places you may want to stay here in Southern Utah. The XbarH Lodge in Orderville is another sweet place with a rural flavor. Pet-friendly and tucked away in the beautiful Elkheart Cliffs, the XbarH Lodge and Mesa Cabin is a wonderful year around get-away. Located on a 75-acre property made up of small box canyons, this is a pretty amazing place with an amazing array of plants, animals and rock formations. The XbarH is hosted by JC and Michele and is happy to host intimate weddings, retreats and family reunions. Just ask host JC about local permaculture and geology and you will be off to a grand day of wandering their property with a lecture.
It’s a perfect place to stay for photographers, hikers, birders and nature lovers.
Like a fabulous breakfast to start your day? At Condit Ditch Ranch just outside Kanab, host Suzanne is a pastry chef and provides breakfast with the assistance of her many hens. Each hen has a name and knows it; your omelet may be a Mary and Betty mix of eggs with a contribution from chicken Susie as well. The goats on the property do their part, providing the Condit Ranch fantastic goat milk cheese (Suzanne’s basil goat cheese is to die for.) There seems to be something going on with chefs and the local B&Bs here.
In Kanab, the Grand Circle Bed & Breakfast is a beautiful historic home and overseen by the highly recognized chef Shon.
Located in the center of historic Kanab is the Purple Sage Inn. The Purple Sage is a late 19th-Century “pioneer Italianate” Victorian home lovingly restored and wonderfully managed by its current owners. Speak of some history here; the original building was owned by William Derby Johnson and his four wives.
Johnson was forced to leave for Mexico by a government that frowned on polygamy, taking two wives and leaving two behind. Ask the hosts for the rest of the fascinating history.
Speaking of history, Savage Point Bed & Breakfast is named after the original guide who led early Mormon settlers to Kanab. “Savage Point” is a majestic red rock butte known by locals as the “K-Hill” and towers above the large orchard/garden of this little bed and breakfast.
Minutes from town, but isolated by its location at the end of a street, Savage Point offers a friendly environment complete with ponds and even a traditional Finnish sauna.
At breakfast, always homemade with fresh jams and garden produce, guests enjoy advice from their park ranger host and his wife.
There are countless characteristic places to stay in Southern Utah. Each provides a certain special charm and a type of personalized attention that is unique.
“Told you it would be better than a hotel,” he says with relief. His wife is already adoring the handmade bed quilt and asking questions about what to do the next day. After they both visit the host’s garden, with their little dog, they are all (dog included) wearing smiles. New converts to the bed & breakfast experience.
Staying at a B&B or small personal inn isn’t for everyone — it takes a special breed of traveler. Someone who doesn’t want to get up in the morning with breakfast served in a plastic wrap and impersonal service. Hmm, it takes someone who likes the personal touch.
Instead of walking down a lobby, you could be greeted by a burro! At Burro Flats High Desert Lodge, the friendly burros Chocolate Bear or Donny are waiting for attention. Excellent host Celeste is always bursting with ideas on what guests can do and eager to share her expertise.
“We are just five minutes outside Kanab town center but we are rural, and we simply provide a different atmosphere from hotels,” she said. “From our place, you can put on your running or hiking shoes and take off into this exceptional landscape. From here, you can hear wind chimes and birds, and that is special.”
That is just the beginning of the many very special places you may want to stay here in Southern Utah. The XbarH Lodge in Orderville is another sweet place with a rural flavor. Pet-friendly and tucked away in the beautiful Elkheart Cliffs, the XbarH Lodge and Mesa Cabin is a wonderful year around get-away. Located on a 75-acre property made up of small box canyons, this is a pretty amazing place with an amazing array of plants, animals and rock formations. The XbarH is hosted by JC and Michele and is happy to host intimate weddings, retreats and family reunions. Just ask host JC about local permaculture and geology and you will be off to a grand day of wandering their property with a lecture.
It’s a perfect place to stay for photographers, hikers, birders and nature lovers.
Like a fabulous breakfast to start your day? At Condit Ditch Ranch just outside Kanab, host Suzanne is a pastry chef and provides breakfast with the assistance of her many hens. Each hen has a name and knows it; your omelet may be a Mary and Betty mix of eggs with a contribution from chicken Susie as well. The goats on the property do their part, providing the Condit Ranch fantastic goat milk cheese (Suzanne’s basil goat cheese is to die for.) There seems to be something going on with chefs and the local B&Bs here.
In Kanab, the Grand Circle Bed & Breakfast is a beautiful historic home and overseen by the highly recognized chef Shon.
Located in the center of historic Kanab is the Purple Sage Inn. The Purple Sage is a late 19th-Century “pioneer Italianate” Victorian home lovingly restored and wonderfully managed by its current owners. Speak of some history here; the original building was owned by William Derby Johnson and his four wives.
Johnson was forced to leave for Mexico by a government that frowned on polygamy, taking two wives and leaving two behind. Ask the hosts for the rest of the fascinating history.
Speaking of history, Savage Point Bed & Breakfast is named after the original guide who led early Mormon settlers to Kanab. “Savage Point” is a majestic red rock butte known by locals as the “K-Hill” and towers above the large orchard/garden of this little bed and breakfast.
Minutes from town, but isolated by its location at the end of a street, Savage Point offers a friendly environment complete with ponds and even a traditional Finnish sauna.
At breakfast, always homemade with fresh jams and garden produce, guests enjoy advice from their park ranger host and his wife.
There are countless characteristic places to stay in Southern Utah. Each provides a certain special charm and a type of personalized attention that is unique.