Our Getaway Weekend at
The Irish Inn, Ozark, IL
Being a paranormal romance writer, a woman deprived of a vacation for over ten years and a yearning for proof of the afterlife, I can’t tell you how excited I was when one afternoon I came across The Irish Inn on the internet. Yes, the internet reaps enough benefits to counteract the many pains in the butt it can cause, but back to my story.
I can’t tell you how ecstatic I get each year when the month of October approaches. I haven’t met a horror or ghost movie I hate yet, and this year I decided ten years without some rest and relaxation is enough. I set out on my search in August, hoping I’m not already too late. My ideal getaway has to have some paranormal aspect, and has to be in October. Since I know most places are usually booked far in advance, my hopes are very low.
So, imagine my surprise when I come across this quaint little bed and breakfast a mere three and a half hours from my home. Imagine my even bigger surprise when I learn they have an opening in October. I eagerly set things in motion and am nearly giddy with excitement, wondering how I’m going to wait a month and a half.
As time seems to fly when you get older, our booked weekend arrives in a blink of the eye, and my husband and I are off. The drive down was relaxing and scenic with rolling hills and clear, blue skies. There is a tiny bite in the air, just enough to remind you that fall is here, but still warm enough to indicate summer is not ready to fully relinquish its hold. Three and a half hours later we arrive at our destination, The Irish Inn.
The gorgeous log cabin called The Irish Inn sits in the middle of the countryside, tucked into a hillside surrounded by peace, tranquility, wineries and the beautiful Shawnee National Forest. We arrive on Friday afternoon and are promptly greeted by the innkeeper, Lynn. Lynn is a delightful woman who was warm and inviting to us, treating us like extended family. After a brief chat we got settled into our scenic room with its own deck that overlooked a well-maintained pond and manicured lawn, its border lined with thick, rich forest. We had our own television with dvd player and a huge library of movies and books to choose from, even though we really had no plans to watch too much TV.
After settling in and relaxing a bit, we decide to go out for a few hours of exploration before dinner is ready—A wonderful, homemade spaghetti dinner with fresh vegetables, salad and garlic bread prepared by Lynn. I cannot even begin to tell you how wonderful the sauce smelled simmering on the stove.
That afternoon we visited Bell Smith Springs. On the way, we passed a cemetery with a peculiar sight. A mailbox perched in the middle of the headstones, flag up—not a house around—that said “information” on it. We drove by even, though my husband insisted he wanted to open the mailbox, and reached our destination about twenty minutes later. We walked the trail and saw some beautiful sights including an impressive stairway made of rock. I, myself, found the stairway a little difficult as I have asthma, but I did conquer it, and it was well worth it. Pictures of Bell Smith Springs
We then headed back to the Inn. After we returned we relaxed for a little while before settling in for spaghetti. By the way—remember the mailbox in the cemetery?—turns out anyone who opens the mailbox is cursed with terrible luck. There is even a tale that some of those that have opened it have found letters addressed to themselves. I’m very glad we decided not to open the mailbox because I already have enough bad luck. So now back to the spaghetti dinner. This is when we met Brian, Lynn’s husband and co-Innkeeper. Brian is a former resident of Ireland, and his rich Irish brogue, Irish tales and witty humor provided fascinating dinner conversation. After our bellies were full, Lynn drove us to meet some real Cherokee Indians.
I met and talked to some wonderful people, and learned a lot about a cultural that sometimes feels to be such a part of the past it is slipping away. However, that narrow-minded thinking is far from the truth. Indians are still very much part of this world—an important part—and I kept finding myself wishing that more people would open their eyes and minds and realize how important these people are to our society.
Every one of them was kind, completely open and ready to share their stories with me. Honestly, I could have stayed and talked to them all night. I thank them from the bottom of my heart for an experience that most will never have.
After returning we had Irish tea—which was yummy—and then turned in for the night.
Day two begins. We are excited and rested and ready to go. We wake up to a huge breakfast that Brian has prepared for us. Eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, toast, fresh tomatoes, fresh orange juice, coffee—I mean who could ask for a better start to another gorgeous day in the making?
Our plan is to visit Garden of the Gods, The Chocolate Factory, a couple wineries and to eat lunch before coming back to relax for awhile before setting out on our paranormal evening. We actually planned to visit many more places, but the above is what we ended up doing as we went along at a turtle’s pace absorbing the gorgeous scenery.
Garden of the Gods, first stop. Absolutely breathtaking is all I can say. The beauty of the place will steal the air from your lungs. I can honestly say standing on the tip of a huge rock formation, peering miles and miles, over rolling forest brought me as close to being one with nature as I have felt for a long time, or ever. Pictures of Garden of the Gods
The Chocolate Factory, second stop. Yum, yum and yum. We picked up several handmade treats for ourselves as well as for family members. Don’t miss this place.
Hogg Hollow, third stop. We were greeted by a small winery set off a winding back road. I can’t pretend to be close to being a wine connoisseur, but I will tell you Hogg Hollow had some of the best wine I’ve ever tasted. I bought a bottle of Sangria for myself and a bottle of blackberry/grape for my mother—who by the way, is more of a wine connoisseur than I, and said it was some of the best she’s ever had with no aftertaste.
Next we stopped and ate at what most people would call a little hole-in-the-wall. I will tell you, we were surprised. The food was excellent. Stomachs satiated and bones tired, we decide to head back to rest for awhile before dinner and our big ghost hunt.
After a dinner of pizza and more great conversation with Lynn and Brian, Lynn takes us on our paranormal adventure. Now, first off let me tell you: 1. Yes! I love anything paranormal, but I am not one of those who think every bump, every weird shadow, and every strange light is a ghost. I want proof! I am very open to the possibility of spirits, but that doesn’t mean I am gullible either; and 2. My husband is somewhat open to the possibility, but is a bigger skeptic and has never had a paranormal experience himself.
Our first stop is what is called the Beast House. If you would like to read the stories behind any of these places, please visit: http://irishinn.tripod.com/id12.html. While at this time, the house is no longer standing—other than a huge brick fireplace—you can feel the thickness in the air as soon as you step foot out of the car. I got some amazing pictures of orbs before being scared off by a deer. Yeah, I’ve seen when animals attack, and I wasn’t in the mood to be a mate to a buck that night.
Keep in mind please, that when I take pictures, I always try to click at least two pictures in succession quickly. So, if there are orbs in one and none in the next, it is harder to argue that it was just dust. Now, if the orbs were still there, but in different places, okay, maybe you could argue dust. But, there and then gone, no. I will post links so you can view the pictures and come to your own conclusions. Pictures of Beast House
Second stop is Tunnel Hill. We began our quarter mile trek on the bike trail at night to the tunnel. An eerie feeling of being watched plagues my husband and I the whole way to the tunnel. Lynn leaves us at the tunnel opening as she is feeling uneasy and says she will meet us back at the car. My husband and I begin walking toward the end of the pitch black, fairly long tunnel armed with a flashlight and camera. I snap off several pictures, and we are stopped every few steps by the sound of footsteps up ahead. Each time my husband says he’s not convinced, and we continue only to stop again as the footsteps sound closer and I snap more pictures. To make a long story short, we only make it about three quarters of the way to the end before—get this—my husband says, “okay, I’m convinced. Let’s go back.”
On the way back, there is almost an urgency in the air. It makes us want to run back to the car, but we manage to stay in control of our emotions. The feeling of someone watching us is stronger on the way back, and about half way to the car, the clip is slipping out of my hair and I stop to pull it out and put the clip back in tighter. We begin walking again and within seconds, something pulls my hair hard enough to make me stumble. My husband and I look at each other and can do nothing else but giggle in excitement. Now, others may find this horrifying, but while we were a little intimidated, our curiosity was stronger. Pictures of Tunnel Hill
Third stop is the cemetery. This was our last stop, and while it had the least occurrences of anything that could be considered paranormal, it was not a bust by far. I again, got pictures of many orbs and my husband and I both smelled a sweet, floral scent off and on the whole time we were in the cemetery. Let me also clarify, that we did not know about the tales of others smelling the woman’s perfume beforehand. We didn’t encounter any of the previously sighted ghost soldiers, but the perfume and orbs were enough to excite us to no end knowing we were lucky enough to have experiences in all three places we visited. Pictures of the Cemetery
We went back to the Inn for some more Irish tea and to show off our pictures before turning in.
Sunday morning. I can’t tell you how depressing Sunday morning was when it rolled around, since we knew we were going to have to get on the road fairly early as my husband had to return to work late Sunday night. We again, were treated to a scrumptious breakfast with all the same trimmings as Saturday morning plus fried potatoes with onions and peppers.
The time came where we had to say farewell to the quaint Bed and Breakfast we enjoyed so much and hit the road.
My opinion: If you need a relaxing weekend with leisurely things to do, and have a curiosity for the paranormal, this place is for you. If you don’t have a curiosity for the paranormal, and just want a place to wind-down, meet great people and visit wonderful, down-to-earth places, this place is for you also. Looking for a romantic getaway? Covered. I can’t imagine anyone not liking a visit to The Irish Inn. Thank you so much Lynn and Brian!
