Blackwater & Arrow Rock Missouri

Heading east on I-70 you will come to a quaint little town called Blackwater, just North of Blackwater is an equally charming town called Arrow Rock each of these small towns is a step back in time to an era when railroad and river travel governed the growth of towns and the people who chose to make those towns home. Blackwater is home to the Iron Horse Hotel (1st and 2nd pictures) It is a fully restored hotel from the late 1800's that still receives guests to this day. The furnishings and atmosphere are reminiscent of a by-gone era. The on site restaurant is absolutely delicious. After a cozy nights sleep they serve a wonderful breakfast each morning (cooks choice), no cold donuts here. We were served omelets, fresh fruit, toast, juice, milk, coffee. We walked the block long main street, and visited several wonderful little shops. Some featuring antiques, or Native America Artifacts, and fudge to die for. The train still runs by the hotel off and on day and night. We even put pennies on the tracks (shhh don't tell). Then we drove to Arrow Rock and ate at a turn of the century Inn and Restaurant. The food was good, and the atmosphere even better. They have a museum on site that features a general store and what the inn would have been like in the 1800's at the height of travelers. At one end of town there is an overlook that shows where the river used to run directly by the town, it has sense changed course and now flows approximately a mile away from its original course. There are several original buildings throughout the town that you can visit, including a log cabin court house, a gunsmith shop, a boarding school, and a one room stone jail that only housed one convict, for one night. He was released after yelling so loudly that he kept town folks awake. Could you imagine that nowadays? The Lyceum Theatre is there as well, and is host to many Broadway quality productions. Looking for a weekend getaway? This is a wonderful spot to visit. You aren't even too far from Columbia Missouri for those Mizzou games as well.