Bed & breakfast combines charm and hospitality
Ashley Williams
Issue date: 4/13/06 Section: TruLife
When junior Danielle Asal and senior Nicole Asal returned to Kirksville after winter break, a soaking-wet disaster greeted them.
The women said they unlocked their door to find water seeping into their walls, all over their carpeted floors and even into the kitchen cabinets.
"We knew we had to do a lot of fixing," Danielle Asal said.
This left the women with no place to call home. Danielle Asal said they immediately began searching for somewhere to stay with their parents' help. First, they tried hotels, but then her mother found Cottage Grove Bed & Breakfast in the phone book, she said.
"It's more homey - it's not like going home to a hotel room," Danielle Asal said.
And so the Asal sisters became just one more family to revel in the comforts of Cottage Grove, located near the end of East Jefferson Street at 301 S. Cottage Grove. The bed and breakfast is owned and operated by Mac and city councilwoman Jill Wimp McCord.
"They were the nicest people we'd ever met," Nicole Asal said. "They took us in immediately."
Although the women had only planned to reside at Cottage Grove for a month, their stay lasted nearly three months. Danielle Asal said the McCords, whom the Asal sisters call Mr. Mac and Ms. Jill, remained professional in providing for all of their needs - yet the relationship became like a family.
"They're kind of our adopted parents in Kirksville," Nicole Asal said.
The Asals stay in touch with the McCords by sharing meals and visiting Cottage Grove.
A New Beginning in a Familiar Place
The McCords opened Cottage Grove in September 2001. Rooms are available for $79 for a single and $89 for a double, according their Web site.
"When we came here, we thought, 'If we rent one room a month, we will be so fortunate,'" Jill McCord said cheerfully. "It's been much better than that."
She said Cottage Grove is not extremely busy, but it keeps her and her husband occupied.
"We were getting close to retirement and were very active," she said. "We didn't want to stop that."
Yet Jill McCord said she never expected to return to her hometown after nearly 40 years of absence. She attributed their choice of Kirksville to the friendly people, the medical center, the colleges and the Square.
"Kirksville can't be beat," she said.
The McCords stayed in a number of bed and breakfasts before deciding to open their own.
"I've always loved cooking and cleaning," Jill McCord said. "It just seemed like a match for us."
As Mac McCord fiddled in the kitchen in the background, she quickly added, "And my husband is an excellent cook."
The McCords offer their guests a variety of dishes made from scratch, ranging from eggs Benedict to crème brûlée french toast, Jill McCord said.
"Mac does walloping omelets," she said. "I guess I'm the baker."
She said that each night, guests choose from a rotating menu what they would like for breakfast and where they would like to enjoy it.
Every morning, guests open their doors to a tray with a pastry and a beverage of their choice. Then, the guests may eat the food they selected the night before in the dining area or wherever they chose.
A Place to Call Home ... Away from Home
The McCords' realtor had a better idea of where to locate their bed and breakfast than they did. Their realtor kept asking them to visit a certain property, Jill McCord said.
"I thought it wasn't old enough," she said.
Finally, they agreed to view the home situated on 1.5 acres of land.
"We walked in, looked at each other and said, 'This is it!'" Jill McCord said.
The flow of the house, with its spacious hallways, large doorways and open floor plan convinced the McCords that the home would be the perfect location for their bed and breakfast, Jill McCord said. The McCords also were fond of the informal dining area, which is a part of the kitchen. Jill McCord said the last thing they wanted was a formal dining room.
"We love to talk to guests, and it doesn't bother us for them to see us cooking," she said.
A "Terrific" Guest List
Guests mingle and wander throughout Cottage Grove.
"They sit down, and they talk to each other," Jill McCord said. "There are all sorts of different views, and they all get along. That's been a miracle, I think."
Jill McCord said guests range from salespeople to hunters to University students' parents. She said students always are invited to join their parents for a free breakfast.
"We've just had terrific guests," Jill McCord said.
Many guests are return visitors, Jill McCord said. Nancy Lowery, mother of sophomore Sean Lowery, said she and her husband have lodged at Cottage Grove four times.
"The last time I was there, it was like being with old friends," Nancy Lowery said.
She said she enjoys visiting with other guests and hearing the McCords' stories.
"They are such nice people," Nancy Lowery said. "They make it fun."
The women said they unlocked their door to find water seeping into their walls, all over their carpeted floors and even into the kitchen cabinets.
"We knew we had to do a lot of fixing," Danielle Asal said.
This left the women with no place to call home. Danielle Asal said they immediately began searching for somewhere to stay with their parents' help. First, they tried hotels, but then her mother found Cottage Grove Bed & Breakfast in the phone book, she said.
"It's more homey - it's not like going home to a hotel room," Danielle Asal said.
And so the Asal sisters became just one more family to revel in the comforts of Cottage Grove, located near the end of East Jefferson Street at 301 S. Cottage Grove. The bed and breakfast is owned and operated by Mac and city councilwoman Jill Wimp McCord.
"They were the nicest people we'd ever met," Nicole Asal said. "They took us in immediately."
Although the women had only planned to reside at Cottage Grove for a month, their stay lasted nearly three months. Danielle Asal said the McCords, whom the Asal sisters call Mr. Mac and Ms. Jill, remained professional in providing for all of their needs - yet the relationship became like a family.
"They're kind of our adopted parents in Kirksville," Nicole Asal said.
The Asals stay in touch with the McCords by sharing meals and visiting Cottage Grove.
A New Beginning in a Familiar Place
The McCords opened Cottage Grove in September 2001. Rooms are available for $79 for a single and $89 for a double, according their Web site.
"When we came here, we thought, 'If we rent one room a month, we will be so fortunate,'" Jill McCord said cheerfully. "It's been much better than that."
She said Cottage Grove is not extremely busy, but it keeps her and her husband occupied.
"We were getting close to retirement and were very active," she said. "We didn't want to stop that."
Yet Jill McCord said she never expected to return to her hometown after nearly 40 years of absence. She attributed their choice of Kirksville to the friendly people, the medical center, the colleges and the Square.
"Kirksville can't be beat," she said.
The McCords stayed in a number of bed and breakfasts before deciding to open their own.
"I've always loved cooking and cleaning," Jill McCord said. "It just seemed like a match for us."
As Mac McCord fiddled in the kitchen in the background, she quickly added, "And my husband is an excellent cook."
The McCords offer their guests a variety of dishes made from scratch, ranging from eggs Benedict to crème brûlée french toast, Jill McCord said.
"Mac does walloping omelets," she said. "I guess I'm the baker."
She said that each night, guests choose from a rotating menu what they would like for breakfast and where they would like to enjoy it.
Every morning, guests open their doors to a tray with a pastry and a beverage of their choice. Then, the guests may eat the food they selected the night before in the dining area or wherever they chose.
A Place to Call Home ... Away from Home
The McCords' realtor had a better idea of where to locate their bed and breakfast than they did. Their realtor kept asking them to visit a certain property, Jill McCord said.
"I thought it wasn't old enough," she said.
Finally, they agreed to view the home situated on 1.5 acres of land.
"We walked in, looked at each other and said, 'This is it!'" Jill McCord said.
The flow of the house, with its spacious hallways, large doorways and open floor plan convinced the McCords that the home would be the perfect location for their bed and breakfast, Jill McCord said. The McCords also were fond of the informal dining area, which is a part of the kitchen. Jill McCord said the last thing they wanted was a formal dining room.
"We love to talk to guests, and it doesn't bother us for them to see us cooking," she said.
A "Terrific" Guest List
Guests mingle and wander throughout Cottage Grove.
"They sit down, and they talk to each other," Jill McCord said. "There are all sorts of different views, and they all get along. That's been a miracle, I think."
Jill McCord said guests range from salespeople to hunters to University students' parents. She said students always are invited to join their parents for a free breakfast.
"We've just had terrific guests," Jill McCord said.
Many guests are return visitors, Jill McCord said. Nancy Lowery, mother of sophomore Sean Lowery, said she and her husband have lodged at Cottage Grove four times.
"The last time I was there, it was like being with old friends," Nancy Lowery said.
She said she enjoys visiting with other guests and hearing the McCords' stories.
"They are such nice people," Nancy Lowery said. "They make it fun."