Solitude Escapes in the Midwest

Birch Lodge & Motel

Trout Lake, MI

Original mid-century furniture, panoramic lake windows, a private beach, and free kayaks and rowboats on a property with roots going back to 1911. The 1964 frame is the newest part of what is here.

Historic Randles Court

Eldon, MO

Built from stone in the 1930s, restored after a fire and a tornado, with the 1947 neon sign back in service. An original cigar box found in the wall during restoration held Helen Randles' driver's license.

The Outpost Motel

Grand Marais, MN

Knotty pine walls, hardwood floors, and picture windows facing open water at a 1952 lakeside property. Eighteen wooded acres back onto the Superior Hiking Trail.

Dutch Country Inn

Kalona, IA

A warm, family-run stay in the heart of Iowa's oldest Amish settlement, where the morning brings local Amish-made cinnamon rolls and the surrounding roads still carry horse-drawn buggies. The rooms are plain and homey on purpose, and the welcome is the kind that has guests returning as their one place to stay in Kalona.

Stuart Motor Lodge

Stuart, IA

A locally owned classic motor lodge just off I-80 in Stuart, fully refreshed inside and kept genuinely spotless. You pull right up to your door, and warm hometown staff make it an easy, honest overnight between Des Moines and the covered-bridge country of Madison County.

The Bunkhouse Motel

Cherokee, IA

A small independent roadside motel in Cherokee, taken over by new owners who remodeled it from top to bottom. Every room has been updated with new beds, linens, and baths, so the nostalgic park-at-your-door charm comes with everything feeling fresh.

The Cliff Dweller on Lake Superior

Tofte, MN

Perched on a cliff above the North Shore, this modern-rustic lodge gives every room its own walk-out balcony over the open water of Lake Superior, close enough to hear it work below. It is a place built around one great idea, the view, and it never lets you forget how big and blue that view can be.