Get Lost with Lisa

The Southern Hospitality just got turned up a thousand percent. Here at Wildflower B&B you couldn’t ask for a cozier, more welcoming and pleasant environment.

Sippin’ tea while rocking on a chair on the porch. Lounging in the innkeeper’s lobby with a cup of hot coffee and some good conversation. Having a terribly delicious breakfast catered especially for you. Getting to spend the night in your own tucked away little cabin, secluded and warm both in summer and winter and all seasons in between. All of these things are just some of the honorable mentions that come with your stay at Wildflower B&B.

You may not know about Wildflower B&B. And for that matter, you might not know much about Mountain View, Arkansas. But the town, and the people that occupy the quintessentially small town of U.S.A. are something you should know about, and definitely need to visit.

But presuming you are going to take a trip to this town lost in time, Wildflower B&B might just be the place you’re looking to stay. With a friendly innkeeper, Becky, and the nicest person you will ever meet on earth as the owner, Chris, Wildflower B&B is comfortable, affordable, and makes sure its guests walk away with a memorably pleasant impression.

The Owner

Prior to coming to Mountain View altogether, and starting up this now successful business of his, Christopher Smith worked as a paramedic, and paramedic instructor for 16 years. In addition, he spent 15 years as a Safety and Training Coordinator for offshore drilling rigs. A far cry from the calm and easy-going lifestyle he now leads.

Many years ago when he was still married, he and his then wife were married at a bed and breakfast and fell in love with the concept and romanticism of it all.

“When we vacationed, we stayed at bed and breakfasts when possible. Meeting other people added to our trip experience. We always talked about buying a bed and breakfast of our own someday,” he recalls.

“We really believe God guided us to Mountain View. Through a set of divine occurrences, we ended up at the Beanfest festival in October of 2014. We were just amazed at the friendliness of the town, the music, just the entire atmosphere was so much different than our suburban area. It was like stepping back in time.

When we were getting ready to get on the shuttle to go back to the Ozark Folk Center parking area, we saw the for sale sign in front of the Wildflower. We came back to stay the next week and met the owners, who were amazing people. “ In June of 2015 their long-time dream was realized when they finally had the opportunity to buy a B&B. And the rest they say, is history.

The Wildflower’s History

According to Chris,

“The Wildflower Bed and Breakfast was built in 1918. At that time, the roads were not paved, so traveling salesmen and other commerce traffic was severely hampered. Several business owners in town decided to build hotels so that out-of-town visitors on business could have a place to stay. The Commercial Hotel was built and stayed the Commercial Hotel until 1993 when the owners changed the name to Wildflower Bed and Breakfast.

In the 90’s, the Hearthstone Bakery was flourishing as a business in the Wildflower. Guests would wake up to the smell of fresh baked bread and pastries. When the bakery closed and the next owner purchased the property in 1998, she completely renovated the downstairs. The bakery became the innkeeper’s quarters. She also merged some of the rooms, making a private bathroom for each guest room.”

Which is more than likely why Chris has developed the concept of keeping it original. The innkeeper prepares breakfast each morning for all of the guests – whether they have a full house, or just one guest, like when I was there.  They also have the coolest thing ever – which is their very own cookbook. I was blessed enough to get a copy of it before checking out, and have my mind set on making some of that fabulous French Toast Casserole that I got to have while staying there. And yes, I had three helpings of it. And no, I’m not sorry. It was amazing.

And Chris adds that he believes the thing that really sets The Wildflower apart from other places is their incredible breakfast items.

“Almost everything is made from scratch. Entrees that you would not normally see at a restaurant, such as Blueberry French Toast Bake, Chocolate Gravy (for buttermilk biscuits) and Scottish Pancakes,” he says, while I drool.

My favorite part about the breakfast? The prayer. Before each breakfast the innkeeper and/or Chris say a blessing before their guests eat. Making this just one more reason The Wildflower B&B (and Mountain View, Arkansas in general for that matter) a place that stands out from the norm these days.

The B&B

In Chris’ opinion there are just so many things that make The Wildflower special, it’s difficult to pinpoint just one thing. But some examples of what are definitely noteworthy positives about the bed and breakfast are being so close to the downtown (it’s literally on the square); being located next door to a popular music venue, among other things.  He does say though that one thing that really sets them apart from other places in town is,

“The personalized and extra service that all of our guests receive. We have high quality linens, plush pillows, soft towels, and wonderful amenities. Homemade snacks in the afternoon. Just a friendly, down home atmosphere that make people feel like they are staying at their grandma’s house.”

And this is true of their décor and the overall atmosphere inside the actual B&B. If you are looking for that “staying at grandma’s place” type of feel, then the B&B is where you want to be. The cottage where I spent two nights on the other hand, has a different vibe. A little more “out in the woods” and cozy with the modern feel of a little house, the cottage stands apart from the rest of the bed and breakfast – but both are exceptionally well put together.

The Amenities

The Wildflower B&B isn’t just a place to hang your hat or have a delicious breakfast though. It’s also got a lot to offer you in terms of amenities. With 8 rooms, 2 on the ground floor and 6 upstairs, and 2 cottages which are located next door to the actual B&B, they have a lot of capacity.  And as Chris might say, the more the merrier!  Chris goes into more detail about what exactly they have on offer at The Wildflower.

“Every room has its own private bathroom with a walk-in shower. Each bed has soft, comfy sheets and plush pillows. Fluffy towels are provided for guests as well. Each room also has a plush robe to relax in.  There is a television in each room. The suites have larger televisions; the larger suites offer room for extra guests.

The dining room is always open with sodas, bottled water, coffee and tea as well as snacks which are available anytime.

The parlor is a great place to meet other guests or just relax. All of our guests love the front porch with comfortable rocking chairs made for conversations, reading, people watching, and just relaxing.  The cottages have full kitchens, large screen smart tvs, electric fireplaces, dining area, a king bed, and large bathrooms. Both of them are fully ADA accessible.  The cottages are also pet friendly.

The Other Bed & Breakfast

To see more photos of The Ozark Country Inn, click here

In addition to The Wildflower B&B, Chris has a new project on his hands. The future visitors of Mountain View will get the opportunity to choose between two of his properties when staying in town. The Ozark Country Inn is his latest piece of pride and he was eager to show me around while visiting.

“The Ozark Country Inn is open and running. We are finishing up some small projects, but we are still open for guests,” he assures me.

“I purchased the Ozark Country Inn back in May of 2022. I hired Chad O’Kane as Innkeeper, and Jodi as our work camper, but she has since moved into the role of Innkeeper as well. We have done a complete makeover of the common areas. Our linens and pillows received a major upgrade. We’ve turned our double queen suite into a king deluxe suite.”

And in case you’re still thinking about some of the breakfast food items I mentioned before, he goes into a lot more detail about that. It’s not just The Wildflower that offers these exceptional breakfasts – it’s The Ozark Country Inn as well.

“Fresh Cafe Special coffee is always brewing early every morning,” he tells me to my delight.

“Both breakfasts are mostly made from scratch. We serve the staples (eggs, bacon, biscuits) but we also have special gourmet items that you can’t find in restaurants. We always start with a fruit course, such as Blueberry Yogurt, Creme Brulee, or Cheesecake Fruit Salad. Gourmet entrees such as Baked French Eggs, Cheesy TaterTot Casserole, Blueberry French Toast Bake, Chocolate Gravy (an Arkansas favorite for biscuits), Buttermilk Biscuits, Scottish pancakes with homemade syrups, and many other delicious recipes.

At The Wildflower, on busy weekends, we serve buffet style. But, we always provide individual service at the Ozark Country Inn.   If our guests have special dietary needs, we can easily provide alternatives, such as gluten free entrees or vegetarian/vegan options.”

It’s like a step back into a simpler time. Where shopkeepers are friendly to their customers, hospitality is at the highest standard, and people are just generally nice and genuine. There is no other place that I know of that musicians gather to jam and people can just sit around and listen to live music. We cultivate a sense of openness and hospitality to visitors to our town.

Prices

Prices at The Wildflower are in line with what you would expect for a bed and breakfast that caters to you in such a personal way. With rates varying throughout the seasons of course, a queen room starts at $129, while a king suite will run you in the neighborhood of $149 per night. While cottages are $159 per night. Though a full breakfast is included in the cost of the B&B rooms, the cottages’ prices do not include breakfast, but can be purchased at an additional price with notice.

Things to Look Forward to

When asked about events and different things he offers his guests, Chris tells me,

“We sometimes have a musician play at breakfast on the weekends. Guests also can reserve seats at our popular show to ensure that they have a seat. Discount Ozark Folk Center tickets are also available to our guests.

We have many events throughout the year. We host a Valentine’s Weekend special which includes a special dinner, music show, and special desserts. There is the Ukulele Workshop, Dulcimer workshops, Old Time Band Camp and several other great events throughout the year that we participate in.” And knowing Chris, if you have any questions about the town – he’ll literally be more than happy to give you any kind of information you’re looking for.

Mountain View

Finally, let’s talk about the town. Mountain View is something that I can’t even begin to express in words how wonderful and memorable it was. This town is like something you would imagine life to be like if life were perfect. If your idea of perfection on earth is that all people were to get along, and weren’t living for self-fulfilling motives, but to help one another out – then Mountain View is the place you’re picturing. With a town full of friendly folks that I’ve never encountered anywhere else in the world, Mountain View is a exceptionally special place. And what does Chris think of his new adoptive town?

“This quaint little scenic mountain town has so much going on. The Ozark Folk Center state park is just 3/4 of a mile away from the Wildflower. Blanchard Springs Caverns is one of the most beautiful cave systems in the world and attracts thousands of visitors each season. Our historic downtown area is full of friendly shopkeepers with great stores. We have several wonderful restaurants with scenic views while you eat great food. Plus, there is great live music everywhere. The court square stage, the Mountain View Meeting Place, the Ozark Highlands Theater, the Pickin’ Park, plus other places.”

A calm, yet happening little sparkplug of a town, Mountain View is the best place you need to visit, and make Wildflower your home away from home.

With all of these wonderful reasons to visit the town and the B&B what are you waiting for? You know you want to? Just make sure that when you book your stay you let them know that Lisa sent you!

Need a massage while you’re in Mountain View? Maybe you should visit Ozark Mountain’s Day Spa.

Looking for a great place to grab some grub? Definitely pop in to The Rusty Cup for some tasty breakfast and lunch and out of this world coffee!