Foster's School House Bed & Breakfast is located in a rural area near Crawford, Nebraska, a city on the northwestern side of the state. The establishment has one unit available, which visitors can only reserve the home from the end of April to November. Hunting is a common activity for people who come to the bed and breakfast, and the owners offer some of their acreage for hunting deer and turkeys for a fee. For hunters that return from a successful hunt, an area is set aside specifically for cleaning their game. The property is pet-friendly and allows people to bring their dogs. Patrons can also utilize the barn for stabling their horses during their stay as well. There is a $10 fee, and guests will have to bring their own feed.
Foster's School House Bed & Breakfast is a single unit, so guests that reserve the room will be the only ones in the house. Carol, one of the owners, describes the home's interior as "comfortable and suitable." The house has a private bathroom with towels, soap, a shower, and a claw-foot bathtub. Other rooms in the home include a bedroom, a kitchen, and a great room. The kitchen comes equipped with dishes, a stove, a microwave, a refrigerator, and a coffee maker. The great room is a lounging area that has a couch and television. Wi-Fi is available, and patrons who stay at the establishment receive a complimentary breakfast with their stay.
The owners prepare breakfast at their own house, which is within the acreage of the business. Patrons usually go to the house to eat their meal. A few of the past dishes the owners have provided guests include pancakes, waffles, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and more. Regarding when breakfast is typically served, Carol remarks that she is flexible with the time and can have it ready "whenever they want it served." The owners are capable of making dishes that abide by gluten-free, vegan, and other diets or food allergies.
Foster's School House Bed & Breakfast is found in a more rural location, and there are many pine trees in the surrounding area. The business has a place where hunters can clean their game after returning from a successful hunt. There is a barn on the grounds, which is available for visitors to stable their horses while they are staying at the inn for an extra fee. Many of the attractions that are found nearby, such as Toadstool Geological Park and Fort Robinson State Park, offer various outdoor recreational activities. Toadstool Geological Park has many hiking trails that patrons can hike around the landscape. Fort Robinson State Park reportedly has a museum, equestrian trails, and opportunities for guests to go kayaking, canoeing, boating, biking, fishing, and more. The owners also like to recommend restaurants in the area for guests looking to get food. A few that they like to mention by name include Country Kitchen Restaurant, Staabs Drive Inn, and Tailgate Bar & Grill.
The owners explain that the goal of Foster's School House Bed & Breakfast is to "let people enjoy the outdoors." Carol, one of the owners of the property, would like guests "to feel comfortable and like they are friends." In an effort to accomplish their goal, Tom, the other owner, and Carol try to interact with their guests frequently and strive to help visitors have a positive experience at the establishment. Carol describes the home's desired atmosphere as being "friendly and down-to-earth." A unique aspect of the business is that people can hunt deer and turkeys on the grounds, though there is a fee for doing it on their land. Carol mentions that the home's history is unique, as it was originally a schoolhouse built in the 1930s.
There are several policies that Foster's School House Bed & Breakfast enforces. Smoking is prohibited inside the building, but patrons are allowed to smoke outside. Tom and Carol, ask that people dispose of their used cigarettes properly if they do smoke. The bed and breakfast is pet-friendly. Due to the fact that there is only one unit, the owners do not have a quiet time set, giving visitors the freedom to come and go as they please. The business does not often hold events on the grounds, although Carol mentions that they occasionally have a dance at the barn.
The property has received several reviews from visitors that have stayed recently. One person wrote, "The owners are the best. The food was amazing, and we loved our trip." The establishment is open from the last week of April to November. The busiest season of operation tends to be during the month of April and May. The typical demographic of guests that stay at Foster's School House Bed & Breakfast is groups of hunters that are in the area to hunt for deer, turkeys, and other game.
Foster's School House Bed & Breakfast has been in business as a bed and breakfast for about five years, having opened to the public in 2007. The current owners, whose names are Tom and Carol, are the original owners of the business. However, the building had been around for many years before it became a bed and breakfast. As the name suggests, the home began as a schoolhouse that was constructed in the 1930s. Sometime later, it was turned into a homestead and used as a private residence by the owner previous to Tom and Carol, who was a man named Clarence Wholers. Later, it was sold to Tom and Carol, who turned it into a one-unit inn and have been running it ever since.
Carol remarks that she and her husband were led into the industry because they both enjoy the outdoors, and Tom especially likes hunting. The couple found the area and decided to move to it in 2005. It was in 2007 that they decided they wanted to open a bed and breakfast. Carol explains that they turned the homestead into a bed and breakfast "Because [they] like meeting people." She mentions that the most enjoyable aspects of running the property are "meeting people and making friends" and "sharing the land with hunters and other outdoorsmen."
1312 W Ash Creek Rd
Crawford, Nebraska
United States
Bed and Breakfast
Tom and Carol Foster
Clarence Wholers