Stay In This Bed And Breakfast Shaped Like A Giant Beagle
In the heart of the Camas Prairie in Cottonwood, Idaho, two giant wooden Beagles stand tall on a green grassy hill. Toby, a 12-foot tall Beagle statue by artists Dennis Sullivan and Francis Conklin, greets passersby, but he is dwarfed in size by the nearby and much larger Sweet Willy – a wooden Beagle so large that he doubles as a bed and breakfast, also known as the Dog Bark Park Inn.
Dennis Sullivan is a self-taught chainsaw artist who has been carving for over 30 years. His wife, Francis Conklin, has been at it for 20. They specialize in folk-art style carvings made of wood, and the pair offer over 60 different dog breeds and poses. Visitors can also bring a photo of their beloved furry companions to request a custom carving.
In 1995, the two artists' creations were sold on QVC, and the orders came rolling in for 18 months. They carved wooden dogs furiously and only stopped when they had enough funding to create Dog Bark Park, an area that holds the unique-looking inn that's been featured on TripAdvisor, CNN.com, HGTV, and The Ellen Show. Ascend stairs into the large beagle-shaped building, and look out the window from the dog's head upon the expansive prairie.
The inn sleeps four, with one queen bed decorated with a headboard of wooden dogs, and two twin foldout mattresses in the upstairs loft. Books, games, and puzzles are offered, as well as a large breakfast including the family's secret recipe for "The Prairie's Best Fruited Granola."
If you're looking for a unique night with the people you love and a mom 'n' pop (literally) bed and breakfast, look no further than this north central Idaho inn.