Motel Monday: Dog Bark Park Inn, Cottonwood, Idaho

After highlighting the World’s Largest Working Fire Hydrant in a recent post, it seems only natural that today’s Motel Monday should follow. That’s because today we’re taking a look at what it’s like to spend a night (or actually two) at a novelty bed and breakfast inn that’s gone to the dogs.

Carving out a Dream

Sometime around the 1990, Dennis Sullivan taught himself chainsaw carving and began creating wooden folk art. Soon after, he met his wife, Frances Conklin, and the two artists went into business together.

In 1995, their chainsaw folk art caught the attention of QVC, the home shopping television network. Shoppers loved their work and Dennis and Frances spent the next 18 months working day and night to fill their orders. The couple also made a bunch of money that they invested in developing and building their shared vision – Dog Bark Park.

Hang with the Big Dogs

The park, located in Cottonwood, Idaho, is watched over by the World’s Two Biggest Beagles: a 12-foot tall wooden beagle named “Toby” and his big brother, “Sweet Willy”.

Sweet Willy, also known as the Dog Bark Park Inn, is a bed and breakfast guesthouse in the shape of the “World’s Largest Beagle”. Guests enter the guesthouse through a private second-story entrance. Once inside, you go up another level to the loft located in Sweet Willy’s head. There’s also another cozy sleeping area located in his muzzle. Sweet Willy sleeps four people with a queen bed and two twin foldouts in the loft.

The Dog Bark Park Inn is a tribute to the days when novelty architecture lined America’s highways – back when you could get a cup of coffee in a giant coffee pot-shaped building, fill up with gas at a shell-shaped service station, or get a foot-long at a giant hot-dog-on-a-bun shaped roadside stand.

Dog Treats

Of course, since this is a B&B, the inn’s self-serve continental breakfast includes a morning feast of fresh fruits, yogurts, cheeses, hard-boiled eggs, bagels, home-baked pastries, boxed cereals, and the Sullivan’s very own Prairie’s Best Fruited Granola. Drinks include a variety of teas, flavored coffees, juices, and milk.

Besides breakfast, other amenities include a full bath, microwave, small refrigerator, coffee maker, air conditioning, clock radio/ electronics charging stations, hair dryer, books, games, puzzles, and snacks. There is no television, but there is free Wi-Fi, so you’ll still be able to upload all of those Instagrammable moments and Netflix and chill in the evening.

While you’re there, you’ll likely find Dennis and Frances working on their award-winning art. They have, after all, won such prestigious awards as the 2003 Take Pride in Idaho Cultural Tourism Award for a large carved art exhibit  which told the story of Lewis and Clark’s faithful companion, Seaman, the dog who traveled with them on their famous journey West two hundred years ago.

Stay in the Dog House

Lodging season at the Dog Bark Park Inn runs from April to August and as you can imagine, they are usually fully booked months in advance. They usually start accepting reservations around the beginning of December.  There is a two-night minimum stay, dogs are allowed (with their “well-behaved humans”) for a small fee, and smoking is only permitted outdoors at ground level.

For more information visit their website at dogbarkpark.com or call (208) 962-3647.

—

Well, here we are in the final dogs days of summer, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still welcome the season’s final days with our Stuckey’s “Welcome to Summer” Gift Box. It’s chock full of all of your favorite Stuckey’s road trip snacks like:

• 2 – 2 oz. Pecan Log Roll,
• 2 – 1.7 oz. Pecan Divinity,
• 2 – 1.5 oz. Pecan Pralines,
• 1 – 12 oz. Salt Water Taffy,
• 1 – 8 oz. Hunkey Dorey,
• 1 – 4 oz. Sea Salt Pecans,
• 1 – 4 oz. Kettle Glazed Pecans,
• 1 – Candy Shoppe Coffee Mug, and
• 1 – Plush 12″ Squirrel. 

While there are still a few weekends of summer left to hit the road for your next road trip or family vacation, better stock up on your Stuckey’s treats because summer will be over before you know it. Get yours today – only from stuckey’s.com.

Stuckey’s – We’re Making Road Trips Fun Again!