Where to Stay on the Bourbon Trail in Kentucky || Wildflower Ranch Inn
When we decided to make a stop in Kentucky along the Bourbon Trail, we knew we wanted to find a bed and breakfast that was unique. Something unlike anything we’d experienced before. We found that in Wildflower Ranch Inn in Springfield, Kentucky.
It’s not your stereotypical “grandma’s house” kind of bed and breakfast. It’s modern, eccentric, and artistic.
That’s because Wildflower Ranch Inn is owned by two incredible artists, Carol Henry and Rich Brimer, and they’ve turned this historic 150-year-old home into a museum worthy bed and breakfast.
Carol and Rich moved from Carmel, California to open Wildflower Ranch Inn in December 2019.
The goal was to have a bed and breakfast that would be less of a stop off and more of a destination on the Bourbon Trail. It’s specifically targeted at people who share Carol and Rich’s passion for art, and post-COVID they’ll start doing workshops and retreats at Wildflower for artists of various mediums.
Wildflower Ranch Inn will have a second part known as The Art Distillery (still on property), which will be used for the artist workshops and retreats. Essentially it will piggy-back on their Carmel Visual Arts business back in California, offering similar services in a completely different environment.
Although they joined forces ten years ago, Carol and Rich are successful and talented separately as well.
Carol is a fine art photographer and is world-renown for her camera-less light-sensitive printing. Her art is absolutely stunning and the process is lengthy and a true labor of love. You can learn more about her art on her website.
In her 30+ year career she’s been a fine artist, curator, and consultant and her work has been featured in dozens of galleries from the West Coast to the East Coast.
In contrast to Carol’s unique medium, Rich has mastered the art of plein-air landscape. In his early life, growing up on the Pacific coast, he became fascinated with how light danced on the waves. He took that, and the concept of how all elements of nature (i.e. light and shadows) work together, and has turned that into his own unique style of landscape art.
You’ll find many of his pieces hanging in Wildflower Ranch Inn, and even more in The Art Distillery, just behind the Inn.
The bed and breakfast itself is absolutely stunning.
They have four beautiful suites. Three are located on the second floor and those are the Tiger Lily, Giant Sunflower, and Wild Rose. Tiger Lily has its own bathroom. Giant Sunflower and Wild Rose share a spacious bathroom in the hall.
We stayed in the Blackberry Blossom Suite on the first floor.
When we say this suite is huge, I guarantee you don’t understand the magnitude.
Blackberry Blossom is the size of some houses. Yes. Add a small kitchenette, and this is a house.
In the bathroom there is a shower the size of most bedrooms with so many shower heads that you could spend all day trying them each out.
There are two beautiful vanities, a soaking tub with a gorgeous view of the property, and two HUGE walk-in closets. It’s absolutely beautiful.
Blackberry Blossom has a two-night minimum stay, but you won’t want to leave, so that’s no problem.
Every morning you’ll receive a delicious breakfast made with only the freshest ingredients. Carol and Rich pride themselves off of making a breakfast that will fuel you and satisfy you without loading it up with unnecessary sugar and salt.
On our first morning Carol made us a yummy baked oatmeal with a side of yogurt. This was a perfect hearty breakfast with a little kick of sweetness.
The second morning Rich made breakfast and it was a yummy frittata with mushrooms, dill, sausage, and some delicious cheese.
On our last morning they whipped up one of their unique specialities, which is a potato cake topped with creme fresh and salmon. This was shockingly delicious, y’all!
We’re pretty easy going when it comes to breakfast, but if you have dietary restrictions or just flat out don’t like something, let them know. They want to prepare a breakfast you’ll enjoy and eat. So if you don’t like salmon or mushrooms, tell them. We promise they won’t be disappointed.
Not only is Carol an artist and the owner of Wildflower Ranch Inn, she also just started her own tart business called The Bourbon Tart. We got the chance to watch her make a yummy sweet potato tart for a client, but she makes just about any flavor you can imagine.
Everything from the filling to the crust is made from scratch, and she even has a few secrets she revealed in a video for us (check it out below).
As far as bed and breakfasts go, you’re getting a very unique experience at Wildflower Ranch Inn. When you walk in, it feels like you’re walking into a new art gallery that you get to sleep, eat, and live in for a while. It’s kind of remarkable.
Everything from your room to the common areas and your breakfast reflects the passion Carol and Rich have for art and the way it makes you feel.
If you’re an artist, you definitely need to make a trip out to Springfield, Kentucky to stay at Wildflower. It’s a chance to fully immerse yourself in art of all kinds, and to feel completely relaxed.
You won’t find TVs in the rooms, which, at first, was kind of jarring to us. However, we quickly realized that it was an appropriate choice. It allows you to be surrounded by peace and comfort and I think it gets those creative juices flowing.
Thank you to Carol and Rich for hosting us. It was such an incredible experience. Y’all really have something special at Wildflower Ranch Inn.
Pin this post with the graphic below:
If you’re looking for a unique place to stay along the Bourbon Trail, check out Wildflower Ranch Inn in Springfield, Kentucky.