Crepes and Connections

This bed-and-breakfast features a serene pond and a stocked game room.

When Karl and Rebecca Darley from Joliet, Illinois, retired, they sought warmer winters, a little land, and a place where they could create a haven for their seven children and 18 grandkids to visit. At their new home, their goal was to run a bed-and-breakfast because they like to cook, entertain, and meet new people. For three years they searched the country for the perfect location before they selected 21 acres at Lone Jack. With Karl’s construction and woodworking skills, they remodeled a single family home into a beautiful and peaceful place.

When the Darley family isn’t visiting, the Walnut Waters Bed & Breakfast is a place for guests to spend a quiet weekend in the country with no need to leave the premises, but nearby attractions await those who want to explore.

Among the amenities are a two-and-a-half-acre pond, where you can fish, kayak, or paddle boat, and almost two miles of trails for secluded strolls through the countryside. For relaxing outdoors, there are two gazebos next to the pond, where you could settle in, perhaps with a glass of wine and a good book. In the evenings, a fire pit welcomes guests for warm conversation or quiet stargazing.

Indoors, a comfortable game room offers board games and a big-screen TV, but its centerpiece is a finely crafted billiard table. Visitors can also enjoy sitting in a comfy chair or cuddling on the plush couches beside the inn’s wood-burning fireplace.

Early birds can help themselves to coffee, tea, or hot chocolate at the refreshment bar, and Rebecca and Karl serve a full homemade breakfast, usually at 8:30. Breakfasts might include savory dishes, such as cheese-and-vegetable soufflés or eggs in a basket of hash browns, and sweet treats such as lemon and blueberry Dutch babies or crepes with berries and cream. They also cater to special dietary restrictions, such as vegan or gluten-free diets.

Except when their own family visits, Rebecca and Karl have chosen to keep the place serene with a no children policy, although older children may be allowed under special circumstances.

The Darleys are genuine hosts, forming real connections with their guests. Rebecca fondly recalls a couple who stayed for three nights.

“They each separately shared with us that they were having problems and drifting apart,” Rebecca says. “But by the end of their visit, they had decided to renew their vows. That was special.”

The inn offers three private rooms, each with its own bath and patio and scenic views.

Close to Kansas City but far enough into the country to feel like an escape, the inn sits 14 miles from the Katy Trail at Pleasant Hill. Powell Gardens, a hidden treasure of a botanical garden, is only five miles away, and Arrowhead Stadium is 22 miles away.

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WalnutWatersBedAndBreakfast.com • 928 Northwest 1971st Road, Lone Jack

All images courtesy of Walnut Waters Bed-&-Breakfast.

This article was originally printed in the October 2025 issue of Missouri Life.

Walnut Waters Bed & Breakfast is a member of Stay Inn the Heartland, which inspects and certifies unique lodging in Missouri and surrounding states.