Innkeeper Living Her Dream
Lynn Mosby is living her dream of being an innkeeper since opening Ginger Blue Inn along with her husband, Will, in 2009.
Lynn Mosby is living her dream of being an innkeeper since opening Ginger Blue Inn along with her husband, Will, in 2009.
The couple have lived at Ginger Blue since 1990. At that time what would become the inn was just a three bedroom house. Mosby had played in the home as a child with a friend. She also had memories of the old Ginger Blue Lodge from the 1970s when she worked there. According to the inn’s website, after the old Ginger Blue Lodge closed in the 1990s, the couple wanted to keep Ginger Blue alive.
In 2004 they started renovating their home in the Old World style with influences from old European architecture. Both were working full-time jobs during the renovation. In 2009 the Ginger Blue Inn opened for business.
“It was right after the housing crash. We didn’t know if we’d rent a room. We didn’t know how it would go,” Mosby said. “But the calls began to come in and every year it does a little better with a good base of repeat customers.”
They have repeat customers from Germany. They have had customers from Greece, Laos, England and Israel. Every summer, many customers come from Kansas City to float the river, she said.
“We made friends with people who are actors, and they’re coming back every year in May,” she said. “The wife has been seen in ‘Prison Break,’ a movie called ‘The Eye of God’ and in the last two years she’s had opening scenes in ‘Better Call Saul’ and ‘Longmire.’”
Asked about the challenges of running a bed and breakfast, Mosby said, “Since we’re a small, family business and we’re both retired now, we do the majority of the work ourselves. We’re always wanting to give the best hospitality that we can. You can be overwhelmed at times. My husband does all the maintenance. We fix the breakfast ourselves. We do all the laundry, the cleaning.
“At the same time, it’s always a joy. Bed and breakfast clients are great people. They’re very respectful. They’re so interesting to visit with because they come from all walks of life and all over the world. It was always our dream to become innkeepers, and we feel the joy of it overcomes the challenges.”
As for her favorite parts of the job, Mosby said, “I’ve enjoyed the decorating. We love to flea market and we love antiques and shopping for the inn. The interacting with the people is probably my favorite.”
They some plans for the future. They would like to build an outdoor pavilion by the bluffs on the property and put in a waterfall for special events, Mosby said. At some point she might like to have a weekend craft fair, and they have thought about building another cabin.
“My husband and I are both dreamers, which makes a fun joint venture. It’s just been a fun journey and one that we will continue doing with ongoing plans,” she said.