Old Grain Elevator Lives On As Huge Bed & Breakfast

Old Grain Elevator Lives On As Huge Bed & Breakfast AG WORLD Ag World 24-1-22 Restoration took on a whole new meaning in Chesaning, Michigan, when Carol Wigragu and her family turned a local grain elevator into a bed and breakfast. The Chesaning area was growing and the family already owned a restaurant housed in a remodeled local mansion. They thought the bed and breakfast would be a great addition for tourists to the area. The Bonnymill grain elevator was built in the 1920's by a local co-op. In April of 1989, the co-op put the mill up for sale. The family bought it and started renovations that same month. They opened for business in October that year. "We did a lot of it ourselves. We are a big family," says Carol. The Inn has 29 rooms for rent, with 11 large suites. Each one is decorated differently so no two rooms are alike. They feature antique and Victorian furnishings. There are five suites in the mill's coal bin and one of the nicest suites is in the auger head house." The cost to stay is $65 to $95 for a guest room and $135 to $145 for a suite. Breakfast is homemade cobbler with fresh fruit. "Farmers love coming here. Most of the time once they get here, they always come back! We get to know our customers," says Carol. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Bonnymill Inn, 710 W. Broad St., Chesaning, Mich. 48616 (ph 517 845-7780; Website: www.bonnymillinn.com).

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