"Our entire family has visited the Shepherd's Inn Bed and Breakfast followed by most recently a retreat of just my husband and I.  Both stays were equally as fun.  We've now stayed in all three of their rooms.  My favorite is the Cherub Room on the ground floor.  We didn't have to haul our luggage upstairs and it was just a few steps away from their incredible outdoor hot tub!  Beautiful butterflies lit up the fencing around the hot tub adding a romantic glow to the serene setting.  We reminisced about how when we'd come before our kids had so enjoyed their outdoor petting zoo and also enjoyed the hot tub.  Our 'city boy' son had been so worried about their goat getting her head stuck in the fence that he'd spent most of his time checking on the goat.  That goat is still there, still doing antics for young and old alike.

I enjoyed checking out the cute gift shop that Doris has tucked away beside the kitchen for those of us who love to shop.  Necklaces, hats, lotions and books are a shoppers dream!  Delicious cookies were available to us as we caught some television and read some of the neat books that Don and Doris had so kindly left available for their guests.  They have regular customers who share the Inn as they pass through on business.  It's no doubt, this Inn certainly also gave us the warm feeling of home away from home.

The breakfasts both times were out of this world.  When we had the kids along, the fruit was designed in a smiley face shape.  It was so cute.  I love omelets.  We were able to choose what we wanted in them.  I'm allergic to lots of things, so this suited me great.  My husband likes everything so he was thrilled as well and had the works!  We'd stayed in Ord to take care of some 'book business' with Unsung Neighbors about to be released and the ExtraORDinary Ord Catholic Church featured in Chapter 34.  It worked super but also meant getting up earlier than usual the next morning for our speaking engagement.  Don and Doris accommodated this which we truly appreciate.  Don even dresses as a butler as he serves breakfast!  For an amazing and extraORDinary retreat, try Ord, Nebraska - - - The Shepherd's Inn (Directions:  From the Elks Club Golf Course in Ord along Highway 11 - 7 miles west on the Sargent Road then 1 Mile North.

We’re lucky that some good things can be counted on to remain the same! Kevin and I celebrated our 23rd wedding anniversary this week-end. We thought about going to Lincoln, NE for the final year of the state fair there. We decided against the frenzy of all of those people. Instead we chose to travel to the Nebraska Sandhills. We both truly love this part of the state and we wanted to check out Popcorn Days. There we found our dear friends Don and Doris working hard with their bed and breakfast packed to the brim. Yet, with such a serene setting it was truly a pleasurable and relaxing week-end. We were greeted with an anniversary banner in our room and a decorated cake compliments of their grandchild who’d won a purple ribbon for his skills at the fair. We were able to secure our favorite room by calling ahead, shop in the on-site gift shop and kick back in the outdoor hot tub that is always just the perfect temperature. Breakfast was absolutely perfect with blueberry pancakes topped with homemade chokecherry syrup and many choices to make all guests catered to and made left feeling extremely special. There are lots of different choices for a night’s sleep now in Ord, NE. Mine remains Shepherd’s Inn—my home away from home. Others feel this way too. Another couple at breakfast has been back there approximately 60 times!"

Charlotte Endorf – August, 2009