We are a small group of men/close friends (in our early forties now) that have been doing an annual golf/canoe/casino/hijinks trip for many years now around the Elk River and surrounding Southern MO areas. We turned to the Little Sugar Farmhouse as an alternative to camping this year…..after our campsite was nearly wiped off the map with torrential flooding and tornadic activity the prior year (many pup tents were lost in that struggle).
The Farmhouse was perfect for our crew this year. Each man had access to a separate bed (which has been crucial for us past the age of ~23), the layout of the house was spacious with many seating options, the kitchen was well equipped and kitchen island served as a perfect make-shift bar in our frequent trips from the fire pit to refresh our drinks.
The fire pit was also a highlight of our stay. Both evenings and well into the early morning hours were spent around it. It was a perfect distance away from the house itself….close enough to the refreshments, but just far enough away from the house to escape the noise if you wanted to turn in a bit early. As others have said, we enjoyed the location of the house itself too. You feel like you are in the middle of the country while sitting around the fire pit hearing coyotes (I think) in the distance - but if you forgot your YETI, you could be at Wal-Mart in less than 10 minutes shopping for an Ozark Trail replacement. And the access to the river itself is just across the street and then a short walk….plenty of sand bar space there to set up a chair, take in the views and enjoy the water - or just put your chairs in the water like we did.
As some others have pointed out, there is a sulphur smell to the well water that feeds into the house - but it’s certainly not a show stopper. A minor inconvenience for this group that used to go literally days without showering in the early years of this annual trip.
Jana - we appreciated your hospitality - and look forward to returning next year!