After a year of renovations and refurbishing, Bob Nesheim and Marlys Johnson take a moment to enjoy the redecorated commons room. The room is a place where guests can go to enjoy breakfast, a view of Lake Superior, or the company of other visitors.
The building located a few miles up the Gunflint Trail with hiking and skiing trails right outside the backdoor has been operating as a bed and breakfast for about 30 years. The newest owners, Bob Nesheim and Marlys Johnson are planning to keep up the tradition, and, after closing down for about a year to make some renovations, they are now open again for business.
The original owners of the bed and breakfast, now called the Pincushion Trails Inn, were Scott and Mary Beattie. In addition to running the Inn, they also had a ski shop, a place for people to wax their skis, and even offered lessons in cross-country skiing. They ran the inn for 20 years.
The ownership of the property then passed to Lynn Parish, who continued to run it as a bed and breakfast through 2013. It was the perfect place for skiers and hikers who wanted a place near the trails
Bob and Marlys have similar plans for the Inn, and while they are not offering lessons or selling skis, they have kept the waxing station open and available for use. Moreover, they both also enjoy the cross-country skiing available right outside their door.
Located on the top floor of Pincushion Trails Inn, this cozy room is named after the Aspen tree and features serene views of the surrounding forest.
During the year that Bob and Marlys shut things down at the Inn, they made quite a few changes, taking suggestions and help from various sources. One notable addition is the lists of printed names set in small stands at various locations throughout the Inn.
Bob explained that the lists include the names of roughly 80-100 individuals and businesses that had made suggestions or put in work at the Inn. Bob and Marlys both noted that there were some speed bumps on the way to completing the renovations, and the lists were meant to recognize those who had some positive impact on the Inn.
There are a lot of new decorative items throughout the building as well, including a variety of musical instruments that can be used as well as admired, books and paintings. In keeping with the outdoors theme, there is also a set of tall, felted birch logs standing in the stairwell.
“I’m primarily a felter and these are from an exhibition. I’ve had them at my brother’s house,” Marlys said with a laugh. “We didn’t have a house that had high enough ceilings.”
Another interesting addition to the Inn is the spinning wheel on the top floor, which formerly belonged to Bob’s grandmother.
“It’s usable. I don’t use it very much, but I’m a spinner,” Marlys explained. “It was in pretty bad shape because it had been carried over here from Norway from where Bob’s mother had it.”
Covering so many miles, the wheel is mostly decorative now, but the beautiful tool is a nice addition to the Inn.
Also in keeping with the outdoorsy theme, a leaf rather than a number designates each of the Inn’s four bedrooms. Signs designed and carved by Dave Woerheide depict each leaf above the door.
Both Bob and Marlys are excited to carry on the tradition and provide trailside hospitality services to visitors who are eager to enjoy the outdoors. For reservations and contact information, Pincushion Trails Inn also has a new website that can be found at pincushiontrailsinn.com/.
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