The Gathering Place Lodge was built in 1999 out of Spruce logs and is nestled in the trees in the center of 60 acres in rural Southwest Missouri. We are only eight miles from the junction of two major highways and within 90 miles of the Kansas City area making us a short getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city. Our Lodge is a perfect retreat from the whirlwind of busy lives whether you are looking for a romantic getaway, a quiet retreat in the country or even for the corporate traveler wanting more than just a hotel. Our Cabin is located just across the lawn from the Lodge and is the perfect place for the couple wanting some privacy and something set up just for a couple. You can relax on the deck in the early morning or evenings, enjoy our wildlife, hike our mowed trails, fish the pond or just sit on the dock and enjoy the quiet found only in the country. Or pull up a chair in the shade of our covered porch and spend time enjoying the day. For liability reasons we do request that only registered guests be on the premises without prior approval. We hope your stay with us will be one you will remember always!

My name is Joyce but I am called Nana by some very special young people in my life! I love my family, cooking, gardening, flowers and meeting new people. I'm actually an "old soul" born in the wrong time! I love all things vintage, researching my family history and pretending I am Olivia Walton! As a young girl I loved spending time with my grandparents who owned several small cabins and I am delighted to carry on the tradition of providing a comfortable place for the weary traveler to rest and unwind! Some of the best people in the world come through my doors! And I consider it a privilege to host their stay here at The Lodge or The Cabin. I have learned that sometimes we get so busy living life and making a living that we forget to stop, relax, let our cares slip away and spend time with those we love. I love having a part in helping others make memories with those they love! My guests enter my doors as strangers and depart as friends!

The Gathering Place is located 6 miles from a small town in rural southwest Missouri. I love the countryside where you can see tall corn stalks rustling in the breeze, fields of beans that go on forever or cows munching away in the shade of the trees. We are rural America at its best! In my neighborhood you can take your shoes off and walk down a country lane enjoying the wild flowers along the way. You can drive an hour north or south of this little town and find plenty of shopping and dining but if you want the simplicity of the country life you are in the right place! We are the home of Cottey College -an all girl's school, the Griffon's ball team, Saturday night stock car races, local sports where parents and grand-parents pull out the lawn chairs to cheer on their favorite teams and we live in a part of the country where life moves along at a quiet pace . We are close enough to corporate America to have the hustle and bustle of that world and yet not so far away that when we are tired of it we can pull away and sit on our porches, drink our sweet tea and listen to the sounds of nature! It's a great place to raise our families and enjoy the world we live in!