People in search of a peaceful getaway can find it on a little piece of native prairie near Murrayville, owned by Illinois Electric Cooperative Director Kevin Klein. He and his wife host two Airbnb rentals on their 23-acre property.
“It’s all native prairie restoration, except for 3 acres of native timber,” says Klein. “We have trails cut throughout for people to walk.”
The first rental, a “flat” about 50 yards from their home, was originally intended to be living quarters for their aging parents, though that did not come to fruition. Klein heard about Airbnb and decided to list it. His wife was hesitant at first.
“Why … would anybody want to come out here? It’s out in the middle of nowhere,” he quotes her as saying. “I said that’s exactly why people would want to come here, because it’s out in the middle of nowhere. … They want to reconnect with nature. They don’t want the typical hotel experience. We allow dogs, so dogs can run the trails with [them]. … They get to see stars, [and] we have 100-plus species of birds that come to the property during the year.”
It turned out that Klein was right. The popularity of the venue inspired him to build a second rental, a two-story “tiny” house that has become a favorite of their guests. “It’s one unit,” he says. “You’re 15 feet up in the air on the second floor on the balcony, and you overlook the prairie. It’s really cool to see fireflies from an elevated position, rather than ground level.”
For the past 12 years, people from all over the world have come to stay. Klein says that their Airbnb rentals are typically booked around 70% of the time, with several return guests. “We have maps of the world and of the United States, and people can put pins [marking] where they’re from,” he adds.
Reviews posted by guests list the reasons behind the location’s popularity, one of them being his wife’s complementary double chocolate chip cookies. “She makes these fantastic cookies,” says Klein. “Those are a rave … a lot of people talk about the cookies.”
Guests also have the option to purchase honey that he harvests on the property. “It’s got a really nice flavor to it, because one of the native plants on this prairie is something called mountain mint … the honey takes on a really light hint of mint. It’s a really good tasting honey,” Klein says.
He speaks fondly of the guests who come and stay. “People are considerate of the property and appreciative of being able to be out in the country, experience the ag environment, and [see] what native prairie looked like,” he says.
The prairie continues to inspire him as well. “I do a 60-second video every day [and] put it on a bunch of different social media platforms,” says Klein. “It’s a 60-second meditation video where people can just sit and relax and breathe.”
Peace on the prairie
Located east of Murrayville
