Guests come from all over to Peach Creek Studio, a recording studio that recently sprouted a bed and breakfast to accommodate visiting musicians and artists. Located in Peach Creek Ranch, the cozy inn sits along a flowing creek punctuated with hot springs about 20 miles north of Stanley.
The inn and studio are owned and operated by recording artist, author, and chef Leilani Jones and her husband Mike, a builder and former bass player. Some who come to Peach Creek are professional musicians. Some are wannabe musicians. Some are writers on a working vacation, and some are just simply outdoor enthusiasts looking for the restorative dose of peace and quiet that access to Idaho’s wide-open spaces famously provides.
The inn’s front door faces 12 acres owned by the Wood River Land Trust and leads to the unforgettable Peach Creek Trail. Winding upward for 12 miles, the trail and surrounding land offer a feeling for the history of the area, including the remains of an old mining settlement.
Back at the inn, grass and wildflowers give the landscape what some refer to as a “Shangri-La” look. A special Garden of Meditation has been planted, and several hammocks beckon invitingly among the tall trees.
Until recently, guests to the recording studio—which used to occupy the main house—had to stay elsewhere.
“We really enjoyed the company of the authors and amateur singers, writers, and actors when they stayed with us, but we didn’t like the distance they had to travel to find a place to stay,” says Leilani Jones.
The need for lodging, along with the desire to build a new studio, and the fact that “people floating down the river would see us feeding our guests on our deck and would stop by to ask if we had rooms for rent,” sparked an idea, she says.
But, truth be told, one of the primary reasons behind the decision to open a B & B was Jones’s love of animals. She wanted a place where both recording and non-recording guests could come and enjoy the area and bring along their pets.
“We love to vacation with our pets, but there is rarely a good place to take them,” she says. “I wanted a place where well-behaved pets could come and enjoy the rural setting Peach Creek affords, a place where both owners and their pets could play during the day and then play at night.”
So while pets frolic in the fenced-in yard, or swim in nearby watering holes, guests are encouraged to rent inflatable kayaks and float the river, hook a trout, try one of the deep, warm swimming holes, or simply enjoy the wildlife that call Peach Creek
their home.
“Deer, elk, wolves, and coyotes tend to visit in spring and fall,” Jones says. “It’s beautiful.”
In the afternoon, guests who have come to work repair to the recently expanded recording studio, where some guests take their first step toward becoming recording artists.
From the antique gates, to the carefully crafted acoustic elements that resemble graceful wooden staircases, every detail of the studio is designed to make guests feel comfortable and at ease. The owners have also tried to anticipate their clients’ every need by providing services such as duplication, photography, cover design, even packaging.
“When recording guests leave, they walk out with a finished product that looks as though it came straight from L.A.,” says Jones.
But guests do not have to be making a record to stay at Peach Creek. Outdoor and wildlife enthusiasts are also encouraged to lay their heads down in one of the inn’s two comfortable guest rooms. Decorated in Persian and Mongolian motifs, the beds are draped in colorful red and gold cotton linens. Instead of finding the traditional mint on the pillow, guests will find a welcome basket with treats for both humans and pets. Bathrooms with saunas complete the spa-like environment.
for rent…
Serious pampering is also offered at breakfast. A large, beautifully set table offers guests specialty coffee drinks, espresso, mountain teas, fresh smoothies, pitchers of just-squeezed orange juice, homemade peach scones, thick slices of bacon, the famous “crepes Peach Creek,” and fresh fruit with coconut rum sauce—all of which can be had for breakfast or packed up picnic-style for later.
While the recording studio is open year-round for individuals and small groups, the inn has a special program planned for this summer—a "Set Yourself Free" workshop for adults. “For one week,” says Jones, “guests will spend their time singing, learning to play an instrument, recording, performing, acting in a five-minute movie, along with floating in the river and laughing until it hurts.”
Peach Creek Inn opened for business on May 1. For reservations or to sign up for a “Set Yourself Free” workshop, contact Leilani Jones at 208.838.2651 or peachcrk@custertel.net. The first week of June and second week of July are already fully booked.