About Us
Inn History
Texas River Vacation
This house was the dream of Anne Allison Smith who, with her husband Paul, brought it to life as La Paz Bed and Breakfast in 2010. Inspired by the work of W.P. Cook, an east Texas architect who designed many fine homes in Jasper in the early 1900s, Anne worked hand in hand for nearly a year with Hugh Hamilton of Hamilton Construction here in Jasper to achieve her vision.
A Bed and Breakfast Since 2010
According to Paul, Anne stayed down in the 1901 Cabin throughout construction so she could be on the job site every day, and you can see her hand and her vision in so many touches in the main house.
The property opened in 2010 and was run and managed by Anne and Paul until the end of 2020, when Anne lost her battle with cancer. Paul closed the business but remained on the property while searching for a new owner.
Located on the Beautiful Angelina River
In 2022, Chuck Wustman had a property to sell and was looking to trade it for another. He figured maybe he and his wife Mikelyn could find a weekend place to escape the hustle and bustle of Houston, Texas, and they could grow some hay or graze some cattle – you know, something passive.
Chuck’s guidelines were, he wanted some acres, he wanted to be on or near water, and it had to have a house on it. “And it can be a crummy house, because I’d rather renovate a house than build one.” So one night Mikelyn got searching, just for fun and to “see what’s out there,” and found this:
La Paz Bed and Breakfast
This picture makes everyone stop in their tracks and say, ‘WOW” and it had the same effect on Mikelyn, who couldn’t help but click to see more. This was no crummy house, and she’ll tell you she never dreamed this would ultimately become their property. She and Chuck clicked through the listing many times over the next few days and it was Chuck who realized it was a B&B property, and would qualify as a prospective purchase. Not quite the passive income stream they had in mind, but look at this place … who could say no? The property was being sold turn-key, meaning with all the furnishings, so the things that helped make it special and unique would be staying. As if the house wasn’t enough, its location on the beautiful Angelina River (just south of the Lake Sam Rayburn Dam), makes it an even more inviting destination.
About Us
After much prayer, all the pieces fell into place and on May 5, 2022, Chuck closed on the property. He and Mikelyn have worked to make modest updates with things like converting a game room to a guest room and en suite bath, upgrading a bath space, and adding a half-bath and laundry upstairs. Throughout the process, they strove to keep the feel of the original property. But they sure have had fun buying additional antiques!
At one point after the purchase, Chuck was asked why he bought a bed and breakfast:
“I love an adventure, I love a challenge and I love antiques. And, I’ve never stayed at a bed and breakfast I didn’t thoroughly enjoy. I’ve been to B&Bs in a lot of places – Texas, Vermont, Michigan, even Germany – and they’ve all been interesting and cool.
Also, it’s the adventure of getting to know people and running the business but also the adventure the guests achieve by being on the river in the piney woods – getting married – having social hour – getting to meet and know people from other parts of the world.
You just can’t have that type of experience being in a major hotel chain. You can only get it by being in a small property like a B&B or an inn.”
And that’s the goal of The Bird & Butterfly Inn – to help make great memories in a beautiful space with fun and interesting people who arrive as strangers but depart as friends
From the moment you turn onto the wooded driveway, we hope you’re transported and transformed by the beauty and peacefulness of this place.
Groups & Retreats
The Bird & Butterfly Inn is a perfect venue for your event. Our new event and wedding deck can seat 50-60 people depending on the layout, and our 5,000 square foot main house can accommodate an indoor wedding as just as easily as a corporate event.
The Inn currently offers 5 guest suites that will accommodate up to 16 people overnight, and our large dining room can seat 18 for your meeting. In the cooler fall months, consider meeting outside on the event deck! The grounds are ready for after-meeting explorations, and the viewing deck is a great space to unwind.
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