The Covington Inn St Paul Minnesota - A Winter Stay On A Historic Mississippi Towboat

The Covington Inn St Paul Minnesota –
A Winter Stay On A Historic Mississippi Towboat

Covington Inn St Paul

If you follow my travels, you might remember my first stay at the Covington Inn in St. Paul, Minnesota. I went back in May as a little staycation. I fell in love with the little historic towboat on the Mississippi River turned bed & breakfast.

Read: COVINGTON INN: SPEND THE NIGHT ON ST. PAUL’S HISTORIC TOWBOAT TURNED BED & BREAKFAST

Covington Inn St. Paul – Open Year Round

So I was thrilled when I was invited back during the winter to have a little snowy staycation in St. Paul.

Just a few photos of this little boat lit up at night in the winter might have you booking a cozy stay of your own!

Pack a bottle of wine & order take out!

Covington Inn St. Paul is the perfect romantic getaway or girls weekend. Pack yourself a bottle of wine and order some take out for the ultimate staycation. Or if you’re brave enough to face the cold, there are a number of restaurants nearby.

However my favorite is to order Thai takeout from Sawatdee right to the boat so we never have to leave!

The Covington Inn doesn’t have any TV’s so it’s a great place to disconnect. But if you want to watch a movie at night, bring your laptop!

Great views of the sunset

The old historic towboat is perfectly positioned on the water for a great sunset over St. Paul!

Pilot House Suite

The first time I visited, I stayed in the Riverview Suite which is located below the boat. There are portholes right now to your bed! The second time, I stayed in the Pilot House suite up top.

Not only is the bedroom so charming but it comes with an entire private sitting room & deck up top!

COVINGTON INN QUICK FACTS:

Free Overnight Parking
Breakfast Included
All 4 rooms have private bathrooms
All 4 rooms have fireplaces for heat in the winter and air conditioners for the summer
Check in is between 3pm-6pm
Perfectly positioned for sunset over the river
Try ordering takeout for dinner and bringing it up on the deck
The rooms do not have TV’s so if you plan to watch a movie during your stay, bring a laptop
There are boards games and books in the common room for anyone to use
The boat is stationary and does not move throughout your stay

Book your stay here.

The History – From Towboat to B&B Afloat

In 1946, this towboat hit the inland waterways with a splash. She was outfitted with a newly designed engine and clutch, and could “move from full ahead to full astern in less than eight seconds.” Once she proved herself, she became the prototype for the modern towboat.

For years the 300-ton Covington pushed barges of liquid cargo, usually petroleum, along a 1,000-mile stretch of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, setting the pace for America’s post-war economic boom.

Fifty years later, the visionary partners of River Valley Preservation Company saw the Covington dry-docked in Louisiana and hauled her upstream to St. Paul. They gutted the tow’s inner workings, then inch by inch transformed the boat’s steely chambers into cozy rooms. In 1995, the boat re-emerged with a new purpose, The Covington Inn.

The current owner, Liz Miller, worked as a waitress at the No Wake Café here on the boat from 1997-2000 when the No Wake closed.
The previous owners, Tom and Ann, asked her to take over for them as Innkeeper in 2002. She loved the boat and the lifestyle so much that she bought it from them in 2004. It’s been a labor of love and she’s enjoyed every minute of it! She and her crew welcome you aboard.