I am always amazed at the talented and passionate people hiding up in these hills. As the editor of 573, I get to meet so many incredible people out there; it is simply amazing. Recently, I was introduced to a super interesting woman. She was having her travel van worked on at a local body shop. That was when she told me about the grooviest place around, the unique vacation stay campground named Fredrock. So, I went to their website, and it looked super cool, but when I got there, it was hands down; their site did not do it justice—seeing it all live is way better. Fredrock, cleverly named and just south of Fredericktown on HWY 67, has been developed by a mother-daughter team who took an old dusty campground and turned it into a fabulous destination stay with the unique rentals you can imagine, all rehabbed into the most delicious places just bubbling with their passion for fun, art, design, fashion, and humor. Meet Misty and Beverly Brown, two passionate entrepreneurs who created their Fredrock.
The dynamic duo of Fredrock and 573 Superheroes.
Misty Brown, owner of Fredrock.
I’m Misty Brown, and I am 43 years old—originally from Fredericktown. My mom and I lived with my grandparents until I was about three years old when we moved from Missouri to Texas. The whole time I was living in Texas I spent my summers back in Fredericktown at my grandparents. My young mom appreciated the break from motherhood and I loved it too! Spending my summers camping, fishing, chasing lightning bugs and playing in creeks with my grandparents was like summer camp.
A few years after graduating from high school, I moved to southern California. I immediately found a job waiting tables at a busy beach bar and grill. It was a blast, so different than Missouri and Texas. I loved it! The friends I made in California became like family to me. We spent holidays together, traveled together, attended music festivals and concerts and were there for each other through all the ups and downs. After a few years, I went to cosmetology school and had a 15 year career doing hair.
The move back to Missouri from California came quick! Everyone thought I was crazy. Why would I leave San Diego and the life I had built for myself there to move back to Fredericktown? After doing some soul searching in the Amazon jungle in Peru, I came to a realization that I wanted to spend time with my grandparents while they were still alive. I wanted to slow down. I decided it was time for a career change, too! I was burnt out on being a hairdresser, and made the choice to get into real estate.
My mom and I found an inexpensive, rundown cabin on the St. Francis River...
My mom and I found an inexpensive, rundown cabin on the St. Francis River in Fredericktown for sale. I needed to make money and the original thought was to live there and Airbnb it part-time. The only experience I had in the Airbnb world was staying at them as a guest. I knew what I liked and didn’t like. After an extensive remodel, the property was listed on Airbnb. I never got to move in there because it was always booked. It was so much fun. I loved hearing all the positive feedback and how people felt after staying at the cabin. They were revitalized and loved it! And so did I.
After about six months, we found another river cabin, this time on the Castor River in Marquand. Houses on the river are perfect getaways, and the first river cabin was doing so well that we dove right into our next project. After a few months, that one was ready to go, too! It did just as well as our first Airbnb!
I had been back from California for about eight months at this point and was just living my best small town life! Working in real estate was fun for me. I love going out to these beautiful rural properties and helping people either sell their places or connecting buyers to their perfect properties. I’m a pretty social person, so I love meeting people and hearing their stories. Fast forward a few more months and I found what now is Fredrock. We began that fun mother/daughter project.
Last year, we took on another unique stay project in Fredericktown. We remodeled a 100-year-old church and turned it into a rental! We named it The Haven. During this process, we sold an antique cabinet to a guy off Marketplace. He is now my boyfriend and lives at Fredrock! I’ve gotten so much from doing these projects at Fredrock—life skills, experience, and now a boyfriend, too, haha! Life is a funny, wonderful thing, and you just never know what’s going to happen, who you will meet and how everything can change in a day. I’m grateful I decided to make the move back to Missouri. Fredrock is a passion and labor of love and I wouldn’t change a thing about the journey that got me here.
Beverly Brown is owner of Fredrock along with daughter Misty.
My name is Beverly Brown. I grew up in Fredericktown. Growing up poor, my parents taught me how to do a lot with very little resources, which has been valuable my entire life. I had my daughter when I was 18 years old, and my mother did what she knew, which was to take me to the welfare office to sign up for food stamps and government assistance. I was mortified. I knew that somehow if I worked hard enough, I’d make it.
There were times when I had two jobs, one full time and one on the weekends, working at a kids club so that Misty could go with me to work. It was tough. There were times when I didn't have enough money to even pay the rent. At 33 years old, I decided to go to massage school. I loved it. After a few years, I started my own business, Hired Hands Day Spa. It began with just me by myself doing massage. I worked there doing massage full time, running the business, mowing the grass, cleaning and whatever it took. The first 10 years were exciting and hard. I took every course I could find to help me learn how to run a business. There were times when I had 6 of my own paychecks in my desk because I couldn’t afford to cash them. It is now a thriving business. After 28 years, I have a full time manager and employ about 35 people. I am beyond thankful for it. Now, I have a revenue stream and the freedom to do what I want.
When Misty decided to move from California to Missouri, I thought she was crazy...
When Misty decided to move from California to Missouri, I thought she was crazy and tried to talk her out of it. She was convinced it was the right thing to do. I will always be her biggest fan and support her as best I can. We worked together and flipped a few houses, created a couple of Airbnbs, made some money and bought the property that is now Fredrock. The thought for me is to help her eventually create a business that could potentially create passive income for her in the future. Of course, there is a lot of hard work before we are there.
Misty and I spent that summer working together, outside in nature on our dream.
In 2017, at Misty’s suggestion, I created a bucket list of 100 things. I never really got to travel much, so this was a stretch for me. I began traveling the world, checking things off my bucket list. It was the most selfish year of my life and also the best. I did things like I had a snowball fight on the Great Wall of China, stayed in the Giraffe Manor Hotel in Nairobi, Africa, I hiked Machu Picchu, got my sailboat skippers license in the Canary Islands, walked the Camino de Santiago (I walked across northern Spain past Santiago to Finisterre 43 days 545 miles), I went to Burning Man, attended the Albuquerque Balloon Festival and more.
I bought the Fredrock property in 2020 from Belize, sight unseen. It was divine timing. Misty and I spent that summer working together, outside in nature, on our dream. I now drop in when she needs me, but mostly, I want to travel in my travel van. I have fallen in love with van life. It is the ultimate freedom. Today, I have a YouTube channel called Becoming Bev. I’ve posted a video almost every week for two years. It’s about Fredrock, van life and being a woman who’s been through it all, gathering up all the pieces you give away over the years and becoming the person you were meant to be.
We spent our time clearing out the house and the buildings, clearing trails, and scheming the plan for what to do with this gorgeous property.
We took possession of the property in April of 2020. We spent our time clearing out the house and the buildings, clearing trails, and scheming the plan for what to do with this gorgeous property. It was exciting! The Rustic Rose was the first rental. Misty was inspired by the MaDonna Inn in southern California. Everything in the Rustic Rose is pink, red or gold. We also found the perfect fit for it, a red heart-shaped tub, which sits outside on a private deck. Misty likes to say it’s all in the details. The Rustic Rose is over the top, with every little detail, from the pink pots and pans, the antique gold mermaid coffee tables, and the round red velvet bed. We even have a closet filled with pink and red dress up clothes.
Everything in the Rustic Rose is pink, red or gold.
...a red heart-shaped tub, which sits outside on a private deck.
The Rustic Rose is over the top, every little detail, from the pink pots and pans, the antique gold mermaid coffee tables...
Our next find was the Gypsy wagon, a perfect fit. When we bought it, it was orange and blue and kinda plain. After a total overhaul of it, we found the perfect spot for it on the property. Nestled in the woods with a big copper bathtub on the deck under the stars, it is a guest favorite.
Our next find was the Gypsy wagon, a perfect fit.
Nestled in the woods with a big copper bathtub on the deck...
Each unit has personal items. The ceiling of the Tipsy Gypsy is a handmade old bedspread. It never really worked out as a bedspread, it was to scratchy and heavy but perfect for the ceiling. We had to do retrofit chairs to fit over the wheel wells. We changed the paint to different shades of purple and gold to go along with the theme. It has a private bathroom, shower and kitchen. It even has a chandelier hanging from the tree.
The teepees each have two queen size log beds and a sitting area.
...private bathrooms and outdoor kitchens built for them.
We also bought two teepees and had private bathrooms and outdoor kitchens built for them. The teepees each have two queen size log beds and a sitting area. They’re bigger on the inside than they appear from the outside. The inside looked a little plain, so we custom-painted the canvas on the inside. The deck area is perfect for relaxing and star gazing.
The deck area is perfect for relaxing and star gazing.
Next came a 1967 Airstream, which we kept all original. We bought as many period appropriate items as possible. The idea was that you felt like you stepped back in time to experience what upscale camping was like in the 1960s.
...like you stepped back in time to experience what upscale camping was like in the 1960s.
Our next find was a 1973 MCI Challenger bus. It is amazing. We did a rock and roll tour bus theme on this one. We included a record player to spin your albums from the 1970s. Even the cabinets have guitar-shaped handles. We wanted the bedroom to be a wow, so we put mirror tiles on the ceiling, installed mood lighting, and made a blue velvet tufted headboard for the bed. It has a hot tub on the deck so you can party like a rock star.
...a rock and roll tour bus theme...
We wanted the bedroom to be a wow, so we put mirror tiles on the ceiling, installed mood lighting, and made a blue velvet tufted headboard for the bed.
When we purchased the property, a rundown camper was left behind. We didn’t really have a vision for it, so it stayed vacant for a while. After seeing a groovy van that we both loved, we had the vision. We built Daisy, the groovy camper. She very much has a hippie vibe with orange shag carpet. Decorated with 70s wallpaper, she has been a client favorite for photo shoots.
The Daisy. Decorated with 70’s wallpaper she has been a client favorite for photo shoots.
We now have 10 rentals. Seven of them are here at Fredrock, and the other 3 are just a short drive away. The Haven is a 100 year old church in downtown Fredericktown that we converted to a vacation rental property. This is a one of a kind getaway with artistic, antique furnishings. Its high ceilings and stained-glass windows fill the open space with natural light to create a beautiful ambience.
The Blissful Beaver River Cabin was our first rental. It has an antique yet modern feel. It was completely gutted and renovated with lots of modern touches. One bedroom has an antique claw-foot bathtub placed next to a window overlooking the St Francis River.
The Nutty Squirrel River Cabin is located on crystal clear Castor River in Marquand. The river is literally in the backyard. Marquand is such a quaint town with a population of less than 300 people.
We have hired an amazing couple, Tonya and Michael, as Fredrock camp hosts. They live here in their camper full time and help with the yard work, answering phones, and so much more! We are beyond grateful for their help. The help has given Misty more time to have a life, go to dinners and concerts, hang with her grandparents, travel, and focus more on real estate!
12 mile creek runs through the property...
12 mile creek runs through the property, offering perfect swimming access. We do not allow day passes, so that we can keep the creek access exclusive to our guests and provide them a place to really enjoy and connect with nature. We never want an over crowded property, we think doing this keeps the magic of Fredrock. Our gravel creek bed and beach is perfect for those rock lovers. Our walking trails are lined with trees, including Pawpaw fruit trees that produce a yummy fruit you can eat right off the tree. We love watching and making friends with the wildlife here, deer, rabbits, turtles, raccoons, armadillos, butterflies, and more. Summer nights watching lightning bugs and star gazing are the absolute best! Our reviews over the years fill our hearts with joy from what we have created and the memories we have provided for our amazing guests. We are excited to continue to grow Fredrock as a unique, unforgettable destination.
...spring fed, crystal clear clean water is so refreshing on a hot summer day.
We want it to be a place for groups to gather, whether for weddings, family reunions, festivals, or retreats. We love seeing groups here at Fredrock, having fun together and making memories. Our 12mile creek access here at Fredrock is unreal, the spring fed, crystal clear clean water is so refreshing on a hot summer day. The rock formations and bluffs are picturesque and make for the perfect backdrop to relax, unwind and disconnect from the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life
The rock formations and bluffs are picturesque...
With every business venture, there are obstacles. Things break, whether it’s an AC unit, plumbing, or an ant invasion. We have an amazing team of electricians, plumbers, carpenters, hot tub repair men and cleaning crew. Without these people, we would not be able to run Fredrock and our other off site rentals. It takes a village and we are so grateful to have these people and their knowledge to keep things running smoothly and properly. With 10 units it seems like something always needs attention.
So there you have it. If one person can do something, another can. It’s time you crawl out of that sunken sofa and get your tail in gear—time’s a wasting and watching your phone all day doesn’t get you what you need—experience life in real time. Start a business. Rehab an old trailer. Write a book. Take your kids on a long trip. Do something. Do anything. GET OUT THERE!
Pics, words & video by the Supreme Leader of 573 Magazine.
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