Back to Big Cedar Lodge

Fall Lodge. One of the many on the Big Cedar property.

I'm a little late posting this because our destination was in the Ozark mountains meaning a) internet was iffy, anyway, and b) I made it worse by upgrading my iDevices to iOS8 before we left which wreaked havoc on them. Except for a few Instagrams, emails and texts to the kids, I was off the grid all weekend. Anywho, here's the report from Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, Missouri.

That big window is the bathroom. There were two more big windows on the corners.

Since it was a last-minute trip (set up around a visit with a sick relative in the area,) we booked what appeared to be one of the last available "value" rooms in the Valley View Lodge, a more than adequate corner room with a waterfall in the green space next to us. 

Our next door neighbor, the waterfall.

We were just up the hill from the picturesque wedding chapel which was busy all weekend long.

Summer season was winding down, but we managed to find an outdoor heated pool that was open, complete with built-into-the-rocks hot tubs. We had the place to ourselves. I love it when that happens. 

That's a little more leg than I normally would show. Guess the warm water (and the wine) loosened me up.

 The new big thing at Big Cedar since my official press visit in 2008 is Top of the Rock...

Osage Restaurant and Buffalo Bar patio

the incredible Ozark Heritage Preserve with restaurants, wilderness trails, a museum and cave, and other features surrounding a Par 3 golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus. (The Big Cedar complex is the vision of owner Johnny Morris of Bass Pro Shop fame.) On Saturday night after dinner, the hubs decided to try out the practice range with complimentary rental clubs.  $15/bag of balls.

Even barefoot, he put on a clinic.

We decided the course - or the air - is magical, because he hasn't golfed in two years but was hitting them over the entire range and down into the mountains. We're talking out of the park! People were even applauding from the restaurant patio.

Another wedding chapel at Top of the Rock.

The place reminded us a lot of our trip to Scotland, except for the sunshine. In fact, every night at sundown, bagpipers serenade the guests before the firing of a canon.  I can't recommended Big Cedar more highly.