Wine and Spirits Travel

It was the last day of the Missouri road trip for my friend Jaimee and me. We were determined to make the most of it and Big Cedar Lodge provided us with plenty of opportunities. I woke up to sunshine and started my day with a bit of yoga as I enjoyed the scenery. The first order of the day was breakfast at Truman Coffee and Café near the main lodge. The café was filled with people trying to decide what to get among the scrumptious offerings. I made the right choice in the Cinnamon Muffin with scrambled eggs on the side for some protein. Jaimee went for the breakfast bagel with egg, ham, and cheese, and we both got our caffeine jolts with lattes.We ate out on the deck while we admired the views.  After breakfast we headed up to the Top of the Rock Welcome Center. We were both excited to pick up our golf carts there to take the Lost Canyon Cave Nature Trail. I have to say, I had no idea what to expect. It turned out to be an incredible journey that I’ll defi

My friend Jaimee and I were back in the car to continue our Missouri road trip. Our next stop was at Big Cedar Lodge , just past Branson in Ridgedale. The drive was just over two hours and quite scenic, but not quite as amazing as the property Big Cedar Lodge was on.  We were amazed by the scenes of hills and lakes, wildlife and forestry. Our cabin wasn’t ready yet so we first went to the Devil’s Pool Restaurant for lunch. It too had a view to remember. The meal was also memorable as I had soup and a pizza with Italian sausage and roasted grape tomatoes and Jamie head a turkey club sandwich. We had our leftovers with us as we crossed the covered bridge and headed to our cabin. We were put up in the Tony Stewart log cabin at Big Cedar Lodge . It was quite spacious, with two bedrooms, a large living room with a big stone fireplace, and a fully stocked kitchen. The lodge provided us with a nice basket of snacks and some wine. The only thing about the

I started the day at Country Club Hotel and Spa in Lake of the Ozarks the best way possible, with a morning massage. My friend Jaimee and I had plenty of time to relax in our spacious junior suites before heading out for our first appointment. We had lunch and cocktails on the water at Dog Days (look for my story in the spring issue of Midwest Living ). We had a free afternoon for exploring the Lake of the Ozarks area and we took advantage of the time. We drove down to the Bagnell Dam Strip. Along with the typical souvenir shops and tourist restaurants, from here you can also take cruises out to view the dam and the Ozarks by water. We made a brief stop at the Osage beach Premium Outlets, the largest center of its kind in Missouri. We picked up a few bargains and then stopped at Randy’s Frozen Custard across the road. Frozen custard is one of my biggest weaknesses and this place did not disappoint. Their famous Turtle Concrete was amazing! We went

My friend Jaimee and I left the Sheraton Westport Plaza Chalet in the suburbs of St. Louis and headed to Jefferson City, Missouri. We were to meet Deb Hendricks of the Lake of the Ozarks tourism board there to get our itinerary for our adventure on Fun Lake, as they accurately call the area. From Jefferson City it was only a short hour’s ride to the Country Club Hotel and Spa . We were surprised how large the place was, complete with an indoor pool and banquet facilities. It reminded me a bit of the Catskill Mountain resorts I stayed at growing up. Our rooms were not ready, but that was fine because we were more than ready for lunch. Lance Utley, the hotel’s director of marketing, joined us at the Rafferty Restaurant on the property for a wonderful chicken salad with grapes and pecans. During lunch, Lance gave us some basic information about the area he knew well. It was obvious that he was passionate about Lake of the Ozarks and we were soon to see why. We

I had finally made it to St. Louis ( twice ) after a decades long absence, but I knew there was a lot more of Missouri for me to see. I decided to cross some of it off my list with a week long road trip through the state, and I brought my friend Jaimee along for most of the fun. Jaimee was flying into St. Louis and wasn’t able to meet me until very late the first night. I thought it would be a great opportunity to check out a suburban hotel, and meet my cousin Linda for dinner. As soon as I saw the photos of the Sheraton Westport Chalet , I knew it was what I was looking for. It was near the airport and referred to as in St. Louis, but it’s actually in the suburb of Maryland Heights. The hotel did not let me down. The perfectly landscaped property with the European shutters and balconies were beautiful. As soon as I arrived, I couldn’t help but explore the adjacent pedestrian plaza. It was a quaint little village with tiled walkways that definitely didn’t make