BoomerGirl Diary

In the wee hours of the morning, on the day before my husband and I were to check into Big Cedar resort, our house was burglarized while we slept.

The thieves didn't stay long but they made off with my wallet, the Canon Powershot camera I use for work, and much of my peace of mind. As the police officer stood in my family room, taking his report, I considered canceling the reservation for our belated weekend anniversary getaway.

Then, I thought, "I have no credit cards, no driver's license and my stress level is off the charts. What better time to get away? Besides, what are the odds we'll get hit twice in a row?" So, we locked up the house, packed up the car and hit the highway.

Big Cedar is nestled in the Ozark hills on Tablerock Lake in Ridgedale, Mo., about ten minutes south of Branson. On the first weekend in November, thanks to warmer-than-usual late summer nights, the foliage was at its peak with vivid yellows, oranges and reds dotting the hills and valleys. As Highway 65 turned into an asphalt roller coaster with a new spectacle around every bend, my husband and I were ooh'ing and ahh'ing like kids at a fireworks show in July.

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Big Cedar

With every mile of brilliant scenery, the unsettling events of the night before seemed to lose color.

Good decision, I thought. Good decision.

The entrance to Big Cedar was designed to build your anticipation slowly. A steep one-way road switches back and forth through the trees as you descend toward the lake. Soon, our car was fording a mountain stream, which slowed us to a crawl and allowed us to drink in the view of rolling hills and various buildings that make up the resort. As we made our way to the bottom of the hill toward the Registration building, we realized we weren't in Kansas anymore. Cars with plates from Illinois, Texas, Georgia, Minnesota and Colorado filled the parking lot.

Before long, we were opening the door to our private, one-room log cabin. This was the real deal, complete with king-size bed, inviting living area, full kitchen, double Jacuzzi bath and a limestone fireplace, stocked with wood and kindling, just waiting to be lit. A welcome basket brimming with bags of cheese and caramel popcorn, biscotti, trail mix, cookies and sweet potato chips sat temptingly on the table. French doors opened up to a charming deck with table, chairs and a gas grill big enough to feed twenty. Stepping outside, the only sound I could hear was a leaf falling through the branches. We'd been told the expansive resort was sold out so I was amazed at the silence.

(Burglary? What burglary?)

Big Cedar sports a rustic, outdoors-y, lumberjack feel, but there's a palpable yin to that yang. (Perhaps that's because the place is run by a woman, general manager Debbie Bennett.) Thanks to five-star amenities like Gilchrist & Soames toiletries, lighted make-up mirrors and sumptuous, I've-died-and-gone-to-heaven beds, a woman will feel just as comfortable here as a man (unless she's got a problem with taxidermy ... if that's the case, head for the Ritz, ladies.)

The two spas on the property are down-home deluxe with a nod to all-natural products. I indulged in a spa pedicure, compliments of the ever-accommodating Kim Thompson, an eight-year Big Cedar associate. While I melted into the heated massage chair, Kim pampered my tired dogs with a cucumber mint sugar scrub, blueberry soy mask and naseberry body lotion, all from Eminence Organics in Hungary. It was a full hour of unadulterated bliss and, truly, the best pedicure I've ever had. Ahhhh....

(Police reports? What credit cards?)

Kim's friendly, can-do attitude was representative of the entire Big Cedar staff. From the desk clerks to the shuttle drivers to the wait staff, there's a feeling of commitment and job satisfaction that one rarely finds en masse at resort complexes, especially places that rely on seasonal help. Here you'll find early retirees and young adults who seem genuinely delighted to be working in such beautiful surroundings and, presumably, for a company that treats them well. (As a former resort waitress, I tend to notice these things.)

There are plenty of things to do at Big Cedar — swimming (all seasons), miniature and regulation golf, fishing, boating, kayaking, working out, hot tubbing, horseback riding, trail hiking.

My husband and I did none of those. (OK, he took a sauna in the health club and said it was delightful.)

Instead, we watched college football games on our plasma TV in front of the fire, content to be alone together. We spent the rest of the time lolling around, waiting for another meal to begin. After all, it isn't every weekend you get a log cabin all to yourselves. Why not take full advantage?

By 4 o'clock Saturday afternoon, I can honestly say that burglary was the furthest thing from my mind.

Now, about the food. The steak I had at The Worman Steakhouse (the most upscale of four upscale restaurants on-site) was — to borrow a phrase from Linda Richman of "Coffee Talk" fame — like buttah! They pride themselves on their steaks — all USDA certified prime and aged 21 days — and with good reason. This filet was primo, as were the meals we enjoyed at the property's sister restaurants, The Devil's Pool and Buzzard Bar.

Big Cedar offers a variety of holiday events and activities, including horse-drawn carriage rides around the property, and the resort is illuminated with twinkling white lights on practically every structure creating a true wooded wonderland.

What a wonderful getaway for an over-stressed couple or an extended family wanting a unique holiday experience. Even after the holidays, I can't imagine a better way to de-stress than sitting in front of a fire in a real log cabin while snow is falling outside.

But, if you go, remember to lock the house up tight!