An Exquisite Journey in Scenic Missouri

If you're staying at the Big Cedar Wilderness Club in Ridgedale, the best thing to do is to take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy Missouri's breathtaking beauty.

My husband and I made a promise to ourselves to relax and enjoy what Missouri had to offer. We did just that, and it was truly a decision we've never regretted... not once.

Quick Tips:

Because there are soooo many wonderful accommodations, attractions, and dining choices, I made it a point to read all about Missouri on the Internet prior to our trip. I also decided to order the Entertainment Book for Branson for additional savings. While we did not use most of the coupons in the book, it was nice to have it there, just in case.

While this might be frowned upon by some people, we've opted to do a timeshare tour to obtain FREE tickets at Silver Dollar City and tee time at Holiday Hills Golf Course. You sure can't beat that!!

Best Way To Get Around:

The best way to get around is Branson, Missouri, is by car, of course. However, a word of advice: if you've never been to Missouri (like us), why not take a tour early on during your vacation to help familiarize yourself with the city's surroundings. By doing a tour, you learn a lot of tidbit info. For instance, we were forewarned NOT to drive on Branson's main strip because it was always crowded. We also found out an alternative route, which we've used quite often. Best tip ever!!

Best Things Nearby:
The best things nearby were the Big Cedar Lodge, Branson, and, of course, Table Rock Lake. We had a one-bedroom unit in the Kings River Lodge Building. With the exception of the first and second floor, this building provided wonderful views of Table Rock Lake.

Best Things About the Resort:
The best things about the Big Cedar Wilderness Club were the seclusion and the scenery. We knew this resort was not in Branson, Missouri, but on the outskirts, which suited us to a T. We didn't want to be in the midst of all the action where noise could be a problem. We wanted to get away from it all and enjoy Missouri's natural beauty. I'm happy to say Big Cedar Wilderness Club did not disappoint us in any way.

Resort Experience:
Ahhhh, the beauty of this resort. If you ever come across an opportunity to stay at Big Cedar Wilderness Club or even Big Cedar Lodge, don't hesitate.

From the first moment we entered the resort, with its warm Welcome Sign and fresh, hot cookies each night, my husband and I could not find any fault with this resort at all. The staff was so friendly and pleasant. If this resort was trying to provide a warm greeting, they exceeded our expectations.

We stayed in unit no. 2646A, which is the larger portion of a one-bedroom lockout. It had a fisherman's motif and is very nicely decorated. The well-stocked kitchen had everything you needed, even nonstick cookware!! A HUGE PLUS!! The dining area had a bench seat on one side of the table and two chairs on the other, which seats four people perfectly. There was a desk and chair and a compact washer and dryer on the opposite side of the kitchen and dining area.

The living room had a fireplace, sleeper sofa, 27-inch TV, DVD, CD stereo system, and a nice balcony with table and chairs. Off to the right side was the bedroom. It had a beautiful window view of the living area with the gorgeous fireplace and deer. There was another balcony in the bedroom that offered more privacy than the balcony in the living room. The Jacuzzi was situated behind a half wall with partial privacy. The bathroom was split into two different sections, with a sink in each area. In the second section of the bathroom, you'll find a stand-up shower, lavatory, and two locked doors for more privacy. It's an arrangement that truly sleeps a maximum of four people privately.

Tidbit Info #1: If you want the best views, try to get a third- or fourth-floor unit. The first floor is below the ground's surface, while the second floor is actually the ground floor. I'll enclose a picture so you can get a clearer image of what I'm talking about.

Tidbit Info #2: Each evening you'll be greeted by the "cookie lady" with warm, fresh cookies. We had different cookies every night. A true delight for a good night's sleep!

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Excellent
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

First things first... I am not crafty-type person. So why did I want to visit this park, you ask? Since this was our first visit to Branson, Missouri, and so many people have commented wonderful things about it, I wanted a chance to visit Silver Dollar City myself. It also gave us a chance to learn a few interesting things about the "life in the past."

Silver Dollar City is set in the 1800s. Once you step inside the park, you are immediately transported back into time. The whole staff is dressed the part, and some even speak the language! You are surrounded by many craft stands with people making things from scratch. From baseball bats to odd-shaped vases, there are many demonstrations on hand to show you exactly how each of these items were made. I'm not sure if this is the normal attraction at Silver Dollar City, since we were visiting it during Crafts Week.

The one thing I absolutely cherished at Silver Dollar City was the scenery. The beautifully lined walkways had sweet-smelling blooms and flowers. Even though we went at the end of September, it was apparent that the fall season hadn't come yet.

Unfortunately, we did not visit their other park, Celebration City. However, we did see it from the outside and noticed that this park definitely had more rides than Silver Dollar City. If you want excitement and rides, my advice would be to skip Silver Dollar City and opt for Celebration City instead. I felt that these two parks were an even and fair balance to bring the best of both worlds for people who had different tastes.

We would visit Silver Dollar City again, but only during a different-themed week. After all, it is a beautiful and interesting park.

My husband is a golf fanatic, so I knew golf would have to be one of the options to choose from when we did a timeshare tour at Festiva Resorts. Nevertheless, we took Silver Dollar City (for me) and Holiday Hills Golf (for him).

Holiday Hills Golf Course was not far from where we were staying, Big Cedar Wilderness Club. This golf course was conveniently located, yet out of the way, if that makes any sense. Upon first arrival, I knew my husband would like playing here. It was very well laid out and seemed to be maintained with proper and nurturing care.

Since we had two "free" tickets and I don't play golf, I've opted to drive the cart while he played, which took care of the second ticket. In spite of my driving the cart, we still had to wait for more players. Holiday Hills Golf is pretty strict on their tee times, so make sure you arrive early.

Once we had three players to our party, we were ready to "play ball." Per my husband, "the golf course seemed to be for intermediate and advance players. The skill level for this course had quite a few challenging holes but was well laid out. The views were extremely nice and I wouldn't hesitate to play here again."

The staff at this golf course was kind, friendly, and very knowledgeable. The on-site golf shop had wonderful souvenirs, but it was a bit pricey, as golf shops usually are.

All in all, it was a perfect and memorable day for playing golf in Missouri. Another success!

If you have never been to Branson, Missouri, then I HIGHLY recommend "Ride The Ducks." A word of advice: try to schedule this wonderful adventure in the beginning of your vacation. It is so nice to turn the wheel over to someone else and let them do all the driving while "the tourists" become familiar with Branson.

You learn so many interesting facts and tips about Branson. For example, they strongly advised you NOT to drive on Highway 76, as it gets too congested. They also tell you about an alternate route to take to avoid this crowded situation.

There is no need to make any reservations for this excursion. The "duck" departs many times during the day and the wait time is minimal. If you do happen to catch it between times, you'll love sorting through their many bucketful of candies in their shop. If that's not enough, you could always grab a bite to eat at their deli.

Prior to entering this amphibious machine, they'll give everyone their very own "quacker." You'll also have to pose and smile for the camera before boarding, a wonderful idea for those who want a memorable "Ride The Duck" picture.

This is a must-do attraction. You'll venture down on the main strip of downtown Branson. Go on top of Baird Mountain for those wonderful picture-capturing moments. But the most memorable part of this trip was when this motorized street vehicle turns amphibious and roars into the lake with a splash. From there, it's smooth sailing on the beautiful and scenic Table Rock Lake. This is when the captain makes time for introductions, gives the little kids a chance to take over the wheel, and tell us brief history about their ducks.

Ride the Ducks is a fun attraction for people of all ages. Most importantly, it's affordable!!! Thumbs UP, Ride the Ducks!!!

As the saying goes, "a picture is worth a thousand words," hence the reason why I've decided to not only tell you about the on-site amenities at Big Cedar Lodge/Big Cedar Wilderness Club, but show you some pictures as well.

There are two separate accommodations located here in Ridgedale, Missouri, at Big Cedar: Big Cedar Lodge and Big Cedar Wilderness Club, which is a timeshare resort. The BCWC (Big Cedar Wilderness Club) guests are allowed to access the Big Cedar Lodge's on-site amenities. Some of the amenities they have on-site are:

Riding Stables
Lazy River
Heated Indoor Swimming Pool
Fitness Room
Devil's Pool Swinging Bridge
Miniature Putt-Putt
Nature Trail
Restaurants
And Much More....

Some people have claimed that this resort can be a vacation in itself. And it's true. In all honesty, if you want a relaxing vacation and don't feel the need to visit Branson, stay on-site. There are plenty of things to do at this resort.

Don't feel like driving? Then leave the driving up to them. They have a free courtesy van that will pick you up. Just make sure you call them in advance to schedule an arrangement. This resort is big and very hilly, so the convenience of having an on-site shuttle is wonderful.

On to the pictures!!! Hope you enjoy them.