travel THE RANDLE TIMES
MAGAZINE
Big Cedar
SEPTEMBER 2017
2 BLUEGREEN PROPERTIES 18 TOP OF THE ROCK 40 WONDERS OF WILDLIFE 54 2008 BIG CEDAR PHOTOS 56 2009 BIG CEDAR PHOTOS 58 2010 BIG CEDAR PHOTOS
58 2010 BIG CEDAR PHOTOS 60 2012 BIG CEDAR PHOTOS 62 2013 BIG CEDAR PHOTOS 64 2014 BIG CEDAR PHOTOS 66 EXTRA BIG CEDAR PHOTOS
Bluegreen Wilderness Club at Big Cedar is for those travelers who love everything that is nature and immersing themselves in it! Situated on the south side of Table Rock Lake, this wonderful resort will be one to return to as there is so much to do and so much to see even without leaving the resort! Boating, hiking, horseback riding, are but some of the many attractions and activities you and your guests can partake by visiting this wonderful natural wonderland! Back side of our 2-bedroom Cabin Ridgedale, Missouri.
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Each morning photos were taken of the ďŹ rst birds to visit our back porch... the birds had their own feeder ďŹ lled with sun lower seeds and some millet. The site also was visited by some unwanted guests... SQUIRRELS... Each morning several text messages were sent out has a good morning wait up call from Big Cedar. We enjoy the beautiful mornings with breakfast prepared and eating outside on the deck of our Cabin #2018.
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Evening cookies... either peanut butter, chocolate chip, sugar cookies, and ginger snap. Great evening dessert... Every Evening...
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One of the original structures on our property, Truman CafĂŠ & Custard still re lects its charming 1920s Tudor style and quaint appeal. Breakfast is a great time to visit with a variety of specialty co fees, fresh baked pastries and traditional hearty breakfast fare. We also o fer a tempting array of signature sandwiches, homemade soups, salads and seasonal favorites. Just up the hill from Bent Hook Marina, Truman o fers the perfect lunch or dinner destination when you need a break from the lake. All of our options are also available "To Go." Truman CafĂŠ & Custard o fers indoor and outdoor seating on our lake view patio as well as complimentary wireless internet.
The land is purchased by a pair of fellows, a Worman and a Simmons, who build homes on it for country retreats during Great Depression I. The book looks at the men and their wives for a while and then goes into the sale and transfer of the property until it becomes the Devil’s Pool Dude Ranch in the 1940s. The book includes a number of ďŹ rst hand accounts from those years, but in the 1960s the owner sells it to a man who dies shortly therea ter in an automobile accident. In 1979, a fellow buys it from the Army Corps of Engineers and tries to turn it into a time-share property, but that doesn’t survive. Then the fellow behind Bass Pro Shops bought it and turned it into the excellent resort it is today, which includes some time shares on the property.
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Enjoy a one-of-a-kind dining experience aboard the beautiful 62' luxury yacht, The Lady Liberty. Set sail on Table Rock Lake and enjoy delicious food, live music, and unbelievable views. This distinctive yacht captures the beauty of a by-gone era and o fers a spectacular setting for watching a magniďŹ cent sunset.
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The Garden Chapel
You could not imagine a more romantic and charming setting than Big Cedar’s Garden Chapel. You can invite up to 80 guests to join you as you commemorate your nuptials in this lovely chapel, nestled against the backdrop of picturesque hillside scenery with dramatic Ozark Mountain views. The Garden Chapel charms with its classic exterior of whitewashed lap siding and loor to ceiling windows with hand cra ted operable shutters and custom screens. Inside, traditional church pews and lanterns add to the ambiance.
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The Shoppe at Big Cedar has everything you need to take your Big Cedar experience home with you. Clothing and accessories, home decor, logo gi ts and apparel, and even Big Cedar’s signature Sleep Experience bedding is all available for your purchase. Signature food items like Big Cedar's own Blueberry Poppyseed Dressing, Barbeque Sauce, Seasoning Salts, and Top of the Rock Balsamique Finishing Sauce are a great way to capture the lavor of Big Cedar.
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Take a romantic carriage ride for two. Even just a trip around the resort is beautiful... with the rock-lined creeks and waterfalls that meander through the property, giving life to the cattails, cottonwoods and dogwoods that line the pathways. (below) Exterior of Bluegreen Wilderness Clubhouse.
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Bent Hook Marina & Market is your gateway to one of the most scenic lakes in the country. In the early dawn, when nature is only beginning to stir from the night and the mist lays like a so t blanket across the water, you realize how mesmerizing Table Rock Lake can be. Its 43,000 acres of clear blue-green expanse easily draws you to its picture postcard scenery, and to some of the best fishing and water sports in the country. When you’re ready to fish, there’s no better place than Table Rock Lake, ranked nationally for its numbers and sizes of bass and crappie. It’s also good to know the marina’s friendly veteran guides, ready to take you to the best fishing spots!
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Top of the Rock is a premier attraction in the Big Cedar Lodge family of outdoor destinations. Perched on a blu f overlooking the Ozark Mountains and legendary Table Rock Lake, Top of the Rock features the world-class Top of the Rock Golf Course, Top of the Rock Lost Canyon Cave and Nature Trail, and Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum. Top of the Rock also features the “End of the Trail” All-American Wine Cellar, 3 restaurants, a Golf Pro Shop, and the spectacular Chapel of the Ozarks and Civil War era cabin. Top of the Rock is steeped in Missouri’s legendary history and natural beauty. Bass Pro Shops embodies the philosophy: caring about the land and water breeds a fierce desire to sustain it. John L. “Johnny” Morris, founder of Big Cedar Lodge and Bass Pro Shops, and his team of cra tsmen unearthed Top of the Rock, using the natural landscape as a guide. Every detail at the Top of the Rock pays homage to the Ozarks history. Cra tsmen have seamlessly blended natural formations with manmade structures.
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Inspiring people to appreciate the history of a place is the key to preserving it for future generations. As with his many other conservation projects, Morris fueled building Top of the Rock with a passion for the Ozarks that has brewed throughout his life. A family friend, Dr. Graham Clark, former president of College of the Ozarks, was the original owner of the land that is now home to Top of Rock. As a young man, Morris went spelunking in a vast cave and hunted mushrooms on the property. Years later as part of his goal to sustain and share the Ozarks history, he acquired the land. As with his signature Big Cedar Lodge retreat, natural elements have guided every aspect of the design, resulting in a once-in-a-lifetime outdoor experience.
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Lost Canyon Natu
Experience something unforgettable as you trek two-and-a-half miles on electric cart or walk along the Top of the Rock Lost Canyon Nature Trail. Enjoy magnificent views of Table Rock Lake, dramatic rock formations and stunning waterfalls, and the breathtaking Lost Canyon Cave featuring a fourstory cascading waterfall. This extraordinary walk leads you across our 140-foot Amish bridge. Hundreds of hours were spent walking the land and painstakingly cutting a trail so that he could bring visitors into contact with dramatic features of nature such as stunning rock formations, beautiful views of Table Rock Lake, waterfalls, and driving through the remarkable Lost Canyon Cave that has the one-of-a-kind Bat Bar serving up signature drinks such as John L’s Lemonade.
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ure Trail and Cave
The most beautiful time to soak in the beauty of the Ozarks? Enjoy this attraction just before sunset before heading to Top of the Rock to experience one of the world-class dining options as well as our signature sunset ceremony to cap off a truly extraordinary evening. Your Top of the Rock Lost Canyon Cave and Nature Trail experience will begin at the Top of the Rock Welcome Center. Four-seat golf carts are available and you must be 18 years or older to operate a golf cart. Tour lasts approximately 40 to 50 minutes.
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Today marks 3 years since a sinkhole opened at Top of the Rock. A ter removing over 72,000 dump truck loads and 1.1 million yards of material, the majestic Cathedral of Nature has become a breathtaking addition to our property. A ter a sinkhole opened up atop a golf course at Big Cedar Lodge’s Top of the Rock Ozarks Heritage Preserve in May of 2015, noted conservationist and Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris is deep into a national treasure hunt that may well reveal a hidden natural wonder buried deep within the Ozarks. We now refer to this landmark as CATHEDRAL OF NATURE™ or CATHEDRAL™. The original collapse occurred a ter heavy rainfalls throughout the Ozark region, resulting in the creation of a large sinkhole spanning 70 feet across and running 40 feet deep. The spectacle occurred directly adjacent to the meticulously landscaped Tom Watson-designed putting green and drew worldwide media attention to Big Cedar Lodge and Top of the Rock Golf Course, just south of Branson, Missouri. A ter confirming the site’s stability geological engineers suggested filling the hole with large boulders and restoring the golf course to its original design. Morris, however, chose to explore in the hopes of finding a secret passageway and uncovering a massive cave system underneath the golf course and surrounding area. "A treasure hunt is underway and we hope to one day discover a new natural wonder lying below,” said Johnny Morris, who has been overseeing the big dig. “It’s been an exciting few months here at Top of the Rock and we hope the best is yet to come.” The sinkhole’s near-vertical collapse was characteristic of those in close proximity to cave formations. Water from the Cathedral of Nature™ drained out a cave located approximately one mile away that Morris personally discovered 23 years ago leading him to believe the two may potentially be connected by a long cave system.
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The excavations may reveal answers to a mystery that has intrigued Morris for many years dating back to the discovery of a small cave decades earlier. Morris' exploits into the cave were documented through family photos and a National Geographic feature story in April 1998. Morris first discovered the cave – dubbed JOHN L'S CAVE ™ - in 1993 on a walk with the property’s former owner Dr. M. Graham Clark when the two came upon a natural spring. Johnny started excavations and five years and several dead ends later, they revealed a cavern home to beautiful rock formations National Geographic magazine described as, “an underground chapel.” Though JOHN L'S CAVE™ extends about one hundred yards before large formations block further passage, Morris always wondered if it was linked to a more comprehensive underground system. A ter water rushed out from the mouth following the sinkhole implosion his interest was renewed and the treasure hunt was on once more. A ter a sinkhole opened up atop a golf course at Big Cedar Lodge’s Top of the Rock Ozarks Heritage Preserve in May of 2015, noted conservationist and Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris is deep into a national treasure hunt that may well reveal a hidden natural wonder buried deep within the Ozarks. We now refer to this landmark as CATHEDRAL OF NATURE™ or CATHEDRAL™. The original collapse occurred a ter heavy rainfalls throughout the Ozark region, resulting in the creation of a large sinkhole spanning 70 feet across and running 40 feet deep. The spectacle occurred directly adjacent to the meticulously landscaped Tom Watson-designed putting green and drew worldwide media attention to Big Cedar Lodge and Top of the Rock Golf Course, just south of Branson, Missouri. A ter confirming the site’s stability geological engineers suggested filling the hole with large boulders and restoring the golf course to its original design. Morris, however, chose to explore in the hopes of finding a secret passageway and uncovering a massive cave system underneath the golf course and surrounding area.
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September 20, 2017
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Arnie's Top of Rock Lodge
Missouri’s Ozark Mountains will soon be home to one of the most naturally stunning resort accommodations anywhere in the world. Noted conservationist and Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris today announced plans for Top of the Rock Lodge, a new signature wilderness resort accommodation poised to dramatically raise the bar for rustic nature-based elegance and world-class golf amenities in a breathtaking location unlike any place else on earth. Inspired by America’s iconic national park lodges, the soaring timber-and-stone-clad structure will sit directly on the edge of a newly discovered geologic wonder Morris calls, “The Cathedral of Nature” for its sheer size and awe-inspiring grandeur, inviting guests to marvel at dramatic 200-foot canyons and limestone formations from a number of mesmerizing vantage points.
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Top of the Rock Lodge is the latest world-class accommodation at Big Cedar Lodge – an award-winning wilderness resort Travel + Leisure has named the “Best Resort in the Midwest” for the past two years. The Lodge will be the first of its kind to be located at Top of the Rock Ozarks Heritage Preserve, Big Cedar’s enchanting clifftop experience home to golf, nature-based attractions, dining and entertainment. Both come from the visionary mind of Johnny Morris, who is sometimes referred to as “The Walt Disney of the Outdoors” for his signature creativity and passion for connecting people with nature.
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To honor Arnold Palmer, Big Cedar Lodge founder Johnny Morris asked his wife Jeanie to help find an old barn near Palmer’s hometown of Latrobe, Pennsylvania to house the golf pro shop and a second restaurant at Top of the Rock. She delivered. Right in Palmer’s own backyard, Mrs. Morris found Arnie’s Barn. Local Ozark cra tsman Danny Schwartz and his family members all joined in to carefully disassemble the barn and its 46-foot timbers, numbering each piece, transporting it and re-erecting the barn at Top of the Rock. Some of the timbers from the barn – which included the now extinct American chestnut – are so old, Top of the Rock historians are carbon dating them. When the barn was built 150 years ago, some of those timbers were already well over 100 years old. From Arnie’s Barn, guests enjoy magnificent views of the driving range along with unique memorabilia and golf gear found nowhere else. You don’t have to be a golfer to enjoy an a ternoon at Arnie’s Barn. The restaurant serves contemporary Mexican cuisine, perfect before or a ter a round on the links. And here at Arnie’s Barn, an immense fireplace, balcony seating and a cozy lounge area make up the backdrop for many a tall tale of a hole-in-one or monster bass hooked on Table Rock Lake.
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Long before Top of the Rock was home
to world-class attractions, legendary golf, and spectacular restaurants, it was home to an esteemed Ozarkian. What is now known as Osage restaurant was once the homestead of Dr. Graham Clark, former president of nearby College of the Ozarks. As a dear friend of Dr. Clark, Johnny Morris spent years admiring this treasured plot of land and purchased the property in 1992. A few years later, Morris opened Top of the Rock Restaurant and the Jack Nicklaus Signature Par-3 Golf Course to the public. In 2005 a small kitchen ďŹ re broke out at Top of the Rock Restaurant. Where most would see misfortune, Morris saw an opportunity to transform the property into the one-of-a-kind destination he had always imagined. Over the next several years the property was developed to include a variety of attractions and dining outlets. Each amenity was artfully designed to indulge the visitor in the rich history and beauty of the Ozarks. Johnny Morris’ Top of the Rock Ozarks Heritage Preserve reopened in 2014 in conjunction with the 1st Annual PGA Champions TOUR event, the Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf at Big Cedar Lodge.
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Entre ́es
Rotisserie Roasted All Natural Chicken $27.00 White Beans & Saute ́ed Zucchini, Garlic Herb Cream Organic Mushroom Risotto $22.00 Wilted Arugula, Green Beans, Hazelnuts, Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano Braised Short Rib $28.00 Mashed Potatoes, Peas & Carrots **Grilled Circle B Ranch Pork Chop $35.00 Saute ́ed Spring Vegetables & Dumplings with Caramelized Onion Cream Pan Seared Scallops $38.00 Organic Grits, Saute ́ed Red Cabbage & Bok Choy **Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon $34.00 Wilted Spinach, Creamed Baby Potatoes with Chives Genny Morris’ Buttermilk Fried Chicken Breast $24.00 Mashed Potatoes, Thyme Cream Gravy, Broccolini with Roasted Garlic Pan Seared Halibut $38.00 Asparagus & Shaved Zucchini, Basil Butter Pan Sauce, Crushed Potatoes with Herbs & Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil **Charred Rack of Lamb $38.00 Parmesan Roasted Yukon Potatoes, Sauteed Spinach, Peas & Green Beans, Caper & Mint Vinegar **28 Day Aged 8oz Filet $46.00 Glazed Sweet Potato with Bacon & Green Onion, Roasted Asparagus, Peppercorn Cream **Grilled 16oz Prime Grade Ribeye $48.00 Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, Organic Mushrooms in Garlic Herb Cream
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ogwood Canyon Nature Park is a one-of-a-kind experience for nature lovers and adventure
seekers of all ages. Covering 10,000 acres of pristine Ozark Mountain landscape, the park has miles of crystal-clear trout streams, cascading waterfalls, ancient burial caves, unique handbuilt bridges and bottomless, blue-green pools. The walls of the jagged ravines frame a dramatic valley bursting with hardwoods, evergreens and of course, the park’s namesake – Dogwoods. The streams hold record trout, and the high meadows that reach into Arkansas provide pasture for small resident herds of long-horned cattle, American bison and elk. Acquired by Bass Pro Shops’ founder Johnny Morris in 1990, the park is managed by the Dogwood Canyon Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the canyon’s natural plant and wildlife environment. The foundation promotes environmental conservation by maintaining the park and providing the public with an unspoiled setting for exploration and the enjoyment of various outdoor activities. There are many activities available at Dogwood Canyon Nature Park, all of which are family friendly and professionally managed.
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In March 1942... Earl and Agnes Lambert with 14 cents between them, borrowed $1500 from Tish Jones and with 5 employees opened for business in a small building on South Main Street in Sikeston Missouri. It consisted of a 9 stool counter and 8 tables for a total seating capacity of 41 people. Their policy of serving vegetables, meat and dessert was immediately established. These were trying years for everyone, World War II and severe rationing made restaurant operation extremely di ďŹ cult. The war years were greeted with many meatless days and supplies of all kinds were in short supply... but somehow and some way they were able to hang on. Earl Lambert passed away in 1976, and his son Norman and wife Patti, entered into the restaurant business as partners to Agnes Lambert, who still worked eight hours a day, six days a week.
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Johnny Morris, founder/CEO of Bass Pro Shops and leading
conservationist, in partnership with noted conservation partners from around the world, today announced the all-new Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium in Springfield, Missouri will celebrate its grand opening on National Hunting & Fishing Day, September 21, 2017. “I am proud and excited that this special facility dedicated to those who love the outdoors will open in the heart of America in our hometown, Springfield, Missouri,” said Johnny Morris. “We are deeply grateful to the many remarkably talented individuals and world-class conservation organizations that have come together for the past nine years to help make this vision a reality. It is our shared hope that the tremendous investment of time, energy and resources will have a profound, positive longterm impact on the future of hunting, fishing and conservation in America.” Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium will be the largest, most immersive fish and wildlife attraction in the world. “Wonders of Wildlife has the opportunity, like no other attraction before it, to have a positive national impact on wildlife and conservation,” said Colin O’Mara, President and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, a key partner organization. “Johnny’s investment in this not-for-profit facility through the Johnny Morris Foundation will establish one of the most valuable and respected conservation and education centers in the world.” Wonders of Wildlife consists of an all-new 1.5-million-gallon aquarium adventure showcasing 35,000 live fish, mammals, reptiles and birds, and an immersive wildlife museum that brings visitors eye-to-eye with the greatest collection of recordsetting game animals ever assembled. Located adjacent to Bass Pro Shops National Headquarters in Springfield, Missouri, the 320,000-square foot experience celebrates people who hunt, fish, and act as stewards of the land and water. In conjunction with the grand opening a national conservation summit will highlight a series of celebrations and commemorative events with leading conservation partners, special guests and dignitaries from across the nation. The events will honor the positive role hunters and anglers play in wildlife conservation and help inspire the next generation of outdoor stewards.
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Springfield, Missouri -- This story begins
in a liquor store. That's where, in 1971, Johnny Morris first launched his Bass Pro Shops fishing and hunting empire, selling lures, bait and tackle amid the bottles of Jim Beam and Jack Daniel's in one of his father's Brown Derby booze shops. It's also where the Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium begins, a monument to American conservation that opened up six months ago in the heart of the Ozark Mountains, calling itself "the world's largest wildlife museum."
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Johnny Morris' Wonders of Wildlife (WOW) The largest, most immersive conservation attraction in the world. There is a new national destination that honors the adventurers, explorers, outdoorsmen and conservationists who helped discover, develop and preserve the nation we love. Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium, the largest, most immersive conservation attraction in the world is located in the heart of America in Springfield, Missouri USA. The not-forprofit Wonders of Wildlife earned major national recognition from USA TODAY when it was voted as "America’s Number One Best New Attraction." Unprecedented in scale and scope, Wonders of Wildlife is larger than the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. With 35,000 live fish, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and birds, the 350,000 square-foot complex is a wonder in and of itself. It contains more than 1.5 miles of trails through authentic, immersive habitats and features 1.5 million gallons of freshwater and saltwater aquariums using innovative designs and over-the-top creativity to transport guests to the heart of the ocean. Wonders of Wildlife is a gi t to future generations from Johnny Morris, establishing a significant not-for-profit conservation attraction and education center in the heart of America.
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Beyond its sheer scale and quality, what’s most impressive about the museum and aquarium is its powerful message to inspire everyone to connect with the outdoors. As the world advances and more people live and work in major metropolitan areas, it is more important than ever to preserve and promote outdoor experiences. In a stressfilled world of tra fic jams, endless emails, calls and constant pressure, the best medicine is a peaceful, rejuvenating experience in nature. Johnny’s goal has always been to make it possible for people to experience the wonders of the outdoors. The museum and aquarium pay homage to the sportsmen and women of yesterday, today and tomorrow with the knowledge that the surest way to preserve our rich outdoor heritage is to expose more people to its awe-inspiring beauty.
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Big Cedar History Pages
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SURE HOPE U HAD A FUN TIME!
Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium is the largest immersive wildlife attraction in the world. Explore a 1.5-million-gallon aquarium adventure showcasing 35,000 live ďŹ sh, mammals, reptiles and birds and a wildlife museum o fering a tour of the wildest places on earth. The 350,000-square foot experience features more than 1.5 miles of immersive trails and exhibits.