As we opened the door to our lakeside two-bedroom cabin at Big Cedar Lodge for their Home for the Holidays celebration on Friday, November 14, we were greeted with an unexpected surprise. “Girls, look! A note from Santa is on the table—and there’s an envelope with a clue!”
My girls rushed to the kitchen table to see what Dad was talking about. My husband read aloud, “My tricky elves have hidden the ingredients to decorate my cookies. Follow the clues to see if you can find the hidden ingredients to decorate your own cookies in your cabin!”
My five-year-old was practically leaping out of her seat to begin the hunt. We worked our way through each clue, finding cookies hidden under the festively decorated cabin Christmas tree, bagged marshmallows tucked beneath fluffy pillows, mint chips hiding behind the coffee pot and icing waiting inside the fridge (which was also stocked with chilled complementary beverages, to our delight). By the time she was decorating her sugary confection, my daughter was joyfully singing, “I love Big Cedar Lodge.”
The Elves In-Room Scavenger Hunt was just the tip of the iceberg during our weekend visit- just over three hours from home in KC. Home for the Holidays transforms the premier wilderness resort with over four million twinkling lights from November 7th through the end of December. Towering trees, larger-than-life polar bears and gigantic blue stars illuminated every inch of the property. My girls explored the glowing Frisco Express, climbed into Santa’s lifesize sleigh pulled by reindeer and then headed to the firepits where we enjoyed chocolate-covered s’mores and warm cider while my oldest danced to the Christmas music.
Families can choose from three different light tours, each spectacular in its own way. The first is a self-guided light tour, perfect for exploring at your own pace from the comfort of your vehicle. Another option is the Holiday Tram Ride, where our family relaxed with a complimentary hot beverage while a tractor pulled the trailer through a dazzling display, including the 12 Days of Christmas brought to life in lights. Most notable, in my opinion, was the Nature at Night tour on the Lost Canyon Cave and Nature Trail at Top of the Rock. This 2.5-mile golf-cart-driven route winds under waterfalls, through the Lost Canyon Cave and across illuminated bridges, showcasing scenes like a light-up wolf howling at the moon and a magnificent illuminated buck overlooking a running waterfall.
New this year, and not to be missed, are the family-friendly winter activities at Big Cedar Lodge. The ice-skating rink, tube sledding and private sleigh ride light tours set the tone for a weekend of big holiday fun. My daughter loved zooming down the enormous slide in her intertube. Santa and his elves also greeted each child along the way, asking what they wanted for Christmas and handing out stickers and candy canes. To top the night off, a brilliant fireworks display lit up Table Rock Lake.
The next morning, we had the delight of joining Santa for breakfast at the historic Worman House. After enjoying made-to-order omelets, French toast, waffles and eggs in the cozy lodge setting, we headed to Fun Mountain, where my daughters decorated ceramic ornaments fired in the kiln at the Elves’ Winter Workshop. With 50,000 square feet of activities, we easily could have spent the entire day there, but our favorites were the underwater-themed bowling alley, the arcade and the giant suspended pirate ship with its 30-foot spiral slides.
Our dining experiences throughout the weekend were equally memorable. Thanks to the gorgeous weather, we enjoyed a relaxing lunch on the patio at Devil’s Pool, taking in beautiful lake views. For an elevated evening meal, we visited Osage Restaurant, where my husband enjoyed the macadamia nut crusted seabass and I had the 22-ounce bone-in ribeye while overlooking the sweeping Ozark Mountain views as the sun set. The combination of unique artwork and Native American artifacts created the perfect atmosphere to end our day.
It’s safe to say that my daughter’s made-up song—“I love Big Cedar Lodge”—couldn’t have been more true after our stay at the Home for the Holidays event. Our family left with hearts full of treasured holiday memories.
Ready to make your own holiday memories? Head to BigCedar.com to start planning your getaway today.