Many Midwestern resorts offer holiday feasts and seasonal activities.
By Patsy Bell Hobson

Family gatherings are changing. Orlando resorts are busy at Christmas time, and it’s common for guests to make reservations for next year while on a holiday vacation. Some folks choose to stay out of the kitchen in order to spend quality time visiting with seldom-seen family members. And empty-nesters with little birds who cannot fly home for the holidays find it’s not practical to fix a huge holiday meal for one or two people, yet a celebration is in order.

Above: The rustic Mabee Lodge at the Keeter Center at the College of the Ozarks near Branson, Mo., bedecked for the holidays. College of the Ozarks photo Top (in Title): Chocolate treats at The Lodge of Four Seasons at the Lake of the Ozarks, which offers great meals and a holiday market at Christmastime. The Lodge of Four Seasons photo

Family gatherings are changing. Orlando resorts are busy at Christmas time, and it’s common for guests to make reservations for next year while on a holiday vacation. Some folks choose to stay out of the kitchen in order to spend quality time visiting with seldom-seen family members. And empty-nesters with little birds who cannot fly home for the holidays find it’s not practical to fix a huge holiday meal for one or two people, yet a celebration is in order.

Not exactly a Norman Rockwell setting, but definitely a sign of the times.

To accommodate the changing face of holiday celebrations, Midwest resorts have the capacity to serve extensive and elaborate gourmet meals to large or small gatherings. Most resorts bundle a delicious feast with seasonal activities that can make wonderful memories away from home. Here is a sampling of favorite resorts that offer a warm welcome for the winter holidays.

“Hard Work U” and cookies, too

Every overnight guest at Mabee Lodge in Point Lookout, Mo., is treated as well as Santa when generous servings of milk and cookies are delivered to rooms. Located 35 miles south of Springfield in Keeter Center at the College of the Ozarks–often called Hard Work U–the lodge’s nightly ritual includes a plate of fresh-baked cookies and a bottle of frosty milk from the campus dairy.

College of the Ozarks is a liberal arts school with an innovative work/study program that opened in 1906. Students work 15 hours a week to help pay for their education, as well as gain valuable on-the-job experience.

The culinary staff of students in Dobyns Dining Room will make sure guests have a memorable holiday meal. Enjoy a Thanksgiving Day brunch with traditional dishes and all the trimmings from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Though Mabee Lodge is small (30 suites), its reputation is great. The lodge–with its rustic design–welcomes visitors for Thanksgiving. The Christmas season kicks off on Nov. 30 when the Keeter Center hosts its annual Christmas tree lighting. Guests sip hot, spiced cider with fresh cookies and the college’s famous fruitcake while carolers sing. Gather around the center’s 30-foot tree trimmed with 30,000 lights for the customary lighting.

The lodge and dining room will close Christmas Day. Holiday dining reservations are required.

Over the river and through the woods

Climb aboard the sleigh for a ride over the river and through the woods to an old-fashioned country Christmas at Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, Mo., about 10 miles southwest of Branson. Enjoy hot cocoa and s’mores around the campfires after the sleigh ride. Celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas throughout the holidays in a twinkling country Christmas wonderland.

Sing carols, decorate cookies, or join a hot cider toast to the bonfire and tree lighting ceremony held each night beginning Dec. 15. Beginning Nov. 26, just in time for Santa, Big Cedar will deliver an artificial tree and decorations to your door. Trim the tree and keep it in the room during your family’s stay.

On Christmas Day, reserve a hot, ready-to-serve turkey dinner with all the trimmings delivered to your room. And yes, there’s even enough for leftovers. Or indulge in the most decadent gourmet buffet ever. Favorite holiday foods and beverages are there, from wassail to authentic fig pudding. Tables are constantly replenished with every dessert that ever danced in your head.

Accommodations are varied at the resort that’s nestled in beautiful Ozark woods. Choose one of nine knotty cottages or a private log cabin. Additional cabins are in Dogwood Canyon Nature Park, 16 miles from Big Cedar Lodge. Spring View, Valley View and the newer 65-room Falls Lodge also offer overnight accommodations. Ask about the Ozark Mountain Christmas package available Nov. 2 through Jan. 1.

Lakeside yuletide

Nothing sparkles like Christmas lights on a lake. A family holiday gathering at central Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks might include a Thanksgiving buffet feast at The Lodge of Four Seasons followed the next day with a trip to Osage Beach Premium Outlets. The Lodge’s buffet features traditional turkey, dressing and all the trimmings, plus carved prime rib and ham. Work in a round of golf or luxuriate at Spa Shiki.

Every Friday and Saturday evening from Nov. 30 through Dec. 30, The Lodge will feature carolers, choirs, bands or bells. The Holiday Market, with 70 vendors from the Midwest selling handmade Christmas ornaments, decorations, candy and more, will be Nov. 16–18. An $89 room rate includes overnight accommodations and admission to the Holiday Market.

New Year’s Eve packages range from $209–$329, and guests can stay over Jan. 1 for $50 more, and check out at 5 p.m. Spa Shiki will offer 20-percent discounts on New Year’s Day.

A holiday jackpot

French Lick Springs Resort in southern Indiana prepares a delicious Thanksgiving buffet for visitors. French Lick Springs Resort photo

There is much to be thankful for at the French Lick Springs Resort & Casino’s Thanksgiving Day buffet. The beautiful buffet is endless–you can’t possibly taste everything.

The resort, located 65 miles south of Indianapolis, has traditional Thanksgiving favorites, including a carving station with honey-glazed ham, butter-basted turkey, butternut squash bisque, roasted pork loin and all the trimmings. Every holiday favorite is there, from seafood to fresh fruit, and the biggest, juiciest roasted turkey I have ever tasted. The chef says the secret to a juicy turkey is that the birds are big and the ovens are hot.

Be sure to call ahead and make a reservation for the Thanksgiving Day buffet, whether you are coming for the meal or are a guest at the resort. The salads, sides and entree selections are so varied that you may opt out of the pumpkin pie for dessert. The buffet lines are always full, but they move rapidly, and the hot, fresh food just keeps coming. Tables can be reserved for singles, couples, or huge family gatherings.

A holiday favorite, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” will be adapted for the stage in a new production suitable for families. The show will be offered at 8 p.m. Dec. 19–23, with a matinee at 2 p.m. on Dec. 22.

For a fuss-free holiday, leave the decorating, housekeeping and cooking to someone else while you enjoy your family and friends. Making a reservation is all the preparation you’ll have to do.

Patsy Bell Hobson is a contributor from Cape Girardeau, Mo.