Big Cedar Lodge, A Missouri Jewel

Ever wonder where all that terrific copper, wood and iron works that you see gracing the many Bass Pro Shops around the country comes from? Well, Bass Pro Fabrication group located on 40-acres in the city of Nix, Missouri, not far from the flagship store in Springfield, custom makes them. They are one-of-kind items such as lighting fixtures as large as a ton in weight and 8-feet across, to huge, artfully crafted and themed fireplace screens as well as more diminutive light fixtures for lodge rooms, restaurants and cottages, to name but a few of the places that are part of the Bass Pro business group.
Lest one think that only Bass Pro Shops and their fabulous Big Cedar Lodge have been the only recipients of the fabrication artists talents, a few friends of Bass Pro, such as Coca Cola and Disney have had some significant items and decorations made for them at Bass Pro’s Fabrication Division.
On my recent visit, I found that the details that the fabricators so artfully capture, are extremely decorative and definitely one of a kind, such as carvings of wolves, all manner of deer and moose, fish and birds, trees and flowers-actually anything, even iron and wood crafted octopi, fish, mollusks, and crustaceans for stores close to saltwater store locations, for saltwater themed displays, fixtures decorative arts, etc.
Johnny Morris is a stickler for being as close to perfection on all that he does. He wants things to be 110-percent, and like the folks at Disney, doesn’t believe that just good enough, is good enough. He wants his customers to see all of his operations to be special in every way all the time, and he makes every effort to make sure that they are.
After spending several days at Big Cedar Lodge and meeting numerous guests there, the overriding words I heard were: “WOW! Isn’t this a special experience.”? From the meals to the marina, from the cottages to the rooms and suites all were special. Every little extra touch was both visible and visceral. Imagine just walking down the stairways and at each landing an elk or wolf met your gaze carved or worked over by a taxidermist, but they made an impression nonetheless. The feeling you got was the management was really going the extra mile, turning over every rock, (they use lots of rocks in their landscapes) so to speak to see that they do.

Spending time at Big Cedar Lodge was a treat all the way. When IAte dinner at the Worman House at Big Cedar, one of several fine dining restaurants, I found memorable dining in an atmosphere that exuded Tudor splendor from this 1920’s country estate that has been meticulously restored and expanded as the setting for one of the great dining experiences you’d expect from the management teams, but this was not the only great restaurant at Big Cedar. I enjoyed a fabulous dinner of seafood and steak and made sure to try their desserts too all extra special and fabulous. On Sunday I also brunched it at the Worman House they say it in their brochure that “it’s like no other” they are right. At the The Bent Hook Marina and Market that is thought of as the Gateway to the Table Rock Lake, I swam, took in a boat ride around Table Rock Lake and took a few pictures of the bass brought in for live weigh in, as part of a fishing tournament put on by Pond Boss Magazine’s 2nd Annual Expo.
The really nice thing about Big Cedar Lodge and all of Bass Pro’s businesses is they are all geared towards families, kids, friends doing things in the outdoors such as fishing, hunting, boating anything that includes Mother Nature in the mix. They have on-going enterprises that keep their eyes on the future too. Every child that can be introduced to the outdoors and all that this encompasses is more than likely to enter the portal of Mother Nature and never leave it-introducing and enjoying on and on again through generations, of their families.
Big Cedar also offers a lakeside spa and carriage house Fitness Center for guest’s health, beauty, strength, and fitness-it’s all part of their desire to see guests enjoying the benefits of renewing mind, body, and spirit. Add in a little fishing, golfing, walking and swimming and everyone is the better for. Wherever you went at Big Cedar people had knowing smiles on their faces.
On another evening after spending a fine day after looking over and taking photographs to show my friends in Florida all about my trip to this first class resort, I headed for the Devils Pool Restaurant. The Devils Pool is located next to a scenic swinging bridge that is over a deep gorge over a section of Table Rock Lake. It is a safe, yet awe-inspiring experience walking over this suspended, slightly swinging bridge.
I had dinner surrounded by the rustic elegance of a decades old historic log structure with beautiful fireplaces, wrought iron fixtures and hunting memorabilia. I feasted on rainbow trout and also tasted their hickory smoked prime rib. This restaurant as all the others, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and all are first rate.
I bought a gift for my wife at Collections Boutique, and spent some time viewing the interesting exhibits at the Pond Boss Expo. Big Cedar now sports a spectacular new convention center, you guessed it, all décor fits the Bass Pro and Big Cedar credo of wild and wooly, and very early American pioneer, merged with comfortable contemporary.

Later, I headed for the Truman Coffee and Café where I met a few new friends over coffee and cheese Danish on the patio overlooking the lake.
Lest you think no matter how fine this place is rooms and cottages are similar to other fine resorts. No, remember I said 110-percent. Well the accommodations at Big Cedar have the extras and they equate to each room and cottage having the finest bath facilities with full Jacuzzi tubs and multiple shower head systems, décor that truly is one of a kind and perfectly comfy beds. I really didn’t want to leave the simple luxury of Big Cedar, but reality calls!

The entire property is full of ponds, streams, waterfalls and the friendliest employees possible. Why are employees so friendly? They love their job and working conditions. That’s what each and every one from the part time clerk at the Boutique to the full time concierge, from the chefs to the waiters and waitresses-I asked many of the employees and they all told me how happy and privileged they felt working at Big Cedar. I also have the same responses at the fabrication plant. And, for sure, this is also the case at Bass Pro Shops I have visited.

In December there are several special events such as Holiday wagon light tours, the Annual Tree Lighting Ceremonies and the New Years Fire Works at Big Cedar too.
Stay tuned for spring, summer and fall events as well!

Big Cedar Lodge is located at 612 Devils Pool Rd. Ridgedale, Missouri 65739
417-335-2777 or you can also go: www.bigcedar.com and take a good look at where you would want to take your next vacation. On a scale of 1-100, I rate Big Cedar at 110-plus.

Holy Bread Called Bagels

By Bob T. Epstein

BB’s Bagels and Breads located at 5866 Ballenger Creek Pike in Frederick, MD.

Every Sunday morning Milt Feinberg makes his way to BB’s Bagels and Bread for a robust cup of coffee and a “everything bagel” slathered with chive cream cheese made along with everything else on premises. He is not alone!

Mary Gervais, owner of BB’s bagel and breads background at first glance would not hint of her interest and qualifications for opening a bread and bagel emporium, but not everything at first glance is self evident.  “As a child my grandma baked and I helped her a bit. This memory and the aromas of the fresh baked bread and goodies never left me. I always enjoyed baking with my children and I am passionate about creating and experimenting with how bread rises and the way it is baked. After working 18-years in international business in sales and marketing taught me that I had enough traveling around. It was time for me to seek out a business of my own.” Her husband Bobby Rodriguez originally from Puerto Rico and whose family owns 10-bakeries there, was a big help according to Gervais. He helped & encouraged me all he could and today after 4-years in business at her Ballenger Creek Pike location, she proudly sees thousands of pounds of bagels and bread leave her store in the hands of her steady customers, weekly.

Two years ago, 22-year old Rolando Delgado from Venezuela was offered a chance to be the baker at BB’s after he told Gervais he had family experience in baking bread. “She needed a baker and I was at the right place at the right time”, said Delgado. Today he is very proud of his position making onion, garlic, plain and salt bagels to name but a few of his creations not to mention numerous bread types with an assortment of cheese, herbs and other ingredients as well as scrumptious breakfast muffins with berries and nuts. Delgado said that he makes hundreds of pounds of bagels and breads daily and loves handling the ingredients and dough he makes. This fine coffee shop, breakfast and lunch emporium offers wireless connect to patrons and has pastries and muffins many of her customers drive for miles to purchase. ”Weekends”, says Delgado, I make 1000 pounds of bagels in every flavor, with all sorts of delicious toppings.”

Bagels are made with gluten flower (from New York, yes, they do taste just like New York bagels)  which takes about 15-minutes to mix into a large slab of dough. Delgado cuts and fashions the dough into a long, arm thick slab which he runs through a bagel forming machine which runs them out on a constant belt driven conveyor and Delgado forms the final circle which bagels are so well known for. The bagel require 91-degrees of temperature for the yeast to work and this is done in a humidity proofing machine. Then they go into a computerized oven where they are steam cooked for 16-minutes. Toppings all go on before the proofing and right after the the bagel circle is formed. 4-5 thousand pounds of bagels are created weekly for the store and also for the catering and farmers markets where they are also served and sold. On Wednesday cakes and tarts are baked as well as fine pastries. BB’s bagels are big, no not just big they are large. One bagel is a meal with or without being filled with cream cheese and lox, or any other interesting ingredient you may like such as a scrambled egg and cheese or perhaps a warm ham and cheese or bacon and egg sandwich.

By Bob Epstein

Since Ponce De Leon first stepped ashore on a tiny section of Florida’s 8400 miles of shoreline in 1513, fishing has been and continues to be a top draw for visitors and residents of this state.

In the past 30 years, a popular new hobby has evolved that has many devotee’s of the 60- million people who fish in the U.S. and many more of those who visit Florida. That interest is collecting anything that pertains to anglings past. This includes rods, reels, lures, books and a thousand other types of early angling gear, art, and tackle shop merchandizing point of purchase props.

With more than 30- thousand lakes, 100 large springs 32 now inhabited Islands known as the Keys and dozens of coastal rivers, it’s no wonder a lot of gear has been designed and used for Florida fishing. What’s the lure of collecting old fishing gear, pun intended? Why finding gold in them “thar” old tackle boxes in the form of nostalgia or just old fashioned dollars. Some old reels, rods, lures are worth big bucks. At an auction in Maine not long ago, an 1810 handmade reel made by George Snyder from Paris Kentucky fetched $20,300 dollars and an 1859 Haskell minnow lure brought a whopping $22,000. However most collectibles can be purchased in the $25 to $150 dollar range. But besides the money, tackle collecting can put people in touch with their youth as well. Owning one or more pieces of fishing tackle that may have been in the hands of grandpa 60 or more years ago or perhaps of the vintage of Zane Grey or Ernest Hemingway helps us capture a piece of those times. As we visualize the glory days of somehow being better, more relaxed and thought of in sort of a pastel haze of memory and memorial to that by gone era.

Tackle collecting is also an education in the history of the sport and angling as a pastime. You can learn how clock makers got into the reel making trade by crafting prized custom reels for themselves, family members and friends. And as these reels were seen and talked about the demand for them began to grow. Some of these former clock craftsmen of old, became manufacturers of fine simple fishing reels as more and more fisherman at heart became anglers in earnest.

Even before the turn of the last century, people were switching from a sun up to sundown agrarian farming existence to an industrial and more urban lifestyle. These were folks who now worked for an hourly wage and had a bit more time to enjoy recreative pursuits. Near the top of the list of vacation pastimes was and still is fishing. Fishing is one of the few sports an entire family no matter the age or physical condition can share in.

The following are some hints for successful trading, selling and buying old and collectable fishing memorabilia: Define what you want to collect. Some like Clyde Harbin of South Carolina, collect only old Heddon lures. Today he has 25,000 of these various model lures. Some collectors want only books and catalogues. Others like reels, rods, creels, bait traps, early fish spears-everything. However don’t pass up anything you may come across at the flea market, auction or yard sale. What you may not wish to collect can be traded to someone else who has an interest in what you have for what you collect. Arm yourself with knowledge. Read and read some more about tackle collecting. Always make an offer, no prices on antiques are hard and fast. Tackle collecting is a hobby so be brave there is nothing the matter with a bit of bargaining, most collectors and sellers expect and enjoy the bargaining. You can’t win them all, but always play fair. “Do unto others” should never be left out of any of your dealings. Join a collectors club and subscribe to tackle collectors newsletters and magazines. There are several available today. Reference books on early tackle will help you get started. The following clubs and magazines are recommended for your interests. Old Fishing Lures and Tackle by Carl F. Luckey, a 466 page identification and value guide to tackle collectibles available from Books Americana, Inc. P.O.Box 2326, Florence, Alabama 35630 the price is $22.95. Another great book is Karl T. White’s book named Tackle Antiques A Reference & Evaluation. Write to White at P.O.Box 169, Arcadia OK 73007 for a copy. Write the National Fishing Lure Collectors Club at P.O.Box 1791, Dearborn Michigan 48121 for membership information. The American Museum of Fly Fishing is another fine location to learn much about collecting tackle from. Write P.O.Box 42, Manchester Vermont 05254. The quarterly newsletter Antique Angler is put out by Paul J. Weber P.O. Box K. Stockton, New Jersey, 08559. Fishing Collectibles Magazine, 2005
Tree House Lane, Plano,Texas 75023 is an excellent magazine and should be ordered by any serious collector. For a very fine visit to a good museum displaying antique tackle in Florida stop by the offices of the International Game Fish Association at their new home in Pompano, Florida. IGFA’s address is 1301 E. Atlantic Blvd. Pompano Beach, FL 33060 call them for further information at
1(305)941 3474

March 10th and 11th of 2012

Since the 1970s, the Festival of the Art has been the Gulf Coast’s first rite of spring. The Festival is a celebration of the visual arts, performing arts, literary arts, music and culinary arts. The Festival of the Art takes place on the second weekend of March at the Orange Beach Arts Center’s campus and the adjoining Waterfront Park. Festival admission is $1 for adults.

The Visual Arts includes 90 Artists from across the nation with live demonstrations of glass blowing, molten iron casting and raku pottery firing. The Culinary Arts brings the unique flavors of the Gulf Coast as local restaurateurs prepare specialties for festival guest. The Performing Arts includes two stages of non-stop music and entertainment with individual performers scattered about the Festival site. Plus the wonderful Kids’ Art Alley with amazing children’s art activities.

Join the anticipate 25,000 guests for this year’s exciting Festival. For more information call (251) 981-2787 or visit the website at http://www.obfoa.com/

Dr. Steven Brenner & His world renowned hospital: Long Island IVF, is
designed to offer Invitro Fertilization to women who just have not been able to conceive in the way it’s been done down through time, another very modern way to go!

Ask any woman, married or still single if she plans on having children someday? Practically everyone of them would say “yes.”
But, what if for one reason or another, due to her or her husbands physical biochemical situation she cannot?
The couple could turn to an adoption option, or they could turn to specialists in Invitro Fertilization. Thousands do so every year.
And that’s where Dr. Brenner, a highly published, board certified Reproductive Endocrinologist, who completed his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, and his fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology at the New York University, comes into play.

Dr. Brenner was the Chief of Reproductive Endocrinology at Long Island Jewish Medical Center from 1991-2008. Dr. Brenner has received national recognition for his continued dedication to the training of the resident physicians at LIJ. His association with Dr. Kenigsberg has enabled Long Island IVF to maintain its pre-eminent position on Long Island.
“My interest in reproductive endocrinology was stimulated during my residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Beth Israel Medical Center. At that time, tremendous progress was made in technology allowing for therapies in ways that were never possible before. Fortunately, these advances have continued and allow me to participate in a field that remains innovative.”
“Reproductive endocrinology is a challenging, meaningful and rewarding subspecialty. I regard it as a true privilege to treat patients who suffer from problems with infertility. The rewards, when successful, extend not only to my patients, but to their own families who will now be grandparents, aunts and uncles. The impact that I have as a physician not only on all of these individuals, but all of those people who are effected by a child in his or her own future, represents a reward that is indescribable.”
And who knows which one of these children, that never would have been born without Brenner’s and his associative doctors, and very professional staff, could become the next Einstein or Cary Grant?

Check them out on their website: Long Island IVF www.longislandivf.com

We would like to introduce you to the newest addition to the Florida Keys. Opening in the spring of 2012, the new 15,000 square foot Irving R Eyster Museum of Florida Keys History and Conference Center. This new facility will house almost 7000 sq. ft. of museum exhibition space on two fully accessible floors. These spaces have been designed and furnished with a huge emphasis on an accurate recreation of Florida Keys history. Even the two-story tall grand entry includes a detailed map mural of the entire Florida Keys area. Museum exhibits will include various display areas depicting early explorers, pirates, settlers, native Indians, the Spanish Connection, shipwrecks, and lighthouse memorabilia.

The Museum will also include historical data on hurricanes, railroads and fishing legends. And, the state-of-the-art “Eye of the Storm Theatre” will be the entertainment centerpiece of the museum. Also included in this facility will be a fully functional 4000 square foot conference center. This Conference Center will include three large meeting rooms, pre-function space, conference/reading room, and a full service Banquet Kitchen. The exterior of the building has been designed to reflect the true character of Florida Keys Architecture. A two-story traditional style building, along with a large two-story ocean-facing porch give this building a relaxed inviting appeal.

And last but not least, functions can easily be taken right off of the porch, and right onto the lush garden area. This garden area is fully accessible, and may be used for weddings, receptions, outdoor meetings, or just lounging at the end of the day by the ocean. All of this, along with the famous Islander Resort Hotel, located on the same property, within a short walking distance.

We would like to introduce you to the newest addition to the Florida Keys. Opening in the spring of 2012, the new 15,000 square foot Irving R Eyster Museum of Florida Keys History and Conference Center. This new facility will house almost 7000 sq. ft. of museum exhibition space on two fully accessible floors. These spaces have been designed and furnished with a huge emphasis on an accurate recreation of Florida Keys history. Even the two-story tall grand entry includes a detailed map mural of the entire Florida Keys area. Museum exhibits will include various display areas depicting early explorers, pirates, settlers, native Indians, the Spanish Connection, shipwrecks, and lighthouse memorabilia.

The Museum will also include historical data on hurricanes, railroads and fishing legends. And, the state-of-the-art “Eye of the Storm Theatre” will be the entertainment centerpiece of the museum. Also included in this facility will be a fully functional 4000 square foot conference center. This Conference Center will include three large meeting rooms, pre-function space, conference/reading room, and a full service Banquet Kitchen. The exterior of the building has been designed to reflect the true character of Florida Keys Architecture. A two-story traditional style building, along with a large two-story ocean-facing porch give this building a relaxed inviting appeal.

And last but not least, functions can easily be taken right off of the porch, and right onto the lush garden area. This garden area is fully accessible, and may be used for weddings, receptions, outdoor meetings, or just lounging at the end of the day by the ocean. All of this, along with the famous Islander Resort Hotel, located on the same property, within a short walking distance.

We wanted to see why there parking lot was always full. We found out!

How about all the best fries you can eat with hamburgers piled high with every topping under the sun!

The wait for our great burger was very short as it was prepared from scratch right in front of our eyes. In the meantime we chomped on peanuts and peope watched.

Did you ever see a 4oo-pound woman eat a 6-inch high loaded hamburger? We did!

We enjoyed our burgers and fries very much. There are six other 5-Guys up and down the east coast of Florida and they all have the same formula: great burgers and laods of fries and fun! Burgers were so big and so many fries, we actually shared it so it fit in our happy stomach. They are located at 1707 St. Lucie West Blvd. and Manager RJ Farnham was very enthusiastic and friendly! This new burger place employees 25. A great addition to PSL!

On The Road Again

 Bob and Barbara Epstein

Roanoke Virginia is one of the Best All-around Cities to Visit In America!

We love to bring attention to great places that just beg to be noticed by travelers moving along in every direction of the compass on super highways. Most of these cities and places are just a few more minutes away from the highway than the usual fare of fast food, fast fuel and a quick hop, skip, and jump back onto the highway locations. This is one of those times of year that travelers, by vehicle or RV, whether they be Floridians, snowbirds or one-week tourists are on the move and quite familiar with I-95, I-75 and I-81 but quite unfamiliar with locales that these great routes let us speed-along by.

Most of us rush to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible, almost always driving along, above and beyond the posted speed limits in a pell mell rush to somehow (foolishly thinking we are saving time, that just cannot be saved) get somewhere quicker than anybody else.

So if you are that person who enjoys stopping to smell the proverbial roses. And if you believe the trip itself should be part of the overall adventure and vacation, then read on.

When Catherine Fox of the Roanoke Valley Convention & Visitors
Bureau invited us to spend some time in her favorite area of Virginia, we didn’t hesitate a second to head off of RT. I-81, drive a few miles and visit. We were on our way home from spending some excellent moments with our children in Maryland and decided to take the “time” which inexorably passes us by every second unless we take “our time.”

We stayed at The Hotel Roanoke, a Doubletree Hotel and & Conference Center. This fabulous hotel was a total treat in every way. The rooms are first-class. Comfort and then-some was the rule here. The hotel was designated a Historic Hotel of America in 2001. It originally opened in 1882. After a recent $42 million renovation the now, 332 luxuriously appointed guest rooms well compliments the new conference center. The service at the hotel was impeccable, I mean that you felt that every day the staff really appreciated their positions and whether they got a pep talk from management or not, they were there for you with style and caring service (they even won a national award for service). There is a plethora of amenities available at the hotel. Go: www.hotelroanoke.com for information about your potential visit. There is an excellent opera and symphony orchestra in Roanoke and even a museum of railroading among the other terrific exhibits.

A skyway from the Tudorean architectural style hotel over and across the railroad terminus and railway runs (what a treat for kids of any ages seeing the big trains rumble by right under your feet) to Market Square that offers a quaint and excellent farmers market stall-center for home-agricultural producers & distributors to show and sell their produce, plants and flowers. We found a vast selection plants to choose from and we did take some home to Tennessee for our gardens. We ate sumptuously in the famous Regency Dining Room and frankly it would be difficult to recommend any one menu item, as we found each of the dishes we tried to be plate-licking good but plate-licking with a jacket and tie somehow just didn’t fit (I snuck a last lick anyway). In any event, be prepared to be spoiled at the Regency Dining Room. The conference center and hotel employs more than 400 people. This means that if all rooms were taken by singles there is 1.4 employees to each registered guest.

If you like to golf, fish, eat at a different restaurant each night of the week, every day of the year, than Roanoke and sister city Salem can accommodate you. We spent just one evening and part of day in Roanoke and we are going back for at least a week to visit some of the fine museums and take in an opera too! See you there, huh?

Here’s how to get all the information from the friendly dedicated folks at the Convention and Visitors Bureau that you need to have a great heads-up on your Roanoke City adventure: 1-800-635-5535 or on the WWW. Go www.visitroanokeva.com

The Mully Sports Towel Helps Every Sportsman Play Clean

Within the realm of “KISS” we found a neat product that keeps it simple, but also keeps your hands clean too!

Whether golfing, boating, fishing or any outdoor pursuit, it’s great to be able to sweep the sweat off your hands, brow, your club, rod or gun, shovel and hoe, and not have to fumble around for a towel to do it.

The Mully Sports Towel clips on and stays out of the way until you need it! What’s neat about it is it’s always there, to be used the instant you want it, but it’s not crumpled up in a pocket or tackle box, or anywhere out of the way, and time consuming to reach. Just reach for it-it’s there!

With this towel it’s there instantly and you can just let it go it winds back and it’s ready again and again anytime you need it. The towel is washable so it can last and last through many uses, time after time.

You can order towels imprinted with your name, boat name, etc. It clips on instantly and with the retractable pull-cord goes where you go and stays out of the way. This is one reasonable priced gift too!

This product is made in the USA and for more information go: www.themullytowel.com