Think you’re too old or just too darn sophisticated for summer camp? So did I, but Big Cedar Lodge in the Missouri Ozarks made me think again. While those long-ago summer camps too often involved uncomfortable tents and swelteringly hot cabins, Big Cedar Lodge is comprised of a wide array of luxury accommodations. These include beautifully appointed hotel rooms and suites, swish residences, private log cabins, and upscale lakeside cottages with wide decks and private kitchens.

My lakeside log cabin featured a single bedroom with a full-sized convertible sofa, wooden dining room table, full-sized refrigerator, dishwasher and a cozy wood-burning fireplace. The bathroom had a generously sized shower with a built-in bench, plus a freestanding soaking tub for long post-hike soaks. Turns out quiet mornings spent on my deck overlooking the lake with a take-out breakfast from Truman Cafe & Custard were exactly the downshift I needed to refocus on the final few chapters of my latest novel.

© Big Cedar Lodge

Not that writing was likely to keep me from a visit to the spa. Spanning 18,000 square feet, this tranquil wellness space is accessed via an indoor corridor lined with birch trees. Natural stone floors and hand-hewn timbered ceilings are offset by stained glass, glimmering chandeliers, and 11 treatment rooms featuring fireplaces and gentle candlelight. Along with a grotto pool and steam rooms, the spa is also equipped with saunas, a steam bath and ice room. And, unlike many a resort spa I’ve visited before, the steams and saunas at Big Cedar Lodge were actually hot, steamy and infinitely relaxing.

Cabin decks are fitted with private gas grills, but there are too many tempting resort dining venues to bother with cooking. Dinner at Osage Restaurant at Top of the Rock not only includes delicious regional cuisine such as elk soup, 28-day aged beef tenderloin and bourbon peach gooey butter cake, but also a sunset ceremony overlooking Table Rock Lake that culminates in the firing of an authentic Civil War cannon and a moving, live bagpipe performance. Guests can relax before or after dinner in the rustic wine bar beneath the dining room.

© Big Cedar Lodge

If you’re thinking back to long-ago lazy days canoeing on a tranquil mountain lake, you can enjoy that experience again with grown-up perks like fine dining and luxury spaces. And, there’s no better time to visit Big Cedar Lodge than this season, when themed activities include plenty of moments to celebrate America’s 250^th anniversary. Along with world-class golf and a host of lake activities, the fun includes patriotic picnics, fireworks cruises on the lake aboard the resort’s own Lady Liberty, Stars & Stripes Beach Bingo, and brunch (all year, past and present members of the military enjoy a 10 percent discount on lodging).

Happily, the multitude of reasons to re-visit (or make a first-time expedition) include the upcoming Wellness in Nature Retreat taking place Nov. 12–15. Speakers include bestselling author and respected physician Dr. Drew Pinsky, and Jamie Hess, producer and host of The Gratitudeology Podcast. This three-day rejuvenating escape provides all the ingredients for an end-of-year reset: daily yoga, fitness and movement sessions; workshops devoted to mindfulness and wellbeing; immersive nature experiences in the Ozarks landscape; access to Cedar Creek Spa; keynotes and live Q&A sessions; and delicious, healthy dining. Participants will also enjoy fireside cocoa and conversations, Sound Healing Under the Lights, cooking demos led by Chef Yomar, Nature at Night on the Lost Canyon Cave & Nature Trail; and an opportunity to Ruck the Rock 5K at Top of the Rock.