Anniversary Celebration

Yesterday, my husband and I headed over to the Top of the Rock (TOTR) to celebrate our wedding anniversary. TOTR is a stunning property owned by Johnny Morris, and is it referred to as an Ozark Heritage Preserve. But it is so much more. The museum on the property is truly incredible, the sculptures and statues all around the property are jaw-dropping, the driving range is beautiful and the golf course is nationally known for hosting the Annual Senior's Golf Tournament. Then there is the wedding chapel, which is like something from a fairy tale, and the three restaurants on the property are second to none. For those who don't know, Johnny Morris also owns the Big Cedar Lodge Resort and Dogwood Canyon Nature Park as well (two more of my favorite places here in the Ozarks) - not to mention the 100+store chain known as Bass Pro Shops. OK, Bass Pro Shops don't really make it to the tope of my list of favorite places - but it's a wonderful store to visit even if you aren't a sports enthusiast!

But back to TOTR and our visit. Needless to say, I would never even consider going to TOTR without my camera - and giving said camera a good workout. We arrived at the facility about 3 PM and before going in, we crossed the parking lot to go over to one of the golf tees where there is a lovely rock setting and took a couple of quick shots.

We had a late lunch/early dinner at Arnie's and then waited until 5 PM so we could go down to the lower levels where I could take images of the chapel and the beautiful "End of the Trail Sculpture. The dinner was wonderful (as were the margaritas!) and after spending over an hour shooting close to 200 images, we also enjoyed a lovely glass of wine in the All American Wine Cellar. Truly a wonderful anniversary getaway - and lead in to New Year's Eve! A very special thank you goes out to my three kids - Kirk, Lisa and Mark who gave us a wonderful gift card several months ago - which we were delighted to use last night!!