Paul and I just returned from a FUN-FILLED 3 day weekend at Eagle Hurst Ranch (www.EagleHurstRanch.com). This piece of history in Steelville, Missouri is owned by our friends, Steve & Angie Butz and Norbert & Elaine Butz (who are also our long time insurance agents at Crawford-Butz Insurance Agency www.CrawfordButz.com). The Butz Family took their vacations there every year with their 11 children for 30 years and bought it from the owners in 2003.
It's completely family-oriented so that mom and dad can relax and not worry while the kids are busy on the 78 acre compound playing softball, badmitton, ping pong, tether ball (my favorite) washers, shuffleboard, or horseback riding with the owners. Hot days will find you at water's edge in the crystal clear waters of the Huzzah Creek lazily floating on an innertube where the owners will pick you up downstream a few hours later; if you prefer, there is also a large swimming pool for the puritans.
Your cabin is simply for sleeping with minimal amenities (but includes air conditioning!) and a screened in porch if you'd really rather commune with nature & read. Nothing glamourous, but that's the best part! Breakfast, lunch and dinner are prepared by the resident chefs and served by the friendliest group of young adults in a large air conditioned dining hall. They won't allow you to leave the table feeling hungry! No cooking, no clean up and no choices to make!
Each day and night there were activities like badmitton tournaments, Bingo, ping pong tournaments & softball tournaments. We enjoyed an excellent fireworks display, 4th of July barbecue with outdoor buffet adorned in red, white & blue! Steve Butz is also an excellent singer, dancer and musician so we had some square dancing & Electric Slide one night with the 140 strangers who stayed over 4th of July weekend as we celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary.
Just a quick 1.5 hour drive from St. Louis down 44 west to the Cuba exit. Stop at Missouri Hicks and try their barbecue! Out of this world!