Tantalizing Tan-Tar-A: one of the Midwest's premier resorts, it's a year-round retreat at Lake of the Ozarks in Central Missouri - Resort Of The Month

Travel America, Jan-Feb, 2003 by Randy Mink, Karen Mink

IN OUR FRONT YARD, A SHADY LAWN SLOPING down to the water's edge, woodpeckers and blue jays flit among the oaks, squirrels scamper up and down the trunks, and mallard ducks waddle in the grass. Only the animals and whirring air-conditioning units break the morning stillness as we gaze at the quiet cove from a balcony perch.

Our lakeside nest, part of a six-unit cottage, is one in a jumble of shingle-roofed buildings that spills down the hillsides of a wooded peninsula occupied by the largest resort at Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks. Like the manmade lake, Tan-Tar-A Resort, Golf Club & Spa sprawls all over the place, conforming to the irregular contours here in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains.

The resort is fun to explore, with all its nooks and crannies, hallways and stairways, paths and passages. For some, walking uphill from lakeside cottages to the main lobby or recreation building is a huff-and-puff ordeal.

Tan-Tar-A was born in 1960 when St. Louis developer Burton Duenke and his brother built 12 cottages on the lake. They added 12 more a year later and by 1973 the resort hotel had 465 rooms. Duenke sold Tan-Tar-A in 1977 and for many years it was a Marriott property.

The word "Tan-Tar-A" means "one who runs swiftly" in the Blackfeet Indian language. It was the name of a fishing boat the Duenke brothers had rented on a Bahamas vacation; they later named their own boat Tan-Tar-A. No one is sure how the name turned up in the Bahamas.

Tan-Tar-A Resort today offers more than 1,000 lodging rooms of all types, including 497 rooms in its main hotel complex and rental condominiums and single-family homes (some with up to six bedrooms) tucked among trees on the secluded lanes of Tan-Tar-A Estates, a golf course community. The resort's newest addition is a 130-room tower connected by a covered walkway to the main lodge/lobby area. Completed last spring, it's adjacent to a new miniature golf course landscaped with a fountain and stream. Other recent enhancements include a water slide at the totally revamped Arrowhead Pool, renovation of the Windrose fine dining restaurant, repainting of the resort's main building, and remodeling of some lake-front cottages.

Our second-floor, two-bedroom unit by the lake featured a room with a king bed and one with two queens (for our teenage daughter and her friend). Her younger brother got the sofa bed in the living room. Everyone had a TV, and there were two baths. The kitchen came in handy, mostly at breakfast time, and was stocked with dishes and silverware. We ate at the small dining table. The deck was a good place to relax and had a grill, but it definitely needed a paint job. The sparkling interior, however, looked as if it had just been redecorated.

The first morning we rented paddleboats at the marina, pedaling around calm coves; the lake's main channel was off-limits. Rentals (April through October) also include ski boats, fishing boats, and Waverunners. For those eager to soar high above the lake in a parachute, parasailing is $50 a ride. The Ozark Princess offers sightseeing cruises, a good way to get acquainted with the lake.

The spacious Arrowhead Pool overlooks the marina and is popular with young families. We liked the smaller Tradewinds Pool, closer to our cabin and more adult-oriented. (At a playground near the Arrowhead Pool are preserved the tombstones of a 19th century family cemetery.) Curiously, the resort has a small sand beach but no lake swimming.

We spent many evenings playing pool and ping pong at the Racquet Club, often until closing time. The indoor sports complex also has tennis, racquetball, and basketball courts. Next door, the fitness center offers exercise machines, an indoor pool, and tanning beds, while Windjammer Spa & Salon pampers guests with massages, manicures, pedicures, facials, herbal linen wraps, and other treatments. Nearby are outdoor tennis courts and the pro shop of Hidden Lakes, a nine-hole golf course that meanders into Tan-Tar-A Estates. The resort's 18-hole Oaks course, with a driving range, putting green, pro shop, and restaurant, is down the road. Oak, cedar, and redbud trees flank the rolling fairways.

From the main resort, the scenic Estates community makes a good walking or jogging destination. A convenient shuttle takes Estates guests to the resort, where parking is limited. From the guardhouse at Tan-Tar-A's entrance on State Road KK, go left to the resort, right to the Estates.

A long passageway stretching between the main lobby and fast food court features the Shops of Market Lane. Stores include an art gallery with exquisite carved wood items, a country crafts shop, smart clothing boutiques, a flower shop, old-time photo studio, jeweler, and snack pantry. Burger King is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For pizza ;and pasta, there's Sbarro, which makes guestroom deliveries. The TCBY counter delights frozen yogurt fans. Java Lakes serves pastries and specialty coffees.

Also at this end of the main complex are an eight-lane bowling center, a video game room, Nightwinds lounge (live entertainment) and Black Bear Lodge, a casual restaurant with a wilderness theme. Mounted moose and deer heads, antler chandeliers, boats, paddles, and skis cover Black Bear's walls; bears, raccoons, foxes, and wild turkeys, plus twig ceilings and log chairs, add to the rustic decor. Black Bear presents a tempting breakfast buffet and offers themed dinner buffets on selected evenings. Window tables overlook the marina, and there's outdoor deck seating as well.