Private Air New York Magazine
Issue link: https://privateair.uberflip.com/i/1545665
www.privateairny.com | 83 Private Air Summer 2026 at philosophy begins with Johnny Morris. Long before Bass Pro Shops became a household name, Morris was selling fishing lures from the back of his father's liquor store in Springfield. Decades later, he would become one of America's most influential conservationists, creating not only a retail empire but a legacy dedicated to protecting the landscapes he loved. Big Cedar may be his most personal project. e resort celebrates the Ozarks at every turn, from its architecture to its outdoor experiences. Table Rock Lake serves as its centerpiece, a place where guests spend their days fishing, boating, kayaking, paddleboarding, or simply drifting across the water. During our time with Captain Mike, the lake revealed itself slowly. Blue herons skimmed the shoreline. Families waved from passing boats. Stories flowed effortlessly between local history, architecture, conservation, and life on the water. Despite its popularity, the lake never felt crowded. Only expansive. e same could be said of the resort itself. Adventure is everywhere, but it rarely feels forced. Golfers arrive from around the world to experience Payne's Valley, Buffalo Ridge, Ozarks National, and Cliffhangers. Even non-golfers quickly become familiar with the names because the stories follow players everywhere. Breakfast conversations drift toward miraculous putts and impossible views. Cocktail-hour discussions become animated retellings of near hole-in- ones. More than one golfer described teeing off from inside a cave at Cliffhangers as a bucket-list experience. Families discover their own adventures elsewhere. At Fun Mountain, I watched grandparents line up for under Alley go-karts alongside grandchildren. e elevated course twists through the mountainside, its dramatic turns and elevation changes making even casual races feel surprisingly competitive. One afternoon, I watched a grandfather and grandson climb from their karts arguing good-naturedly about who had actually won. Neither seemed interested in the official result. e rematch was already underway. By evening, bowling lanes, arcade games, simulators, Lucky Putt, and ropes courses had blurred generations into one happy crowd. e beauty of Big Cedar is that nobody ages out of fun.