Spiritual Experience
August 2024
The walls of this 102-year-old lodge echo with the music of legends who performed in its comfortable living room. Leon Russell. Dr. John. Rusty Young of Poco.
This fall, Poco kicks off the lodge’s Living Room Concerts. During following weekends share the living room with Ricky Skaggs, Head East, Yonder Mountain String Band, Tab Benoit, the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Asleep at the Wheel and the Marshall Tucker Band.
Where is this musical Nirvana? Tucked in the Ozarks between Cuba and Steelville, overlooking the Meramec River Valley, the lodge has endured peaks and valleys—times when visitors flocked to its doorstep, times when its doors were locked.
The sprawling lodge, built of stone and stucco and native hardwoods, had slowly slid into decline when Robert Bell brought the old place out of mothballs and saved it from ruin. Robert knew the history of the old lodge, a “Roaring ’20s” retreat where folks could escape the soot of the city and hunt and fish and float, then dress to dine at tables spread with linen and china and silver. And he’s resurrected the lodge’s elegant dignity, with a twist.
Of all his renovations and innovations, Robert is proudest of his marketing plan. He should be. He’s assembled a mix of talented hotel staff and kitchen magicians who provide wonderful cuisine. But his big draw appears on Wildwood’s web page, which lists an entertainment lineup that attracts fans from all over the world to this Ozark hideaway. Every year, he assembles a who’s who of classic rock ’n’ roll acts, icons like Hot Tuna and Brewer & Shipley. The musicians love the relaxed atmosphere and the chance to mingle with the crowd. Everybody—on both sides of the guitar—keeps coming back.
Like a proud grandparent, the lodge displays its photos. It was here that a young St. Louis musician, Gordon Jenkins, honed his chops. Jenkins later became a famous producer for Decca Records. Listen to Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole, and you’ll witness Gordon Jenkins’ handiwork.
Robert has revived a long history of great music and great times at the lodge. But it takes a lot of fix-it to keep things rolling. His secret weapons include Miss Paula, who tends the dining hall and the vibrant wildflower gardens. If you’re lucky, catch Bill Freeman, twice retired—first from the highway patrol. Most recently he’s handed over the lodge’s fix-it duties to Curtis. All three are walking history books, telling stories about the river, the region, the lodge.
The long dining hall could be a movie set. Its hardwood floors, linen tablecloths, and gorgeous floor-to-ceiling French windows serve up splendid views of the rugged ridges and ravines. The guest rooms are European style. Their comfortably spartan appointments offer a subtle hint that rooms are for sleeping. Days should be active, with a vigorous examination of the great outdoors.
And when you return to the lodge, get ready for classic cuisine and tasty music.
The friendly spirits approve.