The Right Spot

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Bed & Breakfasts

Posted at May 28, 2008 13:54

By Jeremy Goldmeier

Vistas Beckon at Cameron’s Crag at Branson

WHEN KAY AND GLEN Cameron were
looking to start their own bed-and-breakfast
in 1986, they followed the first law of real
estate survival: Build it in the right spot,
and they will come. Today, the Cameron’s
Crag Bed and Breakfast strikes the perfect
balance between the remote and accessible
in its location. The guest suites overlook the
natural beauty of Lake Taneycomo, a site
renowned for its excellent trout fishing. But
when night falls, the city lights of Branson
are visible just three miles distant. All of the
city’s celebrated attractions lay at the ready
but at a safe enough distance that Cameron’s
Crag visitors enjoy the tranquility of their
immediate surroundings.

The bed-and-breakfast’s
four suites each present a
unique character for visitors.
The Around the World Suite
features decorative items that
the Camerons picked up on
their many international travels.
The Bird’s Eye View and
the Grandview suites both
advertise their scenic overlooks
in their names, while the
Highland Rose Suite caters to
couples with special occasions
to celebrate. All of the suites feature kingsized
beds, hot tubs, and TV/VCR setups.

In his Complete Guide to Bed & Breakfasts,
Guesthouses & Inns of Missouri, travel author
Harry Hagen makes especial mention of
Cameron’s Crag’s wide variety of cuisine. Kay
has compiled three separate cookbooks of
Ozark cuisine and draws from all of them
in preparing dishes for guests. Her and Glen’s
families have both dwelt in the Ozarks for
generations, and both possess a wellspring of
knowledge about the area and its traditions.

In her cooking, Kay draws on the various
culinary cultures of European settlers who
originally inhabited the Ozarks.
In addition to her responsibilities at
Cameron’s Crag, Kay also coordinates the
Ozark Mountain Country Bed and Breakfast
Service, which she founded in 1982. For
those guests wishing to continue their Ozark
journeys beyond Branson, Kay can arrange
future stops along the trail. Glen, meanwhile,
is a retired dean at the nearby College
of the Ozarks. He has participated in the Boy
Scouts of America organization for years.

“The first time I met these two nice
people,” Hagen writes, “I felt right at home
with them, and I still do.”