By Dave Woods
Ozark Living
I grew up scrounging the shores of Grand
Lake with my grandparents and brothers.
From my grandparent's tiny travel trailer at
Melody Point, my family enjoyed many happy
weekends searching for jigs, bobbers, lures and
driwood to add to our collection of found
treasures.
From time to time we would all board my
grandfather's 12-foot aluminum boat equipped
with oars and a small outboard engine and
make the treacherous trip around the point to
Har-Ber Village and, if we were lucky, make a
stop along the shore at Shangri-La. Shangri-La
was, to me, a paradise. e name was exotic
and inviting. e flotsam and jetsam we
collected there always seemed more valuable
than what we scrounged on other Grand
beaches.
A little more than a year ago when I
learned Shangri-La was reborn as Shangri-
La Golf Club Resort and Marina, I felt a bit
nostalgic. Curiosity recently got the best of me
and I decided to check out the happenings at
Grand Lake o' the Cherokees' premier resort
destination.
I called Mike Williams for the lowdown
and was not disappointed at what I learned
about the resort's recent reincarnation.
"Since we opened the hotel, we've have
had guests from all of the 50 states," he shared.
"We have a significant draw from around the
region with a lot of golf groups coming in from
Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Iowa
and Nebraska. Once again, Shangri-La has
become a Midwest destination that attracts
interest from around the United States."
Looking back
For those unfamiliar with Grand Lake
or Shangri-La's past, Mike, director of
communications for the operation, offered me
a welcome history lesson.
"Shangri-La Resort was originally
established in 1969 and is now commonly
referred to as the "old resort," he explained. "It
had a great past, but it was deteriorating. e
resort fell on bad times and ultimately closed."
Grand Lake resort
reborn to great
acclaim with luxury
hotel, restaurants and
27 holes of golf
Shangri-La on the shore
30 • FEBRUARY 2019 • OZARK LIVING
