If you know someone with a cabin, get your happy ass out to Innsbrook asap. It is only a 30 minute drive from West County St. Louis and worth it. It is something like the Lake of the Ozarks, only with a hundred man-made lakes and a gated community of the St. Louis elite.
I was fortunate enough to have wealthy family members, this does not include myself, sadly, but does extend to my generous grandparents. "Our" house is on the St. Gallen Circle but we have our own "lake" (more like a pond, but they use the word quite loosely out these ways).
The scenery and wildlife are breath-taking; last week we saw 10+ deer, turkey, falcons, crane, turtles and, of course, fish. Very little noise and very little bugs. It's like camping for the Real Housewives of Chesterfield.
Plus, there is an in-ground pool, work out facilities, a giant human-sized chess board, tennis courts, golfing, a restaurant with a bar and a quickie mart.
We stayed on the ground for a whole week, only venturing outside our community in search of hard liquor. Best. vacation. ever. read more