Things to Do in Bellevue

Perched atop hills that overlook the Platte and Missouri River valleys, Bay Hills Golf Club’s 18-hole course arches across 6,411 yards of undulating, tree-lined fairways. As carts crest the verdant banks, golfers can pause to take in views of the surrounding tree lines, which harbor wildlife such as deer, turkey, fox, and feral ball washers. An expansive driving range, putting green, and chipping area act as the diminutive sidekick to the par 72 course. The staff of PGA professionals roams the club's full-service pro shop, shoring up swings with individual and group lessons and mending clubs with repair services. To keep swing-weary muscles well nourished, Bay Hills Grill serves up a menu of savory, greenside fare.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Total length of 6,411 yards from the back tees
• Four sets of tees per hole

Within one of the decorated party buses in Jone-Z Party Bus’s arsenal, up to 30 passengers clink glasses and celebrate weddings, bachelor parties, or Tuesdays on open, hourglass-style seating. A 2,400-watt sound system and custom lighting augment parties, which can start and end at agreed-upon locations such as homes or hotels so guests don’t have to worry about driving.

At That Pottery Place, the definition of an artist’s canvas expands to include everything from mugs to coin banks. The studio invites budding van Goghs to choose from more than 200 pottery designs and cloak their selection with lead-free paint from a rainbow of more than 50 colors. Stencils, stamps, and idea books stand ready to inspire artists who are facing creative blocks or giving their muse the silent treatment. After participants fully realize their visions, they entrust their work to the studio’s professionals, who glaze and fire each piece, readying it for pickup within a week.

In addition to pottery painting, That Pottery Place lets guests channel their creativity with mosaics, whose tiles and gems can be grouted or glued to mirrors and frames. Whatever the project, crafters can tote along their own snacks and drinks to fuel their creativity or throw at copycats. For more structured crafting, the studio organizes kids’ art classes and camps, and for celebrants seeking a hands-on event, they host parties.

The shifting seasons bring beauty and bounty to Ditmars Orchard and Vineyard, from the baby buds and bursting petals of spring to the branches heavy with peaches, apricots, cherries, and apples during summer and autumn. In 1994, the Ditmars family laid 300 trees into the ground as a family project, but slowly expanded their hobby into a full-time orchard, now cultivating almost 4,000 trees.

In the summer, fat juicy strawberries nestle in rows ready to be picked, and in fall, fields overflow with acres of bulbous orange pumpkins ready to become jack-o’-lanterns or a horseman’s fancy new hat. Amid fiery foliage and crisp autumn air, families adventure through the onsite corn maze and attend fun fall festivals that feature face painting and hayrides. Kids can clamber over tractor tires and whoosh down slides in the orchard’s large playground. Guests reenergize at the country kitchen, where lunch selections include apple cider, frozen fruit pies, and fresh-made chicken-salad sandwiches, as well as native Iowa wines available by the bottle or glass.

As an HGTV-featured glass artist and author of the short story collection An Extraordinary Life: …Once You Take Out All of the Boring Crap, Kristi Pederson encourages individuals to embrace creativity. Adult and kids' art classes at her studio, Adventure in Art, focus on fun over perfectionism as Kristi teaches beginner-level students to create projects such as fused-glass ornaments and custom jewelry. And during Paint N Pour sessions, adults sip goblets of vino as they fill canvases with color and learn how Leonardo Da Vinci invented red wine by cleaning his brushes in chardonnay.