|
Boaters flock each summer to Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks, where a thousand bucks and a long weekend mean shopping, golf, and a roarin’ good time.
By Andy Badeker — Spring 2005
The oak-clad hills and hollows of central Missouri are
about to wake up for another fine cruising season at Lake of the Ozarks.
Unrestricted access to the water sets this privately developed lake apart
from Army Corps of Engineers reservoirs such as Pomme de Terre or Truman,
whose primary mission is flood control. At Lake of the Ozarks—which
stretches some 91 miles—no buffer zone has to exist to accommodate
fluctuating water levels, so boaters can step directly from deck to dock
to dinner table.
That devotion to development has made the lake a favorite
with powerboaters, who are among the 3 million tourists flocking annually
to its resorts and party-hearty waterfront entertainment complexes. A
weekend’s activities, or even an ambitious Friday night out, can
quickly add up to a thousand dollars without factoring in fuel and dockage,
but the shopping and golfing mecca retains enough of its history as a
middle-class family destination to accommodate more modest budgets, too.
Souvenir and knicknack businesses are still going strong,
but retail has gone farther up the scale. The 110 stores at
Osage Beach Premium Outlets (573-348-2065) are close to several
marinas, and the branch of Glen Cove Marina
(573-365-3355) at the main channel’s 1-mile marker will rent slips
up to 64 feet long for $70 a day. A call to Lake
Ozark Casual Cab Co. (573-365-2227) will take care of the next
leg. It’s worth the ride; shops range from Adidas to Zales, with
stops at Brooks Brothers, Coach, and Nautica along the way.
Golfers, too, will have to choose among familiar designer
names. Robert Trent Jones, Sr., Bruce Devlin, Tom Weiskopf, Arnold Palmer,
and others have transplanted bent grass and zoysia all along the lakeshore’s
wooded landscapes. The score now stands at 15 courses and 261 holes—more
than a weekend’s work for even the most dedicated duffer.
The most fuss-free choices are courses affiliated with
resorts like Tan-Tar-A (800-826-8272,
www.tan-tar-a.com) or The
Lodge of Four Seasons (800-843-5253, www.4seasonsresort.com).
At the latter, you can leave your boat at the marina (13.5-mile marker
on the main channel, near the Osage Arm) and call the bell stand for a
free trip to the Seasons Ridge course about two miles away, or to Witch’s
Cove about a quarter-mile away. The marina can accommodate LOAs up to
55 feet, and rates range from $25 for a stopover to $75 for a day and
a night. (Call ahead to the gas dock, 573-365-3000, ext. 1435.)
There’s no need to lay out a greens fee for a long
walk in the fresh air, though. Lake of the
Ozarks State Park (573-348-2694) supplies great views of the water
on ranger-led hikes to the bluff tops. (If you feel like taking in the
view while sitting down, consider renting a horse at the park’s Hidden
Spring Stables.) At the 3-mile marker on the lake’s Glaize Arm is
Grand Glaize Beach Marina (573-348-1233, www.ggbmarina.com).
It has the park’s boating concession, and its largest slips—34
feet at $20 a day.
>> Next page >>
Part 2: This is a skinny, twisting lake nicknamed “the
Dragon,” and weekend traffic in the summer kicks up a washing-machine
effect of conflicting wakes. Page 1,
2,
3,
4
|
