For Immediate Release Media Contact: Pam Jones or Marjorie Beenders
March 30, 2010 Phone: 573-636-8282 « Email: pam@tbwgroup.net
Celebrate Spring and the Dogwood's Arrival
at Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks
Lake of the Ozarks, Mo. – For an unforgettable pageant of springtime’s breathtaking panorama, there’s no better place to visit than Central Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks. As the hillsides burst back to life with the delicate beauty of the white-petaled flowering dogwood, blooming in harmony with the fragile pink petals of the eastern redbud, the scenery truly is a sight to behold. Whether you’re driving on the backroads, playing golf along the Lake of the Ozarks Golf Trail, relaxing at a resort, hotel, motel, B&B, condo, vacation home or campground, or cruising the shimmering Lake, you’re certain to love the dazzling dogwood display at the Lake in spring.
“Barring a heavy frost that could damage the young buds, we could start seeing dogwood trees in bloom sometime during the first two weeks of April in the Lake area,” says Justine Gartner, forestry field program supervisor at the Missouri Department of Conservation. Named Missouri’s official tree in 1955, the dogwood is celebrated in many ways throughout the Lake of the Ozarks.
Coinciding with the blossoming of the dogwoods, the beloved Dogwood Festival, April 15-18, in Camdenton, will celebrate its 60th anniversary with a “Gem of the Ozarks Diamond Jubilee.” More than 10,000 visitors will turn out for the Lake area’s first and longest-running festival, aptly named after the tree. The festivities will include a carnival, music, melodrama, dog contest, garage sales, fun runs, pancake breakfast, beauty pageants and a parade with more than 100 units--plus hundreds of booths offering crafts, food and more.
Best of all, throughout the festival, the Camdenton Chamber of Commerce will distribute about 1,300 dogwood saplings, provided by the Missouri Department of Conservation. “People always look forward to that,” says Denise Bennette, publicity committee co-chair. “Although the Dogwood Festival has been around for so long, it gets incredible participation. It has managed to maintain its traditional, small-town ambiance and continues to be a wonderful kick-off for spring at the Lake.” For a complete schedule of events and a festival map, please visit www.CamdentonChamber.com/DogwoodFestival.
Visitors also will enjoy relaxing at Dogwood Acres in Sunrise Beach. Lindy Steinmann, who owns the charming, family-oriented resort with her husband, Weldon, says the wooded, 10-acre property is loaded with dogwood trees. “Weldon says when the dogwoods are in bloom it looks like someone tossed doilies into the woods,” Steinmann says. “People definitely come every year just to see the dogwoods at their peak.” She notes Dogwood Acres boasts one of the largest dogwood trees in the state--more than 20 feet tall with a 10-inch trunk circumference. “It has been checked out by the Missouri Department of Conservation,” Steinmann says. “It’s very unusual. Typically dogwoods don’t grow this large.” Other large dogwood blooms can be seen painted on the bottom of the resort’s indoor swimming pool.
Another option is to play golf at Dogwood Hills Golf Club and then stay awhile at Dogwood Hills Resort Inn, both in Osage Beach. Sales Manager Betsy MacLaren’s father, Bob Maxwell, built Dogwood Hills, one of the oldest golf courses in the Lake area, in 1962. “They had to take down some woods, including a few dogwood trees, to build it,” she says. “There were dogwoods everywhere! But golfers still can see many dogwood trees in the woods along the course.” The golf club features gently rolling terrain that provides variety for golfers of all skill levels. Amenities include the Lake’s only lighted driving range, a large chipping area, putting green, pro shop and the renowned Mitch & Duff’s Restaurant that overlooks the course and serves fabulous breakfast and lunch. The resort books more money-saving Lake of the Ozarks Golf Trail packages than any other Lake lodging property, MacLaren says.
The Lake’s two state parks also offer spectacular vistas of the Ozarks’ springtime shows. At Ha Ha Tonka State Park in Camdenton, take a walk along the gentle, quarter-mile Castle Trail for a breathtaking view from atop a 250-foot bluff and to visit the “castle” ruins of a stone mansion built by a wealthy Kansas City businessman. Or try the Spring Trail, a 1 1/2-mile hike that includes 316 wooden stairs and great dogwood-viewing. No matter where you wander at Lake of the Ozarks State Park in Osage Beach, the vistas will take your breath away. Hike through the Patterson Hollow Wild Area for the best dogwood-ing, enjoy a picnic or birdwatching, or simply drive through the park on a sunny spring day. You will not be disappointed.
Or try this leisurely driving trip through Camden County to view the seasonal beauty of the dogwoods at the Lake. Travel east of Camdenton on Highway 54 toward Linn Creek. Turn left on Cross Creek Road and be sure to slow down and enjoy the scenery. Take another left (caution: it’s a hairpin turn) onto Point Happy Drive, at the Cross Creek clubhouse. Turn left onto Lake Road 5-89 to Route 5. Cut over Route 5 and take Lake Road 5-88; follow the loop around to Lake Road 5-87 before heading back to the highway. You’re sure to see some amazing dogwood displays along the way.
Many visitors enjoy taking in the charm of springtime from the deck of a luxurious yacht. Tropic Island Cruises, docked at Tan-Tar-A Resort, offer relaxing narrated excursions, 3-4:30, Tuesday-Sunday. Celebration Cruises, docked at Kirkwood Lodge, offers narrated lunch excursions on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
And finally, celebrate the pageantry of springtime at Seven Springs Winery in Linn Creek or Casa de Loco in Camdenton, or enjoying the scenery from the patio or deck of one of the dozens of outstanding waterfront or Lake-view restaurants.
For more information about Lake-area lodging, dining, shopping, attractions and events, contact the Lake of the Ozarks Convention and Visitor Bureau at 800-FUN-LAKE (386-5253), or visit www.funlake.com.
# # #Note to News Media: For your convenience, you may download an electronic version of this article. Simply go to www.funlake.com. At the bottom of the home page, click on “Professional Media” to access this article and other Lake of the Ozarks news.
