Story Starters: Lake of the Ozarks Ideas

12 Story Ideas

Nestled amid the rolling hills of central Missouri, the Lake of the Ozarks ranks as the premier vacation, golf and meeting destination in America's Heartland. With more than 1,150 miles of scenic shoreline, the 54,000-acre Lake offers something for everyone. Impounded in 1931, the Lake continues to grow and change. After more than 70 years of delighting visitors, the Lake of the Ozarks remains as fresh as today and as exciting as tomorrow.

•  Location, Location, Location! The Lake of the Ozarks' central location makes it an easily-reachable, convenient destination. The sprawling Lake is a major attraction in its own right – and it's within a few hours' drive of every other major Missouri attraction.

•  The privately-developed Lake of the Ozarks is the only major public lake in Missouri which allows shoreline development of resorts, docks, restaurants and other traveler services. Other large lakes throughout the state and region are managed by the Army Corps of Engineers, which limits such access.

•  The Lake of the Ozarks Community Bridge opened in 1998, creating a convenient connection between the east and west sides of the Lake. By replacing the previous 30-50 mile route around the Lake with a fast 10-mile drive, the bridge has spurred tourism and economic development. The new toll bridge is the first of its kind in Missouri – built by a private, not-for-profit corporation in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Transportation.

•  Fore! The Lake of the Ozarks is the Midwest's premier golf destination. The Lake area's 17 courses – featuring designs by Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Weiskopf, Robert Trent Jones Sr., Bruce Devlin, Robert Von Hagge and others – offer 288 holes of golf, with more in the planning stages. Carved out of verdant forests and rolling hills, they appeal to everyone from beginners to seasoned pros.

•  More than 100 restaurants in the Lake area provide the best dining opportunities between Kansas City and St. Louis – everything from gourmet cuisine to seafood, steaks and family-oriented buffets. At least 35 are waterfront restaurants, offering a scenic Lake view to complement their fine food.

•  Shop till you drop. One of the largest outlet malls in the U.S. is Osage Beach Premium Outlets. This 61-acre, 13-building shopping mecca features more than 110 top-name manufacturer outlets. For added variety, Lake communities offer shopping malls, crafts shops, antique stores and boutiques galore.

•  The Lake has lots of room(s). More than 200 resorts, hotels and condos (over 2,500 guest rooms) offer choices ranging from plush resorts to economical family resorts and motels. Campgrounds and bed-and-breakfasts provide other lodging options. For the ultimate in close-to-the-water lodging, there are even houseboats for rent.

•  Surf's up! Can you surf at the Lake of the Ozarks? Yes, if you visit Big Surf Waterpark. Its 27 acres of water fun include a wave pool, whirlpool spa, body flumes and other liquid fun.

•  The Lake of the Ozarks is home to the world's only religious shrine dedicated to Mary as Mother of the Church. St. Patrick's Catholic Church, in the Lake community of Laurie, is the site of the international Mary, Mother of the Church Shrine. A 14-ft.-tall stainless steel statue of Mary in a huge amphitheater and a Mother's Wall of Life are at the heart of this tribute to the mother of Jesus and mothers worldwide.

•  The water's fine, “weather” or not, at Timber Falls Indoor Waterpark. The 20,000 square foot indoor park offers year-round water fun at Tan-Tar-A Resort, Golf Club & Spa. It centers on a three-story “Ozark Wilderness” treehouse with a giant wooden bucket that dumps up to 700 gallons of water on those standing below. It also features four water slides, an activity pool and a lazy river. It's wet fun for all!

•  Going underground is fun and educational at the Lake's show caves. The Lake is among the few travel destinations in the U.S. where three show caves cluster within 30 miles of each other. Colorful formations and eons of history are on display for visitors.

•  Missouri's largest state park is the 17,441-acre Lake of the Ozarks State Park. And one of the state's most unusual state parks has to be Ha Ha Tonka at Camdenton – centering on the ruins of a European-style “castle” built in the early 1900s by a Kansas City businessman.

Story Starters: Lake of the Ozarks Interviews

5 Enlightening Interviews

You can ask interesting questions at the Lake … and get fascinating answers. Yes, we have the Executive Director of This and the General Manager of That to give you the “big picture.” We also have colorful folks who can talk about some pretty cool stuff.

•  What's the secret behind real Ozarks barbecue? Come to the Lake and cook up a feature about our down-home food. We can put you across the table from chefs famous for savory barbecue, crispy catfish, superior steaks and other Lake treats. You may not get the secret recipe, but you'll get a great story.

•  Who has the blues (and rock ‘n' roll and gospel and all that jazz)? There's always a song in the air at the Lake – especially at fairs and festivals. Talk to some of the festival directors instrumental in keeping area residents and visitors humming a happy tune.

•  What happens to the water? There are 617 billion gallons of water in the Lake. Visitors take it for granted (and rightly so). But where does it come from? Where does it go when it gets to Bagnell Dam? How do they make sure it stays clean and clear? We can take you into the depths of the dam to talk with the men who operate the 215,000 kilowatt powerplant. They make the water work while Lake visitors play.

•  What's a thong tree? Travel at the Lake and you'll see strangely-bent trees dating to the 19 th century. Native Americans tied young saplings with thongs to make them point the way to a favored destination. Once you've talked to the old-timers who know the story of these natural signposts, you'll have a fascinating feature. (And you'll leave with a thong in your heart!)

•  What's in a name? We have some pretty famous names (Arnold Palmer, Tom Weiskopf, Jack Nicklaus and others) who designed our great golf courses. Talk with some of the golf pros at our premier courses and learn what makes the Lake so popular with swingers (and hackers).