Boatloads Of Memories
From the heyday of excursion boats on Lake of the Ozarks, these four may be the most beloved and nostalgic. by Nathan Bechtold; Tom Sawyer reporting by Vicki Wood; Governor McClurg story from Damming The Osage, Lens & Pen Press. Available at...
Whimsy & Nostalgia! The Aquarama Mermaid Show From Lake Of The Ozarks’ Past
by Nathan Bechtold Long ago—when The Clown was the best waterfront restaurant around, the Ozark Opry was roaring, and Tan Tar A had a ski resort—at Lake of the Ozarks had a mermaid show. The Lake’s tourism “golden age” produced plenty of zany attractions, but Aquarama...
High Tide: The Adults-Only Club, Lake Of The Ozarks Style
The adults-only club where pool bars abound and the music blasts after dark. by Kate Robbins Just up the road from RedHead Lakeside Bar and Grill, High Tide is bringing a beach club vibe to the 21 mile marker. This poolside bar is always a party. After dark, the Night...
Franky & Louie’s Brings Those Tropical Vibes
by Ariel Kralina, photos by Brad Glidewell On the Lake of the Ozarks 10 Mile Marker, Franky and Louie’s offers live music and fun games with a white sand beach for the family to enjoy. The kitchen staff clearly loves crafting a delicious and memorable experience, and...
Throwback! The Lake Looked GOOD In The 70s & 80s
Ski shows, fast boats, and the Shootout is born by Al Griffin & Nathan Bechtold 1970s: The Ski Show Era The 1970s was the heyday of ski shows at Lake of the Ozarks; meanwhile behind the scenes, innovators and entrepreneurs were shaping the future of family...
The Toll Bridge: A Bold Dream That Changed The Lake Of The Ozarks Forever
The Community Bridge turned a lot of “nowhere” into one of Lake of the Ozarks’ hottest housing frontiers. by Nathan Bechtold Not very many years ago — in the early 1990s — the area of the Lake that is now known as Porto Cima and The Villages at Shawnee Bend was miles...
In 1933, A Boating Writer Discovers Lake Of The Ozarks
by H.H. Meyer - Reprinted with permission of Bonnier LLC. Introduction by Michael Gillespie The following article, “Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks,” appeared in the May, 1934, issue of the long-gone Motor Boating magazine. The author was H.H. Meyer, a writer and...
Letters From Readers
I loved "A Lake Story,” [editor’s note] and related to so much of falling in love with this place by wonderful family vacation experiences and memories. My husband's family used to come to the Lake starting in the 1950's with other families to camp, stay in those...
A Kneeboarding Champion’s Lake Roots
Champion kneeboarder Mark Ritchhart has watched watersports grow and change, since his teenage years on Lake of the Ozarks. by Nathan Bechtold Mark Ritchhart remembers the first time he tried waterskiing on Lake of the Ozarks. He was 14 years old, and it was 1975. “I...
A Lake Family’s History, Through Childhood Memories
College student Sophie Shore reflects on sweet memories of growing up on the water. by Sophie Shore And I come to the fields and spacious palaces of my memory, where are the treasures of innumerable images… — St. Augustine, The Confessions (Harvard Classics) I have...
Wakeboarding: The Ultimate How-To Guide For Newbies
Teaching hundreds of kids to wakeboard every year, Kirby’s School of Wake has a few tips on learning for the first time. by Sydney Liesmann It’s another weekend at the Lake with friends and family, and wakeboarding sounds like just the thing after several fun tubing...
Editor’s Note: Wakesurfing And Life Goals
“My days are out of control,” I lamented to my pastor. by Nathan Bechtold Organization and structure aren’t my strengths; I like to think I’m the creative type. And the result is that, with three young children, two growing businesses, and heavy involvement in church,...
The Bravo Shop Kicks It Up A Notch With Boat Engine Building
by Deanna Wolff An outstanding boat engine mechanic since the age of 16, John Pfahl knows a thing or two about fixing stern drives. This knowledge came in handy after John and his wife, Michelle, bought an offshore power boat and one of their Mercury Bravo stern...
Pulled, Powered, Paddled: The Wake Of Watersports
A Brief History Of Watersports by Christy Wagner What is it that brings outdoorsmen and women alike back to the Lake of the Ozarks every weekend, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, rain or shine? What is it that draws these like-minded souls to commute for hours on end,...
How A Local Resort Inspired The Netflix Hit Series ‘Ozark’
Glimmers of the real Lake of the Ozarks shine through Ozark’s dark story, and at one place in particular… by Sara Halverson “Oh, Lake of the Ozarks? Is it anything like the Netflix show?” It’s a common refrain heard by those who live or vacation at Lake of the Ozarks,...
CWD Decks Out Docks
by Deanna Wolff It’s no secret that Lake Life is the Best Life. We live for those sunny summer days sitting on the dock with our toes in the water. And then suddenly we realize, “I think my dock needs an upgrade.” CWD Supply, just outside Osage Beach, has what dock...
The Legend Of The Lake’s Phantom Steeple
What lies beneath these waters? Structures—or ghosts of them—from the Lake’s lore and shore. by Michael Gillespie (posthumous) and Nathan Bechtold There is an air of mystery when the subject turns to what is under the waters of the Lake of the Ozarks. After 85 years...
Liftoff! The Rise Of Air Traffic At The Lake
Lee C Fine (Osage Beach/Kaiser - KAIZ) Runway - 6,497 ft long, 100 ft wide Surface - asphalt/aggregate friction seal coat Jet Fuel - 100LL Jet-A Traffic - avg 90/week Grand Glaize (Osage Beach - K15) Runway - 3,205 ft long, 60 ft wide Surface -...
Can Boat-Buyers Avoid Paying Sales Tax?
Boaters who’ve heard about no-sales-tax states, such as Delaware or Oregon, wonder if they could eliminate sales tax on a boat purchase if they simply buy a boat there. The answer is yes – but only if they use their boat in those states. Generally, boaters have to pay...
My Happy Place
Boaters tell us why they love Lake of the Ozarks, and some favorite memories of sunny days on the water. Ben VensI grew up spending summers at the Lake with family and working. I have been a full-timer now for almost three years.What I love most about the...
Lake History: The Lake of the Ozarks in the 1960s
1960s — Second-Home Ownership GrowsTourism Booms. Boat Manufacturers Move To The Lake. SeaDoos Invented.The magnet of a huge lake in the beautiful Ozarks along with the glitter and entertainment along the Bagnell Dam Strip drew more than 100,00 people a...
Captain Ron & The Tale Of The First Shootout
by Nathan Bechtold“A change in the winds,” Captain Ron Duggan muttered under his breath. He adjusted his course bearings and steadied his grip on the helm; he knew what this strange shift foretold.Years ago Captain Ron had piloted the fastest ship on the...
Redhead Serves Up Lakefront Dining, Year-Round
Lake of the Ozarks is the Midwest’s favorite playground, and between Memorial Day and Labor Day, vacationers abound and business is booming. But when October hits, locals and boaters know plenty of waterfront places close for the winter. Not so at Redhead...
The Go-Fast Scene: Lake Of The Ozarks Is The Center Of Speed
All motion, Einstein tells us, is relative. A mach-speed fighter pilot outstrips the rat race on the highway far below. There white-knuckling drivers jockey for position, darting at speeds measured in single miles per hour. Everything, though, must seem...
Furry First Mates! 12 Tips For Bringing Your Pup Aboard
by Emily Smith“Dog people” are their own special breed of human. To us, dogs aren’t pets - they’re family - so it’s only natural that we want to take our furry children with us wherever we go, and that includes going on boat rides. Taking your dog out on...
Find The Best Wakeboard & Wakesurf Coves At Lake Of The Ozarks: Tips From A Pro
by Sydney Liesmann The Lake of the Ozarks is known for its fantastic scenery and recreational boating; however, it may not be the first place enthusiasts consider for recreational watersports. That is about to change. Kirby Liesmann, owner of Kirby’s...
Silent Killer Leaches From Unusual Suspects
The alarm screeched from two docks in the same cove. It was the week before Memorial Weekend 2018 — not a good time for electricity to scorch through a cove close to one of the Lake’s hottest pool bars. It turns out, the source was from a most unusual...
