Exploring Lake of the Ozarks

I started the day at Country Club Hotel and Spa in Lake of the Ozarks the best way possible, with a morning massage.

My friend Jaimee and I had plenty of time to relax in our spacious junior suites before heading out for our first appointment.

We had lunch and cocktails on the water at Dog Days (look for my story in the spring issue of Midwest Living ).

We had a free afternoon for exploring the Lake of the Ozarks area and we took advantage of the time.

We drove down to the Bagnell Dam Strip. Along with the typical souvenir shops and tourist restaurants, from here you can also take cruises out to view the dam and the Ozarks by water.

We made a brief stop at the Osage beach Premium Outlets, the largest center of its kind in Missouri. We picked up a few bargains and then stopped at Randy’s Frozen Custard across the road.

Frozen custard is one of my biggest weaknesses and this place did not disappoint. Their famous Turtle Concrete was amazing!

We went back to the Country Club Hotel & Spa for a while to catch up on some rest and to digest before our big dinner.  I had heard great things about both the chef and the restaurant.

It was only a short drive to dinner at Savannah Grille, where Chef Robert Sills is known for his use of fresh and local ingredients. He came out to greet us as soon as we arrived and helped us make some menu choices, though it looked like we wouldn’t go wrong with any of the choices.

We started with a tomato salad which was fresh from the garden and garnished with goat cheese. Then, Jaimee had a lobster bisque while I picked the onion soup.

Jaimee had the Savannah’s Southern Fried Chicken and Macaroni & Cheese and we both agreed (I couldn’t help but to sample) that it was delicious. I really enjoyed the Wild Mushroom Risotto, with black truffles and parmesan crisps.

Dessert was a scrumptious selection called “Candy & Cake.” It included a gooey chocolate cake, a cocoa and coffee mousse, strawberry coulis, honey comb, lemon curd, and a dark chocolate filled with peanut butter.

We headed back to the hotel fully stuffed from a day of eating. It was time to get a good night’s sleep before the Missouri road trip would continue up to Big Cedar Lodge in Table Rock. 

Missouri Road Trip Continues into Lake of the Ozarks

My friend Jaimee and I left the Sheraton Westport Plaza Chalet in the suburbs of St. Louis and headed to Jefferson City, Missouri. We were to meet Deb Hendricks of the Lake of the Ozarks tourism board there to get our itinerary for our adventure on Fun Lake, as they accurately call the area.

From Jefferson City it was only a short hour’s ride to the Country Club Hotel and Spa. We were surprised how large the place was, complete with an indoor pool and banquet facilities. It reminded me a bit of the Catskill Mountain resorts I stayed at growing up.

Our rooms were not ready, but that was fine because we were more than ready for lunch. Lance Utley, the hotel’s director of marketing, joined us at the Rafferty Restaurant on the property for a wonderful chicken salad with grapes and pecans.

During lunch, Lance gave us some basic information about the area he knew well. It was obvious that he was passionate about Lake of the Ozarks and we were soon to see why.

We hopped in the car for a quick trip to the Tan-Tar-A Resort. It was here that we were to meet the boat for the Tropic Island Cruise.

It was a bit windy so we stayed inside most of the time. On the 90 minute ride we learned a lot about the lake.

It all started with an idea in 1912, but the actual dam off the Osage River didn’t begin until investigation and funding was received in 1929. It was considered the largest construction project in the country at that time so there was no problem getting people to work on it.

In February of 1931, the water began to fill the lake. It would be finished with a shoreline of over 1,300 miles, but the Truman Dam (built in the 1970s) would lessen that amount to 1,100 miles, an amount still more than the coastline of California.

It was fascinating to see the variety of houses, restaurants, and boats along the shore of this massive lake. Since the lake does not freeze, many people don’t even realize that Lake of the Ozarks is a year round destination. I knew this was the first, but not the last, time I would visit.

We were back at the hotellate afternoon. We each had a junior suite which was quite spacious and included a kitchenette.

Dinner was quite an adventure as we took a Water Taxi.

Unfortunately, I can’t relay my experience at The Duck, a fine dining experience accessible by boat, at this time. Look for my story in the summer issue of Midwest Living Magazine.

I do have a lot more to say about Lake of the Ozarks, where we still had another day to eat, drink, spa and explore after a good night’s sleep.