BRINGING MISSOURI TO A CLOSE
Staying in Missouri for a period of 10-14 days is a normal thing for us on a long trip. With loads of family here, it's mostly just a time of catching up with folks, doing some fun things with each other, and eating together.
When in Columbia, we're able to stay with family. Not so easily done at Lake of the Ozarks, where it's a small home and not enough room for two more people. This time, we stayed at the local Econo Lodge. When we booked, we really didn't realize that it's a good 10-15 minute drive between the hotel and our daughter's place. But we've enjoyed that.
First, the Econo Lodge is well-kept and has *everything* we needed in a room that was priced right. We've talked to the manager, Don, on several occasions and not for complaints, just because he takes the time to talk to his customers. He went out of his way to find a disposable bowl for me when I forgot to go to the breakfast room to get one and he'd already put it all away. This Econo Lodge has a more extensive breakfast offering than I've ever seen at Econo Lodge. EL is only required to have a bread, a sweet bread, butter and jam, coffee/tea, juice and milk. They actually offer 3 types of cereals, packets of oatmeal and grits, hot waffles, scrambled eggs and some form of a meat (bacon, sausage or ham), along with the Choice-required breads.
There is a lovely, well-kept outdoor pool that is open most of the day and into the evening. We were allowed to bring in our Lake Ozark family members to swim, for a small fee. Some of the resorts do that around the Lake, but my daughter was amazed that it was only $2 a person.
This particular hotel is located on the south "quiet end" of the Lake, away from the Bagnell Dam "Strip" where all the action is, and away from the shopping areas. However, right across the street is an Arby's, a Culver's, and a Casey's (convenience store and gas, no diesel).
It's only a few miles from the shopping areas. For those, there is an outlet center. Compared to the status of that outlet center a year and a half ago, though, it appears to be suffering from economic distress. A lot of stores have gone out, due to online shopping and not as much traffic through town since the bypass was put in. Still, I managed to do some shopping for me for the new school year, as for the grands as well. Other shopping includes Walmart (one in Osage Beach, one at Camdenton), Target, HyVee (grocery), Dierberg's (grocery), Woods (grocery), and of course all sorts of little souvenir shops including Ozarkland more in town and Dogpatch on the actual Strip (where all the bars are).
The sad thing is that some of the really good restaurants have closed. Kilt & Clover, in the Outlet Center, had its final weekend at the end of June and then closed for good. I was trying to get the menu for J Bruner (supposedly prime rib that was scrumptious), but it wasn't coming up online. When we drove to the place on the way to our daughters, there was a big permanent type sign on the front: CLOSED. So the bypass and the lake economy is taking a hit on restaurants as well as shopping.
There are still great places to eat. Baxter's had good food and a lake view. Bentley's had great food, but with 9 people, we didn't get a lake view. We're doing JB Hooks too, which we know from Dec. 2016 that it has a great lake view, and we requested one when we got reservations.
If you're into water sports, this is a place to be. If you love caves, it's a good place to be. History is also all around, but with the exception of Willmore Lodge (see above), we've "done up" most of them on previous trips. Hiking is another thing that one can do, though the weather here has been HOT HOT HOT and STICKY HUMID.
We'll be moving on, to the West, shortly. I still feel like my truck is a moving van, though some items have already miraculously jumped off at Missouri family members' homes. Next stop is Kansas, then Colorado, then Utah, and finally, home again.
Donna
