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I saw your PM first, so I responded. But since policy at RTA is that stuff like this should be shared publicly, I will do that.
Ha Ha Tonka State Park - not far from Camdenton - not necessarily hit by a lot of tourists. Snyder's Castle, or Mansion, is an interesting relic, and Natural Bridge is more ... well, natural. There are other places in the park, like the natural spring, that we have not yet explored. Best yet, this park is FREE, so you can't beat the price!
Lake of the Ozarks State Park -- well, that one is more touristy, but there's a beach there and some hiking trails. We haven't really explored some of that park, either.
Willmore Lodge - up on the north end of the lake, is a piece of history where few tourists seem to go. There's a tiny museum in there and a GREAT view of the Lake!
Bagnell Dam Viewpoint - another good place. Also, if you want to drive across Bagnell Dam, you can still do that, but it's rather narrow. It's an old road.
As for "hole in the wall" places - I hope most of them have survived the Pandemic - one is Stewart's Restaurant on the old strip. Good old-fashioned home cooking. It's only open for breakfast and lunch. Kay's was another place, but I understand it has closed (sadly). Li'l Rizzo's at 2146 Horseshoe Bend Pkwy, Lake Ozark is off the beaten path and the locals go to that location rather than the one in the Outlet Mall.
Outlet Mall - sad to say, it was barely surviving the Rt 54 Bypass, then along comes online shopping and then the Pandemic. Many of the stores have closed. There may be a few left. Right now there's no telling what is going to happen to it. The stores I would go to, when in the area, have all closed and moved on.
Between Camdenton and Osage Beach, you'll find what you need as far as restocking your cooler and snack bag for the trip. There's a Walmart in both, but I think Target is only in Osage Beach next to HyVee's. That's a great place for groceries. Plenty of fuel is to be had in Camdenton and Osage Beach. The last two times we were there, Camdenton had cheaper diesel.
Hope this helps!
Donna
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Made it back in one piece from a journey that began on June 26 when I flew to Dayton, then drove to Baltimore on July 2. Then left on July 16, returning to California on August 25. Was set to come back earlier, but the heat and fires and ash in the air were not too appealing so I hold up in a little town called Driggs, Idaho, near Jackson Hole, Wyoming. If you ever get a chance to be in the Grand Targhee area, MUST check out the "Teton Teepee" Great place to stay.
Took much advice from those kind enough to provide input here, went through Gettysburg and Antietam, then into West Virginia, then Kentucky, then Tennessee, into Missouri, then the big push north and west to South Dakota. My trip coincided with the beginning of Sturgis, so there were tons of bikes out there. From there into Wyoming (Cody), east yellowstone as a base, and went through the Beartooth Pass, Chief Joseph Highway...eventually down into the Tetons and into Idaho.
I did get a speeding ticket coming down from Devil's Tower...my phone dropped between my seat, I needed to get to a gas station, I was lost, and got pulled over doing 40 in a 30. That was a bummer.
My first night on the road at a campsite near Gettysburg was noteworthy because it must have looked like the 3 stooges setting up camp. I never set up the tent before the trip so as easy as it actually was, it was much harder the first time in the dark.
Cicadas were unlike anything I have ever experienced. In Missouri the noise was a mix between a chainsaw and an MRI machine. Good thing I had a decent supply of bourbon from my ride through Kentucky!
Can't wait to be on the road again!
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Welcome back.
Thanks for checking in with an update. Sounds like you had a good time besides the ticket !
Dave.
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Yes, the cicadas are pretty rough here this year.
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We stayed in Driggs after our trip through Yellowstone a few years back (2014). It was small town and very quiet -- unlike West Yellowstone or Jackson!
My daughter hasn't complained about the cicadas this year, but she may be very used to them now.
Donna
