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