Back when my mom and my aunt were kids, back in the 50’s and 60’s, my grandparents used to take them to this town on the Lake of the Ozarks called Lake Ozark, Missouri. It was quite the tourist destination at the time, with an area called “The Strip,” which was a stretch of road near the Bagnell Dam littered with video arcades, shops, skeeball places, and a couple of country music theaters. There are also some cool caves in the area. Well, no arcades in the 60’s; those came later. See below.
When my brother and cousin were kids in the 70’s & early 80’s, the grandparents took US there, too. The strip was much the same as mom described it, only with the addition of video arcades.
The thing was, the place seemed to be going downhill even when I was a kid. Lots of places were closed and boarded up, and those that remained seemed to be falling into neglect and/or disrepair. I had the impression that the area’s days as a tourist attraction were numbered.
Can any Missouri Dopers speak to whether or not this area is still going as a tourist destination? Obviously the Lake of the Ozarks area is still a big deal, but I’m talking specifically about the area around Bagnell Dam and specifically “The Strip.”
I remembered the name of the hotel we stayed at, and looked it up on the net, and sure enough, it’s still in business. The hotel’s webpage, not unexpectedly, talked up the area as a great family destination, saying “Kids will enjoy a walk on The Strip,” but that was it.
It’s still there, at least as of the last time I was in that area (six years ago or so). Lee Mace’s Ozark Opry still appears to be in business despite competition from Branson, MO (“My dad says it’s like Vegas – if it were run by Ned Flanders.” – Bart Simpson) and the fact that Mace perished in an experimental plane crash over a decade ago. (I still have nightmares about their show–kitsch doesn’t begin to cover it.) It was getting kind of run down as the high rollers, mid rollers, and even many of the thin wallets can now blow their cash and vacation time at riverboat casinos and the like, but Lake of the Ozarks is the major recreational lake in Missouri and the area gets plenty of play in season. Some of my best childhood memories were spent at the lake with my grandparents, and I was pretty fond of The Strip as a wee lad, particularly the water bumper cars and the seaplane ride.
Bridal Cave–that’s the cave you’re thinking of–is kind of a rip. Heck, the whole area is kind of a low grade version of a bad tourist trap, but after wasting one vacation being manifestly disappointed by Mount Rushmore (Devil’s Tower is far more impressive) after driving all the way through Nebraska and South Dakota, I’m not too inclined to complain. Honestly, I preferred the lake in the fall and early winter, when all the tourists are gone, the motor skiers have disappeared, and the leaves are falling. But I haven’t had any reason or place to go there since my grandmother died, and it’s unlikely I’ll ever be there again. It’s probably for the best.
No, that was in Arkansas. The Dogpatch area that was (is?) in the LotA area was a small-scale area with a few shops, some arcades, re-creations of log cabins, etc. It was a few square acres, tops.
Well, I’m not familiar with the place you mention, beyond what I’ve read over at Lileks’s website. He got ahold of some travel material for Lake of the Ozarks, circa 1972 I’d say. It’s a hysterical read.
The Strip is still there. Hell, porbably some of the Skee-ball machines you remember are still there. The Strip itself is mostly an area of cheap bars frequented by the barely-old-enough-to-drink tourists. Mrs. Kunilou and I love it for the kitcsh, but that doesn’t mean even we care to spend more than maybe an hour there.
The Lake area itself is still a popular family vacation spot. It’s got very popular in the resort/conference industry. Given its mid-state location, it’s propbably the most popular spot for statewide conferences and the like in Missouri.
It also has the biggest outlet mall I’ve ever seen.
My family used to go down to the lake every Easter. The strip always struck me as very seedy and not a place I’d let kids walk around alone.
My parents spent a weekend after they got married (1968) on the Strip. They played skeeball for hours and came home with a complete set of red plastic glasses they still have in the china cabinet… a place of honor.
Thanks for the replies, everyone. Mrs. HeyHomie’s grew up in Missouri and had never heard of the dam or The Strip. Her mom lives about 100 miles from there, and sometime this summer we’re going to use my MIL’s house as a launch for a trip over to The Strip. I just want to wander around and see what the place is about, lo these 25 years later.
circa mid 80’s…i ran a night club on the ‘strip’…the DAM CLUB, it was converted from the original power generating station. It, like MANY other Lake Ozark properties burnt down during the off season. :eek:
BTW…if’n your in Lake Ozark MO…beware of the local police force…they tend to be a BIT over zealous of outsiders, those with more than three teeth…
on a side side note…the Outlet mall is in Osage Beach…bout 3-4 miles south…
Ahhhhh…thanks for bringing back some nice memories. I was stationed at Ft Leonard Wood from 1971 to 1972 and our unit spent a few weeks each summer working on the FLW Recreation Area at the Lake. Almost every day we went to the Strip at the Dam after work. I haven’t been back since, but even if the place hasn’t changed, the times have, so it just wouldn’t be the same experience.
during the off season. :eek: