Lake of the Ozarks vacation – July/August 2013
Lake of the Ozarks vacation – July/August 2013
We decided to stay closer to home for our family vacation the summer of 2013. The Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri is a 5 hour drive from our home in Des Moines Iowa. Our kids were ages 14, 13, and 10. I was lucky to have a generous friend let us use her time share at the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. We stayed in a spacious three bedroom condo with many amenities – heated outdoor pool, dock on the lake, pool and ping pong tables, and even board games.
[three_fourth]
During our week there, we visited Ha Ha Tonka State Park. The park is a beautiful area with tons of hiking trails, natural bridges, and caves. You can also walk through the ruins of Ha Ha Tonka, an early 20th-century stone mansion that was modeled after 16th century European castles (https://mostateparks.com/park/ha-ha-tonka-state-park). It was a great way to spend an afternoon, especially for an adventurous family!
We also toured Bridal Cave on a rainy afternoon. The tour is about an hour long through many rooms of the cave. It is an educational and interesting experience! Thousand of people have even been married there (https://bridalcave.com)
The highlight of our trip was boating on the lake. We packed water toys, floats, and snacks and spent hours on the water. One day we rented a speed boat and had a blast tubing and water skiing. Another day we rented a pontoon to explore and swim for the afternoon. We had SO MUCH FUN! There are tons of coves to explore and stop for a swim. It is a gorgeous area and very enjoyable to float around and relax.
We saved a lot of money by cooking most of our own meals, but we splurged a couple of times on dinner and ice cream. Our family loves food and we enjoy trying local restaurants wherever we go.
I would definitely return to the Lake of the Ozarks – it is a fantastic vacation spot, right in the Midwest! This was one of our more simple, yet fulfilling vacations!
I could talk about vacations forever ? If you have a question or comment, please feel free to message me below!
[/three_fourth]
[one_fourth_last]
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”21″ gal_title=”Ozarks July/August 2013″]
[/one_fourth_last]
