LAKE OF THE OZARKS, MO - Let Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks serve as your vacation headquarters this year and you'll discover an exciting, family-oriented destination where children and parents can enjoy making lifelong memories together.
The Lake area has your family amusement plans covered with arcades, mini golf, go-karts, water parks, laser tag, parasailing and the best fishing spots, all within minutes of one another. Here are just a few of the fun spots and attractions for fun-seeking families who travel at the Lake:
• Miner Mike's and Buster's Adventure Town is a 35,000 square foot arcade wonderland of rides, games and food. Miner Mike's features bumper cars, a two-story high Ferris wheel, an indoor roller coaster, and a large indoor playground area with a maze, a ball pit and slides. Buster's has over a million dollars worth of the latest video games, ticket games and high-tech simulators, as well as an Old West-themed restaurant featuring a variety of appetizers, Angus burgers and pizza. For more information about Miner Mike's and Buster's Adventure Town, call 1-800-317-2126.
• The Lake of the Ozarks boasts two water parks for families that love the thrill of splashing around, indoors or out. Big Surf Waterpark (954 State Road Y) in Linn Creek is an outdoor park that features Zambezi Falls (a four-story waterslide), The Rapids (a white-water slide), the Space Bowl (a slide into a 30-foot bowl), Challenge Flumes, a lazy river, Wave Pool, sand pits and Splash Island - a special play area designed for kids age 6 and younger. Big Surf is open from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend. For more information about Big Surf, call 573-346-6111. For aquatic fun indoors, try Timber Falls Waterpark at Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach. This water park is famous for the Ozark Wilderness Treehouse, a woodland themed play area complete with water blasters and a six-foot-wide bucket that spills out over 600 gallons of water each minute. Timber Falls also has over 600 feet of slides, a lazy river, a 21-seat whirlpool and an activity pool with basketball and other games. Timber Falls is open on weekends now and is open daily starting March 11. For ticket information, call 573-302-5024.
• Lazer Force Lazer Tag Zone (5473 Osage Beach Pkwy. in Osage Beach) lets the whole family step into a live sci-fi role-playing game complete with laser pistols, fog, flashing lights, cover spots and heart-pounding action music. As many as 24 players can join in this game of tag played with laser lights. Everyone plays the whole game and a detailed scoreboard and scorecard tells you who you tagged, who tagged you and how well you and your team did. It's just like paintball but without the paint. To find out more about Lazer Force, call 573-348-2222.
• With over 1,150 miles of shoreline, the Lake of the Ozarks is a family fishing paradise. Whether you fish from the dock, cast a line from a boat or just want to try your luck from the shore, you'll find an ideal fishing spot at the Lake. And when you find that perfect place to cast, you'll reel in a variety of fish, too. Depending on the time of year and the weather, you'll find species of bass, crappie, striper, paddlefish, catfish, drum, muskie and walleye at the Lake. Another fun and family-friendly option is to hire a local Coast Guard certified fishing guide - they know the best fishing spots and they can teach the kids how to bait a hook, how to fish and teach them about boating safety. Learn more about fishing at the Lake by calling 800-FUN-LAKE (386-5253) or visit the Lake of the Ozarks Convention and Visitor Bureau online at FunLake.com.
• Family fun is free at the Lake area's two state parks - Lake of the Ozarks State Park and Ha Ha Tonka State Park. Lake of the Ozarks State Park has over 17,441 acres and is the largest state park in Missouri. The park has 13 diverse trails, including two horseback riding trails. Families can bring their own horses or can rent them from the Ozark Homestead Riding Stables inside the park. Lake of the Ozarks State Park also has two sandy beach swimming areas, fishing, opportunities for various water sports, two marinas and tours of Ozark Caverns. Ha Ha Tonka State Park's 3,709 acres houses the ruins of an early 20th century "castle," 14 trails, eight caves, a 500-foot wide sinkhole, a 60-foot long natural bridge and a glade and woodland area with over 400 species of plants and animals. Both parks also have much more to offer, including interpretive programs during the summer months featuring a wide variety of nature topics. For more on these state parks, visit MoStateParks.com.
• Mini golf is a sure-fire hole-in-one at the Lake of the Ozarks with the Putt 'n Stuff Family Fun Center in Osage Beach and Sugar Creek Mini Golf in Lake Ozark. Putt 'n Stuff has 36 holes of mini golf with caves, waterfalls and rapid rivers. Putt 'n Stuff also has bumper cars and go-karts. To find out more about pricing and season schedules, call 573-348-2127. Sugar Creek has two 18-hole mini golf courses set in a woodland park, complete with natural creeks, waterwheels, mills and waterfalls. Call Sugar Creek Mini Golf at 573-365-2226 for more details about pricing and seasonal schedules.
There's much more for a fun-seeking family to do at the Lake, so you'll definitely want to reserve lodging at an area resort, hotel, motel, condominium, bed and breakfast, RV park or campground.
For a full list of these properties or for more entertainment ideas, visit FunLake.com or call the Lake of the Ozarks Convention & Visitor Bureau at 800-FUN-LAKE (386-5253).
