Like many of you, I have more than one job. I do some corporate flying as a “second job.” Last week we had an assignment to fly to the Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. Soon, we found that this place is a lot of fun. Occasionally this job has some great fringe benefits!

View of Shady Gators from our room.

For those of you not familiar with this lake, it was formed when the Osage River was dammed in 1931. This formed a lake that winds for more than 90 miles and has numerous coves. It is sometimes referred to as the “Dragon Lake” for its unusual appearance from the air. The surrounding area offers several State Parks with hiking, camping and backpacking opportunities. There are even several caves to explore, another favorite hobby of mine.

If a little party action is more your speed, check out Shady Gators or the Horney Toad. Both offer live music, a lake view and very lively crowds! Sadly our flight schedule did not allow us to take in any of the festivities – this trip…

Instead we hit the lake in a boat and headed to the Four Seasons for breakfast. Cool ride. This lake is packed with every kind of water craft you can imagine. In fact we are told that on weekends this lake belongs to the “big boys.” Because of the steep shoreline, wakes reverberate creating a rough ride for a small boat by lunchtime.

We also noticed some VERY nice real estate along the shoreline. One cliff-top home sports two man-made waterfalls spilling over into the lake. Awesome!

It looks like this will be a regular trip for us from now on. Look for pictures, trip reports and more in the future. If your travels take you near The Lake of the Ozarks, take the time to visit. It will be worth your time.