Midweek Vacations Are Mellow and Affordable
at Central Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks

LAKE OF THE OZARKS, MO. – On weekends, Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks hums with activity, like most popular resort areas. Many visitors prefer the excitement and lively atmosphere on weekends -- but there's another side of the Lake that's best experienced in midweek. That's when visitors find a
relaxing, mellow atmosphere, plus plenty of opportunities to save money.

"The Lake of the Ozarks actually is two lakes in one," says Joel Pottinger, executive director of the Lake of the Ozarks Convention and Visitor Bureau. "We tell people, if they want a hustle-bustle kind of place, the weekend is for them. But for more peaceful, serene surroundings, come visit in the middle of the week."

Specifically, Pottinger notes, Lake traffic decreases significantly during the week. "It's quieter, but you still can enjoy all the same area services and attractions," he says. "On or off the water, it's all there throughout
the week, just in a more laid-back environment."

More than 50 miles of tributary rivers complement the Lake of the Ozarks' 92-mile main channel and more than 1,150 miles of shoreline. "Although the 30 miles above Bagnell Dam on the main channel can be quite busy on weekends, you can always find any number of quiet areas on the Lake where you can water
ski or simply 'cove out,'" Pottinger says. "But between 4:00 p.m. Sunday and 4:00 p.m. Friday, you'll discover a Lake the whole family will enjoy."

That makes midweek at the Lake of the Ozarks attractive to pleasure boaters, as well as to Omer Clark, owner of the 50-ton Tropic Island Cruises excursion boat. "Obviously it's not as crowded on land and definitely not as crowded on the Lake during the week," he says. "You can have the place practically
to yourself."

Visitors who want to rent boats and other watercraft also will notice the benefits of being at the Lake during the week. "It's just like a different Lake here Monday through Friday," says Steve Beeny, manager of the yacht club and boat rentals at Glencove Yacht Club and Marina. "Throughout the week we don't have nearly as many boats out on the Lake. The main channel is quiet enough for skiing during the week." Midweek vacationers also have a better chance of renting the watercraft they want, Beeny says, whether it's a speedboat, pontoon, wave runner or yacht. "On weekends we tend to book up in advance and
sell out frequently," he says.

Off the water, vacationers will find a wide array of advantages to midweek travel at the Lake of the Ozarks. Take lodging, for example. Visitors who stay in Lake-area motels, hotels, resorts, condos, campgrounds and bed-and-breakfasts appreciate that there are fewer people around during the week than on weekends. "I think we are definitely seeing more people in the middle of the week now than we did just a few years ago," says co-owner Maggie Schaffer of Quail's Nest Resort. "I believe it is a growing trend for vacationers because people have caught on to the fact that it's a whole lot more easy-going at the Lake during the week."

Melinda Jackson, general manager at Baymont Inn and Suites, agrees. "We get quite a few midweek visitors who prefer a quieter setting," she says. "They've been here enough that they know there are not as many boats and jet skis out on the Lake. The more seasoned Lake vacationers enjoy it when the water
is rather calm, as it is during the week. A lot of them come down to fish and prefer the more laid-back, midweek scene."

Another difference, Jackson notes, is "more families with children come down on the weekends, especially during the tourist season. But increasingly there seems to be a different demographic during the week," she says, "including retirees, people whose children are grown and out of the house, or couples with no children."

Both Schaffer and Jackson point out that visitors can save money by staying at the Lake during the week. "It's a better value," Schaffer says. "During the week a person can sleep more economically than on weekends. Just ask at any lodging, 'What is your best deal?'" She also advises checking the Internet for mid-week specials, such as the Quail's Nest's Shop & Stay package that offers guests who stay two consecutive days the third day for half price.

Jackson says the Baymont also is more likely to have availabilities during the week, "and the prices are more attractive," she adds. "We charge full price on weekends because we know we'll sell out. But during the week on any given night I'll let the front desk employees decide how low to go, and sometimes they'll cut the room rate in half. We're more able to work with people regarding rates during the week." For example, Jackson says, "If you're planning to be here over a weekend you might spend two more nights for the price of one."

Dining, golfing and shopping also offer midweek benefits for Lake-area visitors. Restaurants are typically less busy during the week, which means less waiting time to be seated and served. Brent DeMoss, owner of the 54 Diner, says, "On weekends you could wait quite a while, especially on a Sunday morning, which is our busiest time of the week. But on a weekday you can just walk right in and sit down."

Midweek visitors can walk in and tee up -- and save money -- at the Lake of the Ozarks' 17 outstanding golf courses. "We have good specials on weekdays. We love it when people come in the middle of the week," says Don Zanzie, general manager at the Golf Club at Deer Chase. Midweek golfers know they can get the tee times they want, he says. The club offers a 20-percent-off coupon on certain weekdays plus the "Morning Glory" special from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Also available is a special rate of $27 for 18 holes and a cart for seniors on Mondays and for ladies on Tuesdays. "A lot of courses have seniors and
ladies specials during the week," Zanzie says. "During the week the Lake is quieter and lodging's less expensive; toss in a good deal on golf and you have a great getaway."

Shoppers also notice a difference between weekends and weekdays. "Midweek shopping at the Lake is just more relaxing and leisurely," says Judy Blair, owner of Blair's Landing at the Main Street Landing shopping village. "You don't have to use up valuable shopping time by standing in food lines." Blair
says she has noticed a growing number of visitors who come during the week just to shop at the Lake area's popular outlets, antique stores and specialty boutiques. Notes Blair, "If I were going on vacation I'd probably take a midweek getaway. As a matter of fact, I already do!"

And so do the many visitors who appreciate the relaxation and savings they find during the week at Central Missouri's beautiful Lake of the Ozarks. For more information about planning a Lake getaway -- midweek or anytime -- contact the Lake of the Ozarks Convention & Visitor Bureau at 800-FUN-LAKE or
visit www.funlake.com.