Lone Oak Point Resort

As summer winds down, here's a bit about where I've been this summer (and every summer for the past 10 years).

About the Lake of the Ozarks

The lake itself was built when the utility company built a dam in the 1920s on the Osage River for electricity. 

After WWII, this area started to attract tourism.  Family resorts popped up and that was the dominant culture here going into the 1990s.  Eventually, big money flowed into the lake.  Million-dollar homes were built.  Condo buildings popped up everywhere.  And 40+ foot cruisers and racing boats stood out on the main channel every weekend.  

Some of the old-timers lament the commercialization of the lake, but many more people appreciate the entertainment options here.  It is definitely quite the party lake.  And it is HUGE...one of the biggest lakes in the US at over 100 miles long.

My Lake History

My mother remarried and that took us from Kansas City to the Lake of the Ozarks in 1979 (a three-hour drive from KC to central Missouri).  I lived down here during 3-6 grades and loved it.  When my mother divorced in 1985, I was devasted leaving this lake home for the city.

Everyone in the family had grown to enjoy summers at the lake, so my grandmother kept her houseboat at the marina and we had a ski boat.  Every summer, we'd spend time here.

In 1992, I got to spend the entire summer after my freshman year of college living on that houseboat.  It was the best summer of my life.

My Current Lake Home

Fast forward to 2008 when Jen and I came together in relationship.  We wanted to spend summers at the lake, both because we loved it and because we wanted to give Zoe and Henry a chance to experience the lake life.  We bounced around in 2009-2011 before stumbling upon Lone Oak Point Resort in August 2011.  We instantly fell in love with it and bought a unit a week later. 

Unit 40 has become our lake home.  For most of the past ten years, we would be at the lake every other weekend, bringing friends with us as much as possible for the kids. Then starting in 2017, we spent almost every weekend at the lake during the summer, alternating between a kids-weekend and an adult-weekend.  We would spend at least one entire week here too. 

For the past two summers alone, I've done my best to nurture my soul by spending most of my summer in Unit 40.  It isn't the same by myself, but I am frequently reminded how special this place is and why we were so quick to buy our unit in 2011.

Lone Oak Point Resort

You can read more about it on their website, but the short story is this is a typical family resort that popped up on the lake after WWII. The 43 units spread across two-story buildings on the peninsula were condo'd out in the mid-2000s because the resort owners wanted to retire.  (It's hard to sell an entire resort!) 

The long-time property managers (Teri and Gary) took over the rental business that still operates today.  We have lots of amenities...outdoor pool, indoor pool, hot tub, sauna, swim docks, tennis court, basketball, volleyball, playground.  Everything a family would want.

My Unit 40

It is a simple two-bedroom, one-bath unit with a kitchen/dining/living space.  We can sleep six with the pull-out sofa.  And with younger kids, we would get 8 people (two families...each with two adults and two children) by utilizing the bunk bed and blow-up mattress.  It also has a huge deck, which is where we spend most of our awake time. 

I have set up two small office spaces...a standing desk in my bedroom and an outdoor space on the deck.  I get lots of comments on my background when doing zoom calls!

The kitchen is basic and includes everything you would find in a typical US kitchen, minus the garbage disposal and dishwasher.

I also set up a TRX for simple body-resistance exercises and have a yoga mat.  But my favorite daily routine is sauna/lake swim/hot tub, which is usually how I transition from work to dinner.

Pontoon Boat

I'm grateful for my mother as she was instrumental in acquiring the pontoon boat from her friends back in 2005.  It is an older 1994 model but in great condition.  It is parked on a lift in a slip at the resort and is just right for me on this lake.

Henry is old enough that the pontoon is too slow for him, and I finally gave in and got him a used 2001 Sea Doo this summer.