Lake of the Ozarks offers outdoor options

Jefferson City, Mo. — If you’re longing for a few days by the water this summer but you’re worried it’s too late in the season to reserve a place, consider Lake of the Ozarks in central Missouri.

The fingers of this sprawling lake stretch over 54,000 acres with 1,150 miles of shoreline. Created in 1931 with the completion of Bagnell Dam and the Great Osage River Project, the manmade lake is 175 miles from St. Louis and 165 miles from Kansas City. Recreation includes swimming, boating and fishing.

Golfers may choose among 15 courses offering 261 holes.

Parks include two water parks, Big Surf and Timber Falls; Lake of the Ozarks State Park, which is Missouri’s largest state park; and the Ha Ha Tonka State Park at Camdenton, home to the ruins of a European-style castle built in the early 1900s by a Kansas City businessman.

Accommodations range from campgrounds, houseboats and rental condos to B&Bs, motels and resorts. For a free vacation planner, visit www.funlake.com or call (800) 544-8474.

Atchison plays host to Lewis, Clark event

Atchison — You probably know more about Atchison than you realize. The small Missouri River community is connected to a famous pilot and two famous explorers.

Atchison was the site of the first Independence Day celebration in the American West a century ago, when Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery camped by a place they named Independence Creek and marked the first July 4 of their westward trip by firing off a gun in the morning and evening.

The United States was just 28 years old, and the explorers were only seven weeks into their two-year journey; they celebrated the holiday by giving every member of their expedition an extra ration of whiskey.

This year over July 4 weekend, Atchison will host one of 15 National Signature Events in the Lewis and Clark bicentennial celebration.

The salute will include fireworks, historic re-enactments, a display of 4,000 flags, a patriotism-themed quilt show, speakers, musical performances and exhibits of art and artifacts.

Atchison is also home to the Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum, which tells the story of the town’s most famous daughter.

For more information, call (800) 234-1854 or visit www.atchisonkansas.net.