COVER STORY

An aerial view of the dam. ALAN

WOHLGEMUT

hear t The

of the Ozarks

C E L E B R A T I N G 9 0 Y E A R S O F B A G N E L L D A M & T H E S T R I P

BY MARIE KROLIKOWSKI

“The Strip”… the icon for the Lake of the Ozarks. The current row of restaurants, bars and shops didn’t look like it did years ago. The area was originally developed by businesses that sold staples for the workers during the construction of Bagnell Dam. When the dam construction began in 1929, The Strip served as a location for workers to eat, buy clothes and groceries. When the dam was complete and the workers left, the need for these businesses disappeared. Some businesses, however, decided to remain and launched The Strip as an entertainment space for the influx of visitors coming to the Lake.

Dam It Larry’s is a recent addition to The Strip.

The Strip has seen many changes throughout the years, but the intent to attract and entertain visitors has remained the constant. There are currently businesses that have been there for generations, and others that are new to the area. The Strip attracts new visitors on a regular basis, in addition to those who have made it a necessary stop for years.

Sandy Sieler, a Nebraska resident, has been a regular visitor since 1964. At only one and one-half years old, Sandy began coming with her family and friends. Today, she makes the annual stop with her own children and friends.

“I remember going to The Strip as far back as when I was in elementary school,” Sandy said. “There was skee-ball, an outhouse with a talking mannequin inside, the fake jail where we would always have our picture taken and the haunted motel. We would always buy fudge when we were at The Strip,” she said.

As a teenager, Sandy would spend time at The Strip with her friends. During that time, fun meant cruising up and down the street at night in their cars. “We called the area the Dogpatch,” Sandy added. “I have a lot of great memories from being there. It was a big event to go there every year.”

A huge selection of swimwear and Lake attire is found all along The Strip. PHOTOS BY GEORGE DENNY

At Old Time Photos you can choose from a number of costumes to commemorate your trip to The Strip. The Dogpatch is the longest continually-operated store in Lake Ozark.

Mike Page, the owner of Leatherman, Dogpatch and Grandma’s Candy Kitchen, has been a business owner at the strip since 1976. In 1947, Walter Tietmeyer started one of the first businesses on The Strip, Mike explained. The Dogpatch was originally a small gas station, café, and place to buy souvenirs. Walter kept adding more shops and attractions, including chicken playing pianos, a snake pit and even a lion for people to view. In 1968, the Dogpatch arcade was added. The Dogpatch is the longest continually-operated store in Lake Ozark. Parents who first visited the store as a child are now bringing their own children.

Mike noted that the area has seen several changes throughout the years. Up until the 1970s, the highway to get to the Lake went through the middle of The Strip. The Lake area initially earned the reputation of being a great honeymoon destination. As time went on, it became known as a prime boating and golfing spot, earning the reputation of being the “playground of the middle west.” Mike said there have been ups and downs with The Strip, but overall it has always done fine in terms of attracting visitors.

“Now, there’s more restaurants and bars than ever before,” Mike said. “In the last few years, more family-oriented activities have been moving in. I think we are going to see more of that. I think we are going to see a big resurgence of activity on The Strip.”

A visit to the Lake is not complete without a stop and portrait at Old Time Photos. Don Roelofs and his wife Linda Berchem opened the business in 1976. Today, the studio is managed by their daughters Mary VanHouten and Laura Wilson.

“My parents opened the business before they had children,” Laura said. “They were living in Wisconsin at the time. They knew they wanted to open an Old Time Photos like the one located in the Wisconsin Dells. They traveled around and decided the Lake of the Ozarks would be a good location.”

Laura started working at the studio when she was in high school. She left to attend college, then came back and continued her involvement. As a teenager who spent evenings cruising The Strip, she remembers only a few eating and drinking establishments back in the 1990s.

“I basically grew up on The Strip,” she explained. “My parents kept the business open a lot of hours. There are more family-oriented things to do than there was 10-15 years ago. The addition of so many restaurants have brought more people down. It’s now busy year-round.”

Celebration Cruises and the Tropic Island offer sightseeing tours by boat.

PHOTOS BY GEORGE DENNY

Businessman George Tucker is responsible for some of those new restaurants at The Strip. Tucker’s Shuckers, Malted Monkey/Sushi Monkey and Neon Taco offer a variety of options for visitors. The Sky Trail at The Malted Monkey, a large ropes course attraction, is a main draw for families.

Neon Taco, which opened just this spring, occupies the space previously held by Beavers right next to the dam. “It’s Mexican with an attitude,” marketing director Jacky Lockhert explained. “It’s trendy in terms of food. The general manager comes from San Diego where he ran a high-volume restaurant. The restaurant serves tacos, margaritas, cervezas and more.”

Located at the 0-mile marker, Neon Taco is the newest restaurant in Lake Ozark.

Fans of the Netflix series “Ozark” will find themed cocktails on the menu like the Money Shot and and Darlene’s Killer Lemonade at Marty Byrde’s. AL GRIFFIN

The Casablanca building dates back to 1928. It became a bar in 1933 when prohibition ended. GEORGE DENNY

While The Strip has recently only been accessible by land, George made the necessary improvements for access by water, too. There are now 43 boat slips available for boaters to dock and walk up to The Strip.

With the popularity of the Netflix series about the Ozarks, it was inevitable that a restaurant called Marty Byrde’s would open. Marty Byrde’s opened a few years ago, but was purchased this past January by Craig Wood, Monica Wood and Richard Hutchson.

Hailing from New Mexico, COVID took its toll on a few restaurants they had opened there. They decided to sell everything and look for a new place to live and work. Missouri ranked high on their list of options, and it’s here they found Marty Byrde’s.

Craig explained that major changes have already taken place at the restaurant. “We are in the process of adding a full sports bar with pool tables, darts, pinball machine and foosball,” he said. “We have live music every weekend and dress up theme parties throughout the year. We cook everything fresh and from scratch, and we are proud of our portion sizes. And we are the only place on The Strip where the kitchen is open until the bar closes.” Craig said their focus is on providing the best customer service, prices and food possible.

One of the most recent additions to The Strip is Dam It Larry’s (and omg Vicki). Owners Vicki and Larry Giampa were the owners of Blondies from 20172020. Due to health issues, they were forced to sell. Recovered and feeling healthy, the couple decided it was time for another business.

“People kept saying they missed our food,” Larry explained. “So here we are. We bought Blondies because we wanted to bring Vienna bread and Chicago-style food to the Lake.” The couple said their 1⁄2 lb. burgers are made fresh, and never frozen. Chicago-style hot dogs, made with Italian beef and Italian sausage, are also menu choices.

“We’re having a lot of fun,” Larry said. “We like the growth on The Strip and we like being at this end of it.”

A tradition at Lake of the Ozarks since 1953, Stewart’s Restaurant is always packed with early-morning diners and those coming to order a famous giant cinnamon roll. Another historic hotspot is Casablanca, a local watering hole that’s been around for over 80 years.

In addition to restaurants, a number of shops and boutiques are located on The Strip. One of the most unique is Dirty Girls Crystals & Rocks.

Entering their sixth year in business, owners Sharon Anderson, Mary Derringer and Susan Reinhold met at the Lake and became friends. The women share a love for crystals and have been traveling to Arkansas once a year to dig for gems. They decided to open their own shop, featuring crystals, rocks, jewelry and unique home décor.

“We were mining in Arkansas and we were dirty and muddy,” Sharon explained. “The owner of the mine told us we were the best dirty girls she knew. That’s how we got our name.”

“The Strip is iconic,” Sharon said. “It’s been changing since I’ve been here. There’s so many new businesses and it’s just awesome. We love our customers, and last year was amazing for us.”

Other stores include high-quality boutique clothing stores like Gold + Gray and Split Arrow Boutique. Several swimsuit shops and stores where you can get Lake of the Ozarks T-shirts are located along the stretch. Summer USA is a popular spot for souvenirs, swimsuits and the wall of T-shirts everyone must check out.

Whatever your age, there is something at The Strip for you. This everevolving historic space offers a variety of restaurant and food options, souvenir shops, boutiques, salons, ice cream parlors, specialty shops, an arcade, water activities and even an escape room. The Strip serves as the location for several Lake events, including car shows and parades. It is the heart of Lake of the Ozarks.

Stewart's has been serving breakfast since the 50s, and now has a total of four locations in the Lake area. GEORGE DENNY

Return TO Glory

Restored historic icons return to Bagnell Dam

BY CHARIS PATIRES

Standing 20 feet tall, the second iconic Muffler Man on the Bagnell Dam Strip is making its way back to its rightful place.

After months of restoration, and years in storage, the historic giant is headed back to where it stood for many years. Thanks to the efforts of the team at American Giants and by the request of Summer USA owner Joe Page, the statue will soon be in place for future generations to enjoy.

Locals have a couple of names for it — the Country Bumpkin, the Hillbilly or the Ozark Halfwit — but American Giants co-founder Joel Baker said its real name, as indicated in the catalog listing it for sale in the 60s, is Mortimer Snerd. It was based on a ventriloquist dummy. In the 90s RoadsideAmerica.com called it the Happy Halfwit and that nickname stuck with some people.

These statues were originally sold as roadside attractions and advertising icons for businesses such as car dealerships. There are a number of varieties including the classic Paul Bunyan, pirates, cowboys, soldiers and other mascots.

This iconic Muffler Man has been restored and was scheduled to be put back in place on The Strip sometime this summer. A new photo of the snerd was unavailable as of press time but go to www.LakeNewsOnline .com for a full gallery of photos once it returns to Lake Ozark. PROVIDED

The “snerd” was made in the mid-60s and brought to Bagnell Dam. It stood there until 2013 when it was taken down due to damage and placed into storage. Baker estimates there are maybe 20 snerds in existence, about 180 complete fiberglass giants, and countless pieces and parts. He has seen full giants sell for $15,000-$20,000 unrestored.

Baker says they restore between 1-3 giants a year from their shop in Southern Illinois but this was their first snerd.

The Lake’s giant had a lot of damage to the boot area, he said. Fiberglass damage and holes had to be repaired or rebuilt, it was sanded down, and brought back to life with several fresh coats of paint.

The other Muffler Man was restored by American Giants after Iguana Watersports commissioned the work. In 2016 Chief Bagnell was restored and put back in its original location near the top of The Strip.

“I appreciate the business owners taking the effort of keeping them alive and restoring them,” Baker said. “I admire them for getting it back up for the community to enjoy it. It’s a big job, it’s a big restoration. It’s something so many people remember from childhood.”

Plans are to return the giant this summer but depending on getting the proper clearance from the engineer and local electric company, and other factors, he may not be unveiled until next season.

Keep up with the restoration and learn more about the process by going to American Giants on Facebook or www.usagiants.com.

BEST DAM BIRTHDAY BASH EVENTS

Chief Bagnell was restored in 2016 by American Giants, the same company that completed work on the snerd.

LAKE MEDIA FILE PHOTO

Bagnell Dam turns 90 this year, and a number of events are being held this summer to celebrate. The Best Dam Birthday Bash is taking place with these fun events scheduled across the Lake area.

For more information go to www.bestdambirthdaybash.com or Best Dam Birthday Bash on Facebook. Best Dam Kids Photo Contest

Deadline: July 31

A photography contest for kids is being held in three different age groups and several categories. It’s free to enter and prizes will be awarded.

Best Dam Car Show

July 31, Seven Springs Winery

Cars, trucks and motorcycles of all types will be on display. Live music, speciality vendors and food will be a part of the day. Register on the website to participate.

Best BBQ Birthday Bash

August 6 & 7, Laurie Fairgrounds

The 28th annual Laurie Hillbilly BBQ Cook-off will bring competitors from all over featuring their award-winning barbecue for cash prizes. Anyone can enter to compete. Best Dam Motorcycle Ride

August 7, Zack Wheat Post 624 American Legion in Sunrise Beach

A free bike ride will take off at 9 a.m. at the Post. Breakfast and T-shirts will be available for a small fee.

Best Dam 5K Fun Run/Walk

August 7, Old Kinderhook

Walk or run through the scenic grounds at Old Kinderhook. Cost is $25 to enter with proceeds going to the American Cancer Society. For more information, call Jasen at 314-401-5518 or email jasenjones17@icloud.com.

Mark your calendars for the Best Dam Fireworks Display held Aug. 10. Best Dam En Plein Air Art Festival

August 9-14, Lake Fine Art Academy & Galleria

Artists will be spread out over 20 different venues painting in the competition. Deadline to register is July 16. A gala/art show and sale/awards ceremony will be held. For more information, go to www.lakefineart.net.

Best Dam Fireworks Display

August 10

Enjoy an amazing fireworks show no matter where you are located at the Lake. The plan is to place barges from the 0 to 39-mile markers where fireworks will be synchronized to go off at the same time.