A Family Tradition
IN MEMORY OF MY GRANDAD, BILLY JOE “BILL” STEWART, 1931-2025.
*This piece was originally written as a content story for www.FunLake.com
Words and photos are mine.
Unfortunately, it started with bad news.
After extensive planning and a healthy dose of anticipation, I was eager to join some friends for a multi-day camping and hiking trip. However, a few days before our designated departure date, the dominos began to fall. All four guys that were supposed to join me each had to bail out, one after the other, until I was the last man standing just a couple days before we were supposed to hit the road. I was left wondering what to do with my proverbial lemons and a few days off from work. So, I decided I would make lemonade.
In this case, my “lemonade” was a Lake of the Ozarks fishing trip and I knew exactly who I needed to call… my dad.
With me planning to be out of town and my wife working, I had made arrangements for our son, Elliot, to spend some time with his grandparents. So, with a new plan in the works, I called my dad to ask if he’d like to join us for a father-son fishing trip. My dad’s response did not disappoint: “Absolutely!”
With that, it was official: the boys would head south for the Lake of the Ozarks, spend some time on the water, catch some fish, paddle some kayaks, eat some good food and enjoy each other’s company. Oh, and did I mention catch some fish?
It’s hard to say who was most excited for this trip. While my dad and I were certainly eager, my son, who has become a pretty accomplished angler in his young 9 years, probably had us beat. Elliot is always up for an adventure and his excitement for road trips, especially when water and fishing are on the agenda, can border on high-pitched hysteria.
After making sure I had all the correct rods, reels and tackle packed, we quickly threw the rest of our necessities into our respective bags and loaded up the car before picking up “Papa” and heading off for our Lake of the Ozarks adventure.
Our first stop was to meet up with my friend, John, who lives at the Lake and had agreed to take us out on the water for a few hours of fishing. John, who is now mostly retired, spends the bulk of his days on the Lake fishing, so we knew we were in good hands (everyone needs a friend like John!).
We pulled out of John’s boat slip around 8:30 in the morning with a little bit of cloud cover and the faintest threat of rain. After checking three different weather forecasts, we decided we didn’t have much to worry about and got down to business.
We fished the points, around boat docks, wave brakes, spots where John knew there were submerged brush piles and were soon rewarded with the first fish of the day.
After the first fish, we began to get dialed in, catching and releasing numerous “keepers” along with multiple largemouth and Kentucky spotted bass in the 10- to 12-inch range. My dad and I fished from the rear of the boat while Elliot fished from the front of the boat with John, listening intently as John provided guidance and instruction. My dad and I couldn’t help but laugh about the sudden attention to detail and wondered why Elliot never listened that well to either of us (in case you weren’t aware, nine-year-olds already know everything their parents and grandparents know… and then some).
We had the lake mostly to ourselves, with the exception of a couple more fishing boats and a family going up in a parasail, which was a lot of fun to watch. And, based on the shouts of joy coming from the parasail, it was a lot of fun to do, too. We braved dappled sunlight and a light drizzle, caught and released quite a few more fish and then it was time to head back in and go find some much-needed lunch.
Lunch was a smokey and delicious stop at Wobbly Boots Roadhouse in Osage Beach. We started off with the Ribbies and Wings sampler platter, which features two of Wobbly Boots’ signatures: BBQ ribs and smoked chicken wings. Now, one thing you should know about my son is that the boy loves barbecue and he has a pretty high standard when it comes to smoked meats. And, you can blame his “Papa” for that. All ribs that Elliot comes across are graded on a scale of “These aren’t as good as Papa’s” to, well, his Papa’s ribs, which, evidently, is the gold standard. The good news for Woobly Boots’ staff is that the ribs were incredible. It could be he was too polite to say otherwise in front of his grandfather, but Elliot gave Wobbly Boots’ ribs the highest mark they could receive – they were “just as good as Papa’s.” As for Papa, I think he thought he had been bested. Needless to say, we enjoyed our meal.
After lunch, we hopped back in the car and pointed it south toward Camdenton, Mo. and Ha Ha Tonka State Park. If my memory serves me correctly, Ha Ha Tonka was the first state park I remember visiting. I still remember to this day how the “castle” ruins and Ha Ha Tonka Spring blew my little 10-year-old mind. It also happens to be the first state park my wife and I took Elliot to, though he was just a little squish of a baby boy and doesn’t remember it. But I do.
I’ve been to Ha Ha Tonka a few times over the years, but my sense of wonder and awe at this park never wanes. All I can say is that Robert McClure Snyder, the wealthy Kansas City businessman that first purchased the land and commissioned the construction of the glorious country estate, knew what he was doing. It’s an incredible natural wonderland and one of the most diverse stretches of the Ozarks I’ve ever encountered.
We checked in at the Ha Ha Tonka Visitors Center to sign the requisite paperwork for kayak rentals and then received the keys that would unlock our afternoon’s adventure. Once we reached the Spring Trailhead, we unlocked our kayaks, lifejackets and paddles, grabbed our fishing gear and slid our kayaks down the launch shoot and into the water. A popular spot during the summer months, there were kids jumping off the swimming dock into the water and several boats were anchored in the cove as their owners lounged in float tubes making the most of the beautiful day.
We paddled around the tranquil cove, my dad in his own kayak and Elliot and I sharing a tandem, casting into promising-looking spots. At that point the fishing became secondary as we were thoroughly enjoying the experience and the sunshine. We made our way upstream from the boat launch to the Island Trail and the little oasis where Ha Ha Tonka Spring feeds into the Lake of the Ozarks. We paddled along the towering bluffside where the castle ruins reside far above, spotting three Great Blue Herons, numerous turtles sunning themselves on branches protruding from the water and more wild flowers than we could count growing along the rockface. A picket gate suspended across the water marked the end of the line for us, but we anchored momentarily in the cool, blue spring water marveling at the notable difference in temperature and color between the two different water sources.
Soon we were putting our kayaks back in their racks and heading for the park’s famous castle ruins. We walked the short paved path from the parking lot up to the castle, glossing over the informational kiosks that provide a brief history of the area as well as the ill-fated construction of the castle. We peered over the edge of the scenic overlooks down toward the mouth of the spring and the cove where we had been kayaking. We walked up to and around the castle ruins, imagining what once was.
At this point, it was time for us to head back to Lake Ozark and check into our accommodations at Alhonna Resort. These days, if you ask around, most people know Alhonna Resort due to its recent claim to fame as the inspiration for the Blue Cat Lodge in the award-winning Netflix series OZARK. But, long before Netflix came to the Lake, families and anglers have known Alhonna as a quaint, longtime family-owned and operated fishing resort on the shore of the 8 mile marker of the Lake’s main channel.
Now under new ownership, the resort is receiving a facelift in stages and we were lucky enough to get to stay in one of the newly renovated units. Our unit featured three bedrooms (one with a king size bed, one with a queen and one with a bunk bed), two bathrooms, full kitchen, dining and living room and a shared deck overlooking the Lake of the Ozarks. As we walked around the resort property to get our bearings, Elliot became more and more excited.
“They have a swimming pool? Wait, they have two swimming pools?!? They sell ice cream, too?! They also have a pool table?! And, they have a swimming beach?!? They rent boats and paddle boards! Can we do all of it!?” he pleaded.
At that point, it was a matter of tempering the excitement long enough to get settled into our unit, but the enthusiasm did not wane. As soon as we crossed the threshold of our unit, Elliot quickly made his rounds, bouncing from bedroom to bedroom checking out each of the beds as if he were Goldilocks before giving his official seal of approval: “This place is awesome!” Indeed, the team at Alhonna did an incredible job on the updates. The place was beautiful. Elliot was stoked to have his own bedroom and secretly I was thankful to have a king size bed all to myself, even if only for a limited time. What a luxury!
Once unpacked, we grabbed our fishing tackle and made our way down to Alhonna’s enclosed fishing dock to see if we could catch a few more fish before dinner. Inside the fishing dock, the sun shining into the water cast an intriguing light green hue, which reminded us of the “primordial ooze” that turned the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles into crime-fighting heroes. There were a half-dozen two-foot-long carp swimming near the surface feeding off the algae buildup on the dock’s pontoons, which made for a fun show as we cast into the water below. After a few casts inside, we moved outdoors and began fishing around the corners of the dock. Just after posing for a photo, Elliot hooked into a nice largemouth bass that put up a good fight before finally being hoisted out of the water. “I love it here,” he said as a smile beamed across his face. A little while later, we all decided it was time for dinner.
Sadly for us, Alhonna’s restaurant, The Blue Cat Lounge (recently renovated and renamed in honor of the resort’s ties to the show), was already closed for the evening so we made our way off-property and stopped a few miles up the road at Sergio’s Taqueria. After deliberating over the impressive menu, my dad ordered the Chile Relleno dinner, Elliot ordered a taco salad and, with encouragement from our waitress, I ordered the street-style Tacos al Pastor. All three entrees arrived promptly and were absolutely delicious. In my father’s book, you can tell a lot about a Mexican restaurant by their chile rellenos and he thought Sergio’s were some of the best he’s ever had. And, I have to say, my tacos were phenomenal. We left Sergio’s stuffed and satisfied.
Back at Alhonna, we sat out on the deck and watched the sun set. Although we could hear the quiet murmur of other resort guests on their deck talking, there was the sense of calm and tranquility that one only finds next to water. As the sun sank behind the horizon, the Lake took on a deep purple hue as we sat, listening to the water lazily lapping the shore. The stillness was punctuated only by the occasional hum of an engine before we would see the bow light of a boat as it cut through the water, its wake sending ripples slowly to the shore.
The next morning, I took full advantage of being in “vacation mode” and slept in. I woke to the pleasant smell of coffee and breakfast. My dad and Elliot could hardly wait to start fishing again, so they got up early, made breakfast and went back down to the fishing dock where they caught bluegill, bass and crappie while I lazily enjoyed coffee and breakfast on the deck as a light rain fell.
When the successful fishing party returned, we walked down to Alhonna’s marina and rented a fishing boat for a few hours. At that point, the rain had stopped and the sun began poking out behind the cloud cover as we trolled around Alhonna’s secluded cove. Once we were rigged up, we began casting. On my first cast, I had a moment of confusion followed by a pleasant surprise. I thought for sure I had gotten my lure snagged on a brush pile, but as my dad began to reverse course, my line went slack, went taught and started running off. What I thought was a snag ended up being another “keeper” largemouth bass. Not a bad way to start the morning! We each managed to get several bites and caught and released several more bass before my dad asked, “How about we go on a little joy ride?” We were all about it. We cruised around the Lake for a little while remarking on the incredible homes that dotted the shoreline and imagining what we would do if we had our own lake house before we had to return the boat back to the marina.
Unfortunately, our time at the Lake was coming to a close, but we had a couple more stops to make before heading home. After repacking the car, we decided to have a late lunch at the Rusty Rooster Cafe. This colorful and eclectic cafe offers farm-fresh breakfast and lunch all day (from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m., when they close). Elliot ordered the golden Belgian Waffles with fresh berry compote and whipped cream while my dad ordered the impressive pork tenderloin sandwich. I was in the mood for something relatively light, so I got the Quiche of the Day, which came with a side salad and my choice of fresh-baked muffin. The food was great and the service very friendly, but we decided not to dawdle since the cafe would be closing soon. We hopped back in the car and drove for the west side of the Lake, where our family’s history in the area began.
My grandparents started visiting the Lake with my dad in the early ‘60s when he was just a boy. My grandparents would book a cabin at Rock Harbor Resort in Sunrise Beach (which is still open!) on the quieter west side of the Lake for a few weeks at a time to get away from the hustle and bustle of Kansas City. This became their annual summertime tradition until my grandparents found a little lakefront cabin of their own and a new family tradition was born. When we were growing up, my two younger brothers and I were always glad to visit, especially during the summer months when we would fish from the dock, swim in the quiet cove and go on boat rides as a family. Sadly, the lake cabin is no more, but my brothers and I still talk about those fantastic summer Lake days.
Driving along the winding backroads with familiar landmarks passing by the car windows (including a big sign for Rock Harbor Resort), I couldn’t help but think about the many Lake adventures my brothers and I shared over the years. Although my grandparents moved off the water and closer to town 15 years ago, the Lake was still their home and we will always associate them with sunshine and summer fun.
We met up with my grandad, Bill, at the American Legion. Since my grandmother’s passing, Grandad has been very involved with “the Legion” and it has essentially become his second home. We walked through the door, and there he was, holding court with a longtime friend, both of them gently teasing the bartender, who was giving it back as well as she was receiving it.
“Who are these handsome gentlemen?” she asked. “Surely, they can’t be related to you, Bill,” she teased my grandad.
Four generations of Stewarts sat there, laughing and catching up until it was time for us to hit the road, but not before getting a picture of all of us together. It was definitely a photo for the scrap book, as was the entire trip. For my dad and I, it was a long overdue homecoming of sorts. An attempt to relive the past through new experiences and new memories, but this time in different roles. I am now a father, my dad is now a grandfather and my grandfather a great-grandfather. Now, the Stewart family baton has been passed to my son and it’s his turn to start making his own experiences and memories at the Lake of the Ozarks. I have to say, Elliot’s off to a great start – he caught his first Lake of the Ozarks largemouth bass, swam and kayaked at Ha Ha Tonka and he already has a list of all the things he wants to do when he comes back. It was obvious that he figured out something the three earlier generations of Stewarts learned long ago: Life is Better at the Lake.
I simply couldn’t imagine a better trip. What started out as a minor disaster for me turned into one of the most enjoyable trips we’ve ever shared and I wouldn’t do anything differently. Except to maybe tack on a few extra days since we left some fish in the Lake. Hopefully it won’t be long until we come back to catch the rest of them.
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IN MEMORY OF MY GRANDAD, BILLY JOE “BILL” STEWART, 1931-2025.