Every summer we end up at Lake of the Ozarks because my brother-in-law Joel has a house on the water and the family treats it like a second living room. This week was different on the calendar — September 30 through October 7, 2026 — built around the fall Big Bass Bash, with enough days on either side to actually live there. Knup 8.8 for the trip.

We flew Sanford to Springfield Wednesday night, grabbed a rental, and drove down. The house was already shut for winter, so Thursday was open-up day: groceries, systems, making a lake house feel like a house again. Then it was just Bryce, Sarah, and me for a stretch — work when we wanted, cook instead of hunt restaurants, Sea-Doo and boat time, long stretches on the deck with Athletic Brewing NA cans and nothing urgent. That quiet is the product.

Joel rolled in Friday night. Andrew (Bryce’s cousin and one of his good friends) rounded out a four-man Bash crew on the pontoon. Saturday and Sunday were tournament days — about 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., chilly fog mornings, not a lot of fish, nothing heavy enough to weigh in. The full Bash score is Big Bass Bash 2026 (Fall) — Knup 6.7; this trip page is the week around it. Why we keep saying yes to weeks like this is also in experiences with your kids beat almost every practical excuse.

Monday through Wednesday we stayed put. Winterized with Joel, packed, cleaned, got more work done from the deck (laptop on the railing, lake in the background — that is a real office). One outing: Ha Ha Tonka State Park — spring trail, the big stairs, castle ruins, lake overlooks. Cool hike. Full score: Knup 8.2. Then Springfield to Sanford and home.

No restaurant scores from this week. We ate in on purpose. The city score for Lake of the Ozarks lives at /travel/lake-of-the-ozarks/ — high, because we keep choosing this place. Summer will stack more nights on the same pages.

Knup 8.8 / 10. Relaxing, quiet, family, fishing, a little work, a little adventure, a lot of deck. Exactly what we wanted the week to be.

Photos

Ryan on the deck with a rainbow over the cove
Ryan in the hot tub overlooking Lake of the Ozarks docks
MacBook on the deck railing with Knup.com open and a Shootout cup
Ryan with an Athletic Brewing Free Wave on the lake-house deck
Chilly foggy Bash morning selfie with the fishing crew
Bryce holding a bass in a Big Bass Bash hoodie
Ryan holding a bass on the boat
Joel holding a bass on the pontoon
Ryan, Bryce, and Andrew at the outdoor vendor market
Ryan and Sarah at the Ha Ha Tonka castle ruins
Ryan and Sarah on a Ha Ha Tonka overlook
Stone water tower at Ha Ha Tonka State Park
Millennium Monopoly night at the lake house
Ryan and Sarah on the pontoon

The day in bullets

  • Wed night: Sanford → Springfield, rental car down to the lake. House was already winterized — full day opening it, groceries, getting the place alive again.
  • Thu–Fri: just Bryce, Sarah, and me. Quiet lake days — work blocks, eat-in meals, Sea-Doo / boat time, deck sitting.
  • Fri night: Joel in. Andrew (Bryce’s cousin) and one of his Missouri friends joined the Bash crew — four of us fishing.
  • Sat–Sun: Big Bass Bash 2026, ~7 a.m.–3 p.m. both days. Chilly. Not many fish. No weigh-ins. Full Bash score: Knup 6.7 experience review.
  • Mon–Wed: hang around the lake, winterize with Joel, more work, Ha Ha Tonka State Park hike (Knup 8.2 park review).
  • Home: Springfield → Sanford. No restaurant reviews this week — we cooked.