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OSAGE BEACH - It's almost Memorial Day, and a lot of Mid-Missourians will be heading to the Lake of the Ozarks.
The recent jump in gas prices has left some wondering if they should just celebrate at home. But tourists won't let the price at the pump ruin their fun. Many vacationers have visited the Lake of the Ozarks for years.
Boater Lee Brown says he has been visiting the Ozarks almost every year since about 1983. And though gas prices are on the rise, they refuse to let it interrupt their time on the water.
"It wouldn't stop us from coming down, we would probably boat a little less on the water," Brown said.
Gas prices at boat docks have risen to almost $4 a gallon, which makes for an expensive trip to the pump.
"If you're getting, say, 100 gallons of unleaded, you're right around $400," Mike Herman of Blue Moon Marina said.
Despite the heavy price tag, lake residents say they've survived high gas prices in the past.
"I don't really think the gas prices are going to affect us here at the lake. They didn't affect us last year, there was a climb last year, it didn't affect us, and I don't think it will affect us this year," Pam Leaver of Casey's General Store said.
And that the price of gas doesn't really bother boaters.
"If they're going to come down, they're going to come down," said Leaver.
"Gas is a necessity, but it's just another necessity they need to purchase to be able to use the point here at the lake," said Herman.
Even though the cost may be high, boaters will definitely come down to the lake this summer. One marina owner says most boaters he's talked to have prepared for the high gas prices this summer. He thinks that older lake residents who boat during the week may be one group the prices hurt.
Reported by: Ashley Clark
Edited by: Liz Langton
Published: Thursday, May 24, 2007 at 5:37 PM
Last Updated: Thursday, May 24, 2007 at 7:49 PM |
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