Lake of the Ozarks to be Featured on "FAMILY TRAVEL WITH COLLEEN KELLY"

"Family Travel with Colleen Kelly," a popular National Public Television series, will feature Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks, highlighting the outdoor adventure, water activities, shopping, dining and attractions that make the area a great family vacation destination. The Lake of the Ozarks episode will be part of the show's season two lineup and will air at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 2 on KMOS - Channel 184 on Charter Communications and also in Springfield on OPT-Create TV Channel 21.3 at 8:30 a.m. on August 2. "We are very excited to see the program air in our geographic area and even more excited about the national coverage the show will bring to the Lake of the Ozarks," says Tim Jacobsen, executive director of the Lake of the Ozarks Convention & Visitor Bureau. The show's host, Colleen Kelly, and the crew spent time throughout the Lake of the Ozarks area in July 2014, shooting segments at Ha Ha Tonka State Park, Bridal Cave and Thunder Mountain Park and Captain Ron's Bar and Grill. They also went fishing, had some fun on the lake with Iguana Watersports, took a flight over the Lake with AirLake Aviation, went on an excursion on the Tom Sawyer Paddlewheeler at Bagnell Dam and shopped at Blair's Landing on Main Street. Kelly says the Lake of the Ozarks was an obvious choice for the show and that she looks forward to introducing viewers to all that the area has to offer. "With the beautiful lake scenery and fun activities for all ages, the Lake of the Ozarks is a perfect fit for our family travel program," she says. "It's already a popular vacation destination for Midwestern families, and we are thinking that people living in other parts of the country will find that it's worth the trip." "Whether you want to do nothing but relax on the water, have an adventure in the great outdoors or take part in the many attractions for people of all ages, this lake vacation has something for everyone," Kelly concludes. "Family Travel with Colleen Kelly," which helps families plan memorable vacations, reaches 90 percent of the country on National Public Television stations and recently was picked up by APT Worldwide for international distribution. Each half-hour episode gives viewers a personalized, behind-the-scenes tour of must-see locations throughout the U.S. and abroad. "Family Travel with Colleen Kelly" is written and produced by Travel Film Productions, LLC, a Chicago-based, multi-media production company. The series originally premiered on National Public Television in October 2013 and is now also running on Create® TV, delivered nationally via 220 public television stations. Check local listings, or visit www.FamilyTravelCK.com to watch complete episodes. About Colleen Kelly: As a family travel expert and modern-day parent, Colleen Kelly isn't afraid to kick back, get a little messy and have fun. In addition to being co-creator, co-executive producer and host of "Family Travel with Colleen Kelly," she was the Emmy-nominated executive producer of NBC's successful show "24/7 Chicago." She is the co-creator of that show and is currently its travel correspondent. Colleen is also a featured travel expert for a top Chicago morning TV show. She frequently speaks at high-profile travel conferences and is often used as an expert source for media stories and interviews regarding travel topics.

Lake of the Ozarks Named #1 Recreational Lake in the U.S.

It was announced Friday, July 24 that Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks was voted the "Best Recreational Lake in the US," according to a USA Today readers poll.   The Lake of the Ozarks, which covers 54,000 acres with 64 billion gallons of water and features over 1,150 miles of meandering shoreline (more than the entire Pacific Coast of California!), beat out Lake Tahoe in California and Nevada, Big Bear Lake in California, West Okoboji Lake in Iowa, Lake Cumberland in Kentucky, among many others for the coveted top spot. "We're just thrilled to receive this recognition," says Jim Divincen, administrator for the Tri-County Lodging Association. "We are blessed that the Lake of the Ozarks has such a variety of recreational activities, both on and off the lake, that appeal to people of all ages." Divincen continues, "There are so many ways to enjoy the cool waters of the Lake of the Ozarks and its tributaries, be it on-the-water activities like swimming, fishing, boating, tubing, wake boarding, paddle boarding and kayaking, or by taking in fun water-focused events like AquaPalooza, the Canine Cannonball and the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout powerboat races." The Lake of the Ozarks was among 20 lake destinations across the US selected by a panel of travel experts and journalists from USA Today, 10Best.com and other media outlets. Online voting took place over the course of four weeks, and although it was a close race, the Lake of the Ozarks received more readers' votes and ultimately won the contest. For a complete list of winners visit www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-recreational-lake/. "We simply could not be more excited," added Divincen. "This is a testament to what a great family-friendly destination the Lake is and why we have nearly 5 million visitors to the area each year. We're so very grateful and we would like to thank everyone that voted for the Lake of the Ozarks as the 'Best Recreational Lake' in the country." For more information about all the on-the-water fun and activities and Lake-area events, attractions, dining and lodging options, call the Lake of the Ozarks Convention and Visitor Bureau (CVB) at 1-800-FUN-LAKE, or visit the CVB's award-winning website, www.FunLake.com.