Part 1 of 2 Checking in and the Sandwich
Brad made reservations at The Great American Campground and Dive Bar because it is near the Lake of the Ozarks. Our plan is to have a good RV camping location so we could have daily rides around the lake and surrounding area. It is an unfamiliar area, which we agreed to explore. Gravois Mills was also about the halfway point from Conesville, Iowa, to Depew, Oklahoma. We have Depew marked on our road atlas because we plan to go to the Rt. 66 Motorcycle Rally there during the following week.
We arrived at the Great American Campground and Dive Bar in the late afternoon. It had a pretty decent-sized RV camp area. We checked in. A few campers remained after the Memorial Day weekend. The campground was full during the holiday weekend. There is a centralized shower and bathhouse. Facilities were very clean and well taken care of. We were told there are plans to expand the facilities with cabins around the pond. There was an outside and inside bar. There is a stage outside for the bands and a large custom fire pit in the seating area. The host checked us in and gave us the lay of the land. We discovered that besides the Dive Bar, there was a bar named Whiskey Dicks down the road in one direction. In the opposite direction, there was a bar named Big Dicks. Brad proclaimed that we were sandwiched between two dicks. The camp host turned a little red with embarrassment of Brad’s observation. Hey, we didn’t come up with the names. Makes us wonder what is on folks’ minds around here!
Brad and I usually park the bikes and walk to a bar and restaurant for the evening and walk back. This lets us have a drink without risking a motorcycle accident. The location is fantastic as a basecamp with easy access to adventurous ride routes for our motorcycle rides. The location is not so good for walking off the campgrounds. There are no sidewalks. It is a rural area which we like. The two-lane road has a blind hill and high speed limit that isn’t very safe for pedestrians. Regardless of the verbal warnings voiced by our host, we decided to walk the road to Whiskey Dicks, which is the closest of the two bars. The Great American Dive Bar wasn’t open every night of the week. We discovered some local restaurants and bars alternated open days in order not to take customers from each other. Possibly a concept many will not understand until they visit and discover for themselves. Brad and I begin our walk to Whiskey Dicks.
Check back next week for Part 2. Whiskey Dicks!
