Rockaway Beach

Rockaway Beach, MO on beautiful Lake Taneycomo.
A small town in Taney County, in the Branson Metro area. At one time it was the largest resort town in Missouri.

The town was started in the early 1900's and in the days of the Roaring Twenties it was a party town. People from Kansas City, St. Louis, Chicago and other large cities would take the train to Branson and jump on the boat and ride down to Rockaway. During prohibition there was plenty of moonshine whiskey available in the area. The Ozark hillbilly's liked their likker and had perfected the makin' of it to an art.
There was a dance pavilion and everyone would party the night away.

There is an old story that the infamous gangster, Al Capone, had a secret summer hideaway in Rockaway Beach. Locals will even tell you that you can see the ruins of his old cabin on the shore of Lake Taneycomo across the way from Rockaway.

Back in the sixties there was an amusement park right on the banks of the river in downtown Rockaway. I remember in the late sixties going to the park on some kind of school trip. It was a lot of fun. Teenagers liked hanging out there and Rockaway got kind of a bad name for being wild.

Now days it is a lot quieter and more family pleasin'. There are a lot of motels and resort rentals.

My husband and I visited Rockaway late this summer and took a few pictures. It was the first time I had been there in about 30 years. You drive down into the resort town on a winding country road.

This is looking down the main drag. It's after Labor Day so it's perty quiet.

They have kayak rentals.

I love the bright colors of the kayak's.

Here's one of the resorts, one of many. One of the streets runs up behind this resort on up the hill and there are about a zillion more motels and resorts up there. Or close to a zillion anyway.

Don't you love these bright red steps. Maybe it helps if you've been hittin' the moonshine to find your way.

Looking down the street to another resort. Can you see the haze? If you've never been to Missouri in the summer, well all I can say is you'll be glad ya missed the humidity. You can cut it with a knife, literally. Some people call Missouri, "Misery" because of this humidity. We have the green house effect majorly 'round them thar hills. It's all them thar trees.

Look at that red building. It's a restroom. It's red in case you've been hittin' the moonshine, it'll help you find your way.

Here's lookin' across the lake and see those houses up on the hill? There were some major homes up there. High rent district let me tell ya.

Lookin' down the lake.

There's the "Welcome to Lake Taneycomo" sign.

It sure is perty country down at Rockaway Beach. Hope you get to see it sometime. Just look for the red, in case you been hittin' the moonshine.

Youn's come back dreckly, ya hear?

Rebel

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