Before there was 'tourism' and souvenir ashtrays became 'kitsch,' the Lake of the Ozarks was a Shangri-La for middle-class Midwestern families on vacation, complete with man-made beaches, Hillbilly Mini Golf, and feathered rubber tomahawks. It was there that television host Bill Geist spent summers in the sixties during his school and college years, working at Arrowhead Lodge -- a small resort owned by his bombastic uncle -- in all areas of the operation, from cesspool attendant to bellhop. What may have seemed just a summer job became, upon reflection, a transformative era where a cast of eccentric, small-town characters and experiences shaped (some might suggest 'slightly twisted') Bill into the man he is today. It was this time in his life that had a direct influence on his sensibilities, his humor, his writing, and ultimately a career searching the world for other such untamed creatures for the Chicago Tribune, the New York Times, and CBS News. Geist takes readers back to a bygone era, and demonstrates how you can find inspiration in the most unexpected places.

The drive down: Now and then -- The strip -- The tourist trappers -- Uncle Ed -- The Chili Pond -- Extreme dishwashing -- Another day, another dollar -- Amateur night in the kitchen -- The great salad bar debate -- Ozark bellhops -- The Pow Wow Room -- La Noche de la Larry Don -- Sisterhood of servers -- I don't get it -- Night desk -- The Ozark outback -- Getting to the point -- Cross-cultural exchange -- The best laid plans -- Autumn leaves.