50 Years of Family Adventure at Table Rock Lake

Mike and Mary Lou Leyden

We all know the old saying “time flies when you’re having fun.” And for the Leyden clan, a fun-loving group of family and friends from the Chicago area, time equals 50 years, and the fun is Table Rock Lake.

The family elders, Mike (age 83) and Mary Lou (age 81), first visited Table Rock Lake in 1969. They have been coming back ever since.

“We first came down 50 years ago with some friends who invited us to come along for a summer trip,” says Mike. “I grew up loving the water but growing up in Chicago sometimes even in the summer the water can be a little chilly. We decided to pack everybody up in the old family station wagon and off we went.”

What started off as a summer trip for the Leydens and their four children -- David, Laurie, Linda and Kathy, has grown to be an annual event of monumental proportion.

Since nearly the beginning, the Leydens have also been joined by former Chicago neighbors Ed and the late Maggie Rupkey. Coincidentally, the Rupkey family also featured four children (Tom, Jim, Lori, and Ann).

“Ed and his family lived next door to us in the Chicago area and so we invited them to come join us in the early 70s,” Mike says. “Ed is here every year with us, and many of his family members have joined us over the years.”

Although the Leydens have travelled to many places, they always come back to the Table Rock Lake area each year.

“Right from the start, everybody just loved it here,” says Mary Lou. “It’s warm and the lake is so beautiful. We have always blocked off two weeks for our Table Rock Lake trip. It’s just something we do. I just can’t imagine not bringing the family here every year.”

The group has always stayed lakefront near Indian Point in housekeeping cabins where they can stretch out and enjoy the lake. In fact, they been coming here so long, they have outlasted several resorts.

“We originally stayed at Driftwood Resort, which is now long gone. We stayed there for 26 years,” Mike explains. “We then moved to Cedar Resort for nine years. It then closed to be sold for development. That’s when we discovered White Wing Resort and we have been here ever since. We absolutely love this place.”

The family now consists of Mike and Mary Lou, their four children, 12 grandchildren, and four great grandchildren. When you add in spouses and friends that often join the group, it’s a large, tight knit caravan. As one might imagine, 50 years of vacation history has produced many memorable moments.

“We’ve had a wonderful time throughout the years, watching everyone grow and share this experience with us,” Mary Lou says with a sparkle in her eye that would light up a crowd. “There have been two engagements, and a wedding during our Table Rock vacations. Plus, lots of memorable lake time, dinners, and of course, cocktail hour at the pool.”

What does a typical day look like for this group of family and friends? According to Mike, it’s breakfast, meet at the boat dock around 10:00 a.m. for a day of lake fun -- and then the aforementioned cocktail hour poolside at 6:00 p.m. to relive the day’s treasured moments.

“Over the years we have spent many a day at Silver Dollar City during our stay,” Mike says. “Of course, we have also seen many of the shows in town and visited the various other interesting things to do in the area. But we are lake people. That’s where the bulk of our time is spent.”