Longtime visitors explain what makes it so great and why they keep coming back year after year
Bearcat Getaway in Lesterville, Mo., is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
To mark the occasion, three people who have been floaters and campers with Bearcat since the beginning were interviewed by the River Hills Traveler about their experiences there and what keeps them coming back.
Here are their stories.
Judy Duhr
“I have been coming here since the beginning. I think a girlfriend told me about it in the ’90s,” said Judy Duhr, a job placement employee for the Bartending Institute.
Duhr is from Collinsville, Ill., and in her spare time she loves to rescue dogs and enjoy time out on the river.
“I taught at the institute for seven years and before that I bartended for 15 years,” said Duhr.
Soon after Duhr started vacationing at Bearcat, she began planning a huge floating trip that has now grown to an annual event.
“Every year on the weekend after Father’s Day we go on a huge float trip,” said Duhr.
This year, Duhr planned a float trip with over 50 people attending.
“Our group has been growing and growing and Bearcat is very accommodating to that large of a group, and still is able to offer us seclusion,” said Duhr.
In addition to the annual float trip, Duhr makes a few more trips every year to Bearcat.
“I have tried every campground in the area and none are as good as Bearcat,” said Duhr.
