Lake Tiak O Khata Resort

Opening the containers and seeing what was inside was heartbreaking. My daughter had bought macaroni, chicken spaghetti, greens, and lemon pie, and all of it was a travesty. The macaroni was like what you’d get at a potluck from someone you knew couldn’t cook. The spaghetti was overcooked and greasy, the greens tasted straight from a can, and the lemon pie had melted. She could’ve spent that $70 on groceries and made it herself. Convenience isn’t always worth it.

The rooms are small and dated, but the mattresses were fine and we slept well. Lake TOK has lovely grounds and a really friendly staff.

The lake is beautiful and the service was good. The restaurant food was acceptable, but the rooms were dated and dirty. The toilet wasn’t secured to the floor, and its seat was loose.

Life was good then. I stayed here in ’96 with Centimark, a roofing crew. We put a roof on the huge building straight across the highway to the east, the one called Career something, so that gives you an idea of how old it is. Hale-Bopp was visible every night that year, which felt like an enigma. I remember the great breakfast and dinner buffets, too, and the retired folks who often ate there, enjoying good old Southern fixings.