We want to thank Clear Lake, Iowa, and the local businesses for hosting our visit. Rest assured all opinions are our own. 

Lake Centric

Clear Lake has a lot to offer vacationers. Many are drawn to the huge freshwater lake that boasts fun adventures for the whole family. The cloudless day had brought out sport fishers who enjoy the challenge found at this spring-fed body of water. Lying just west of I-35, this watery destination is easily accessible. We parked in the downtown area and worked our way to the shoreline. With holiday activities on the agenda, we needed to stay focused, if we were to complete our itinerary. Our schedule didn’t include time on the water, but it didn’t stop us from checking out the scene. Walking along the seawall, we spotted the Lady of the Lake. This sternwheeler offers visitors easy access to the lake with scenic tours.

Rock ‘N Roll History Lesson

While the beach party vibe is strong in Clear Lake, it’s not the only thing that happens in this city. In days gone by, one would have found ballrooms in most cities and towns across America. While these have mostly disappeared, the Surf Ballroom stands as a reminder of those times. Still in use today, it has hosted a myriad of musical artists from various genres. If the name of this place seems familiar, it’s because it was home to the last concert of Buddy Holly. Shortly after the concert, a plane crash took the lives of Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper. You can read more about it in this article that features the Surf Ballroom and nearby 3 Stars Plaza.

Community Pride

With the taste of history in our bloodstream, we moved forward to the Kinney Pioneer Museum. This local attraction does extra duty by covering Clear Lake and nearby Mason City. Like many local historical sites, it is chocked full of historic artifacts. Community pride often leads to exuberant donations from the locals. With so many pieces to display, it took us quite a while to make it through this museum. Our visit was enhanced by time spent with the museum curator. She was able to provide background on many of the unique pieces that are housed in the museum.

Downtown Break

Now that we had a good grasp on the past, it was time to return to the present. Back downtown, we made our way to K&B Emporium for lunch. This combination eatery and retail shop provided plenty of eye candy. We ordered up a couple of the Independence weekend specials and did a little shopping while we waited for our meals to be prepared. Crystal chose the Turkey Ranch Wrap, which ended up being a ton of food. I sampled the BBQ Chicken Sandwich that comes served up on Ciabatta bread. It was all so delicious that we ended up eating a few more bites than we would normally consume. Oh well, looks like some more walking in our future.

Beach Party Vibe

With our lunch consumed, we decided to check out the local retail scene. While Clear Lake only holds about 8,000 residents, the beach party vibe helps bolster the economy to support plenty of locally-owned shops. With the midday heat building, it was perfect timing for some in-and-out exploring. The holiday events had brought in plenty of out-of-towners, so we had lots of company. We checked out various stores for a couple of hours and even spotted an ice cream shop. Unfortunately, our large lunch was preventing us from diving into a sweet treat.

Chilling with the Locals

As we made our way back down to the lake edge of downtown, we found a local vendor sale taking place. The assorted tents and booths were brimming with local art, crafts, and assorted merchandise. With a little time left before dinner, we made a pass through this space and picked out a couple of reminders from our visit. Once that was completed, we headed around a curve in the lake to PM Park. This lakeside resort has over 100 years of history in Clear Lake. We found a full-blown beach party vibe in full swing and couldn’t wait to join in the party atmosphere. As we sat and enjoyed some local musicians, we dined on some of their handhelds. There is something fascinating about relaxing in full view of all of the lake activities.

One Last Stop

After dinner, we decided to take a stroll along the shoreline. Here we could watch the sun swing low into the evening sky. The number of water skiers had died down and many of the boats were returning to the docks. Now was time for the sport fishers to reclaim their stake of the lake. As the waves slowly receded in size, it was time for us to think about moving on. Our schedule required us to be in Fairmont, Minnesota by bedtime, but there was one last stop to make.  On our way to PM Park, we had noticed an old-fashioned ice cream shop shaped like a cone. While we weren’t extremely hungry, we knew better than to pass up a second chance for a sweet treat.

Lake Lovers

Our time in Clear Lake had drawn to an end, but we departed filled with their beach party vibe. While the Fourth of July is certainly plenty of reason to celebrate, it’s not the only event to draw crowds to this Iowa town. When talking with the staff at Clear Lake, we found out that they almost always have something going on in or around town. There are plenty of reasons for us to make a return visit and some very unique activities. You’ll want to check out their calendar of events and find the perfect ones to squeeze into your vacation plans. We are betting you’ll enjoy the fun atmosphere that you find there. When was your last lake trip?

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We want to thank Clear Lake Chamber and Kinney Pioneer Museum for hosting our visit. Rest assured all opinions are our own. 

First Impressions

The first thing we spotted, as we came through the door, was the bright yellow 1911 Colby. Hailed as the last remaining vehicle produced by a nearby automaker, it has top priority in the museum’s displays. When you think about it, the automobile stands out as an engineering marvel in the middle of the Midwest. Hailed as an early “sports car”, the Colby Roadster was powered by a hefty 40hp engine. The Colby Motor Company had a lifespan of about four years and sold about a thousand vehicles during that time. A new Roadster would have set you back about $1600, way back in the days before the Great Depression.

Days Gone By

It always catches us by surprise when we spot the various apparel displays at a new museum. While it is not unusual to see, we are blown away by what people store for decades. After all, it is clear to us that most of the pieces at the Kinney Pioneer Museum are from locals. We find it hard to hold on to our outdated fashions, but fortunately, others have done it for us. This offers a glimpse into how our parents and grandparents would have appeared in their heyday. While some of the outfits are clearly dated styles, we have noticed the recurring theme of resurrecting them for today’s youth. I guess it’s true that what was old will become new again.

The Pains of Beauty

Some of the exhibits that always catch my attention are the ones showing various styling equipment used for fashion. Quite often I feel these could easily be switched with torture devices and some may not even notice. After all, many of them look like something that could be used to elicit a confession from the unwitting victim. Oh, the things we go through for beauty.

Familiar Subject

It came as no surprise that we located a display that featured The Music Man. The composer of this famous musical hails from the nearby sister city of Mason City. In fact, when we planned this trip, we included both cities as a sort of dual-destination excursion. Being so close to each other, we can understand that they would both be proud of having such a successful musician come from this region.

More of the Kinney Pioneer Museum

From the time we arrived, we had the pleasure of a guided tour. This was provided by Kay, the museum curator, who has an exuberant passion for local history. She imparted many personal stories into the explanation of the exhibits. This really makes our visits that much more special. Once we had seen everything indoors, we were told that there were also some outdoor exhibits. It was a beautiful summer day, so we loved getting some fresh air, while we heard more tales about Clear Lake.

History Lessons Learned

With our heads spinning from so much new information, we knew it was time to bid our farewell to the Kinney Pioneer Museum. The stories we heard would help us better understand the origins of some of the street names and local landmarks. This is one way we find to take our visits beyond just a vacation. By diving into the local history, we feel like we have a true cultural connection with the cities we visit. How often do you visit the local history museums during your travels? What’s the most unusual artifact you have discovered?

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We want to thank Clear Lake Chamber and PM Park for hosting our visit. Rest assured all opinions are our own. 

Patriotic Twist

When we stepped through the entrance to the restaurant, we were a little taken back by the lack of customers. The indoor spaces were decorated with a patriotic twist, so we had expected quite a crowd. Servers were busy dispensing drinks and prepping orders. One of them spotted us and explained that the party was out back. Whew! We were thinking that we may have landed in the wrong place.

Party Atmosphere

Once we moved outdoors, we found that there was quite a party atmosphere going on out back. Rows of picnic tables were packed with diners lounging in the shade. The staff had reserved us a table that landed us in the middle of the celebration. As we scanned the crowd, a band caught our attention. They were playing in a boat, that had been transformed into a stage. Their music was a nice background for all of the revelry taking place in this lakeside space. The Tiki Bar portion of PM Park was built in 2007, so it’s barely used in comparison to the restaurant building.

Sip and Study

Our server stopped by to check on us and take our drink orders. We picked out a summery cocktail that would be perfect for our lakeside retreat. In a flash, she returned with our mixed drink and a couple of waters, to boot. The menu is filled with hands-on dishes and finger foods. The descriptions of their meals all sounded tasty, but in the end we chose a couple of sandwiches.

Hands-on Dining

Crystal was really enjoying the lake atmosphere, so she chose the Hawaiian Burger. They take a hearty Iowa beef patty and top it with Swiss cheese, grilled pineapple, and teriyaki sauce. I spotted a Cuban Sandwich on the menu, and just knew I had to go with it. This version of my favorite sammie is made with deliciously smoked pork, much like one we found in our hometown. An unexpected flavor came from a sweet ham, but it worked well with the pickles, Swiss cheese, and grilled Texas toast. Each order comes with a small side, but we tossed in an order of crispy Onion Rings, as well. The outdoor setting provided plenty of ambiance that added a patriotic twist to our meal.

Party Cove

Being our last stop for the day, we found it easy to linger and enjoy the setting. Nearby, we could watch the activity on the lake. As the sun sank into the horizon, the party atmosphere continued to climb. Everyone was ready to celebrate Independence Day and this was just a precursor leading up to it. Unfortunately, we would be in a different state by the time the fireworks began bursting, but for a while we just savored the moment. If you enjoyed this article, check out some more of our Iowa destinations.

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 We want to thank Clear Lake Tourism for their hospitality. Rest assured all opinions are our own. 

Fateful Date

The Surf Ballroom has been around since 1934. A tragic fire destroyed the original structure in 1947, but a new venue was quickly built across the street. During those days, the weekly entertainment was split between two genres. “Old Style” music was performed on the weekends, while the early weekdays were reserved for “Modern” music and dancing. We could imagine seeing Duke Ellington or Count Basie pumping up the crowd with some amazing swing tunes. As the 1950s rolled in, the musical pulse of the nation was migrating towards Rock ‘n Roll. It would be a common occurrence for Ricky Nelson, Roy Orbison, or the Everly Brothers to be found at the Surf. On February 2, 1959, this “must-play” venue would become tied to one of the most notable events in Rock ‘n Roll history.

3 Stars Plaza

On that fateful day, Surf manager, Carroll Anderson, had lined up the Winter Dance Party. The musical performers were a whos-who of Rock ‘n Roll stars. Three names that stood out were Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson. While Holly had chartered a plane for their next destination, Richardson and Valens wound up on board due to an unusual set of circumstances. Waylon Jennings gave his seat to Richardson, who was fighting a case of the flu. Valens won his seat from Tommy Allsup on a coin toss. The decision to take off during poor wintry conditions is believed to have contributed to the nearby plane crash that took the lives of the three artists, as well as the pilot.

End of an Era

While the music created by these three stars has passed from mainstream radio, it still endures as timeless classics. We visited the 3 Stars Plaza during the evening. As the sunset across Clear Lake, we listened to the short stories that are recorded for each of the lost stars. Slowly the sky darkened and the names of the musicians began to glow on the bottom disc of the memorial. It was a somber moment when we could just sit and think about how that fateful day brought the end of an era. We made our way back to our car and cued up “American Pie” in honor of these lost stars.

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