Sep 29, 2011 - What Is It?

The park is right next to Clear Lake and has 255 sites but I'll bet there aren't more than a dozen that are anywhere close to level. Nasty looking overcast day with the wind blowing at 20 to 25MPH and gusting up to 50MPH. This morning we drove the twenty miles over to Britt, Ia. to see the Hobo Museum (www.hobo.com) unfortunately they close after Labor Day for the winter. For lunch we drove over to the Diamond Jo Casino in Northwood, lunch at the buffet was mostly German food celebrating Oktoberfest. This is a photo of what looks like...

Sep 28, 2011 - The Day the Music Died

Before leaving New Ulm we drove over to Austin to visit the Spam Museum (www.spam.com/spam-101/the-spam-museum) then had lunch at a local Cafe before going back to pick up the coach. Short drive to Clear Lake Ia. along the way we had to dodge deer and farm equipment. When we got to the park Lily took us around to the maintenance entrance at backside of the park where the gate was closed so for the second time in our travels we had to unhook the car to turn around. Later this afternoon we drove out to the Buddy Holly memorial (www.The Day...

Jul 25, 2011 - Headed out of Iowa toward Mt. Rushmore!

Boys are up early to go fishing. The fishing on the lake is on the other side, so Bill has to get up and drive them. I am not feeling well at all so I stay in bed and so do the girls. Here in Clear Lake if you catch a fish smaller than 40” you have to release them. It’s obviously a bad fishing day as the boys call at 9:30 a.m. to come get them. Bill & Mikayla (who is now awake) head over to pick them up, Emma is still sleeping and I am doing laundry. Gotta love having your own washer and dryer in the motor home! Takes a lot of water though...

Jul 24, 2011 - Clear Lake, Iowa

Clear Lake, Iowa. Who knew it was such a famous place? This is where Buddy Holly and Patsy Cline did a concert before taking off and crashing into a corn field. Iowa is full of corn fields. Today is a rest day and the kids take advantage of sleeping in for a bit. Then they head to the lake to go swimming. The water is WARM, really warm, which is funny, because all the campers (who are all local) are telling us that during the winter they drive their motor homes ONTO the lake and go ice fishing as the lake is 2 and a half feet thick with...

May 19, 2011 - Iowa

Left Utica,IL at 8AM after gassing up. $58.10 for 15.1 gal @ $3.839/gal. Before we left on this trip, my grandson, Bryson, mentioned watching some show about the world's largest truck stop. So we stopped for breakfast at "Iowa 80" the World's Largest Truck Stop. Continued on I-80 to I-35N. Gassed up again in Newton,IA. $77.69 for 21 gal @ $3.699/gal Arrived at Oakridge Campground in Clear Lake,IA at 3:15PM (358.7 miles) NOTE: click on photo to enlarge

Sep 11, 2010 - Clear Lake, Iowa

Huge corn fields, unique cloud formations, beautiful weather and lots of wind greeted us as we arrived in Iowa. Our route to Clear Lake took us near Burr Oak, population 128 if everyone is at home, where you can visit the only home of Laura Ingalls Wilder that is still standing. For those of you familiar with her books, this is where her family lived and worked in the Master’s Hotel which is now a Laura Ingalls Wilder museum. At this location there is a large number of her books that have been translated into other languages including...

Jul 23, 2009 - The Long Way Home

Well, we’ve gone 6600 miles and been gone 3 months tomorrow, so we’ve decided it’s time to head home. Tonight we’re staying at the Oakwood RV Park, in Clear Lake, IA. Nothing memorable but an opportunity to clean, do laundry, and empty full tanks after dry camping at Pat and Brenda’s.

Jul 22, 2009 - Clear Lake, Iowa - Hot time, summer in the city!

Clear Lake and Forest City, Iowa We head for Clear Lake Iowa and the Winnebago plant in Forest City where we'll get much needed service for the coach as well as a visit to the Grand National Rally where we'll meet up with our friends from Lake George, Jeff and Sara. The trip is uneventful but passing through Minneapolis gives us a sense of how large of a city it relly is. We missed the Mall of America, dog gone it! Donna thought of Eileen Karn but there was just not enough time to stay there. Why not? Everything else seems to grow like...

Aug 13, 2008 - Buddy Holly And The Cracked Windshield

North Iowa is very pretty. There are miles and miles of corn and soybean fields, spotted with farmhouses, silos and large barns. We spent our time between two small towns, Clear Lake and Forest City. Both are “suburbs” of the larger town, Mason City. Clear Lake was absolutely beautiful. The weather was perfect…high 70’s and very little humidity. The day we arrived (Sunday), sail boats were scattered across the lake and speed boats towed skiers over the glass-like surface. I took the photos the next day (Monday) and the lake was empty and...

Jul 30, 2008 - Clear Lake

We stayed in Clear Lake for 6 days, just trying to re-couperate from all the rallies. It's a nice town with a pretty lake in the summer, but the winters can be brutel with 5 or 6 feet of snow and single digit temperatures. One of Clear Lakes premier attractions is the Surf Ballroom, best known as the site of Buddy Holly's last concert before he died in a plane crash on Feb 3, 1959, along with Ritchie Valens and JP "The Big Bopper" Richardson. Each year, a tribute is held the first full weekend in February to pay tribute to the legendary...

Jul 25, 2008 - Surf Ballroom, Clear Lake, Iowa

One of Clear Lakes' premier attractions is the Surf Ballroom. the ballroom is best known as the site of Buddy Holly's last concert on February 2,1959. Holly, along with Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, died in a plane crash north of Clear Lake following their performance at the Surf in the early morning hours of February 3rd. Each year, a tribute is heald the first full weekend in February to pay tribute to the legendary performers. In, 1995, the Surf Ballroom was restored to its original slpendor, thanks to the Dean...

Jul 15, 2008 - Getting a little closer to Forest City

We decided to get a little closer to Forest City and also have full hook-ups prior to camping at Winnebago where there won't be any. It was an uneventful short drive from the Albert Lea, MN area to here. I have a recall from Freightliner on the Power Steering Filter on the motorhome and found that there was a Dealer in Clear Lake, IA. On the way down I noticed the dealer at the off ramp just before the one that we needed so we turned around and made sure that I needed it and had them order it. Ron found out that he needed it also. So now we...