Clear Lake is our happy place. John grew up spending some time there most summers. I had never been there at all until we visited about seven years ago. It is a beautiful and quaint little town in northern Iowa, with a lovely, peaceful lake.
I have to confess that I have never been out on the water. I am the first to admit that I am not an outdoor woman. I know there is lots of swimming and boating and fishing, but not for me. I like to walk along the edge of the lake, and to put my feet in the water. And I like to admire the sailboats.
When I was in high school I dated a boy for several months who summered and sailed at the lake. He always promised to teach me to sail. I was a lot more adventurous then and would have loved to try it. It was a pretty short romance, and he never kept that promise. Years later, we worked at the same place. I was a telephone operator and he was a Very Important Person. When I said hello he didn't remember me. That turned into one of my Most Embarrassing Moments. (Obviously, there is more to that story). But I digress.
There is an old paddle boat called the Lady of the Lake. We try to get on one of the 90 minute tours around the lake every single time we visit, but something always goes wrong. Either it is the dry dock day or it's too windy, or it doesn't fit our schedule. Once we got very, very close, and thought we were going to actually board, but there wasn't the minimum number of passengers. We only needed a few more, so those of us anxiously waiting tried to entice the people walking by, and even offered to pay a little extra. It isn't very expensive, so it would have been worth it. However, rules are rules and once again we didn't get our lake cruise.
There is a 4th of July celebration that makes one feel like an old time movie. At the end of the day there are spectacular fireworks on the lake. We have only stayed to see the fireworks once, but it was very memorable. I will say that some of the regulars get very territorial about claiming and saving their places. But usually almost everyone is Iowa friendly.
The Surf Ballroom is a great place to visit. Almost everyone who was anyone in the music business played there. It started out with big bands, and by the 1950's rock n roll was the rockin thing! It first opened in 1933 across the street from its' present location. After a fire it reopened in July of 1948. It is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. Inside are framed autographed photos of hundreds of famous musicians. There is a great little giftshop and large dancefloor and the original booths. We've been there several times and always notice something different. It's open on weekdays all year from 8:00 to 4:00. During the summer season it is open half days on the weekends.
The Central Gardens are wonderful to visit. There are twenty three gardens and displays that are always changing. Some of the other places we like to see are the historical society and the firehouse museum. Both are filled with history and information. There are many scrapbooks of local history. John's family lemonade business were venders there for several years for Fourth of July celebrations. We haven't found any photos yet, but we are sure we will.
Of course the main streets are filled with shops and restaurants. Sometimes we go for a day, but we usually like to stay for two or three. The hotels are reasonable. There are a lot of rental houses. Not inexpensive, but they are a nice treat. At one time, we dreamed of buying a house there, but decided we are a one house couple. I think I could live there, but I barely got John to move out of his neighborhood. It's much more fun to go for a few days during the nice weather and pretend. And that is what we will be doing later this week. Maybe this time we will get that boat ride. I am always optimistic!