June 20 - Clear Lake

Sundial in Central Gardens of North Iowa

Monday, June 20, 2011

Woke up this morning to another thunderstorm. We drove north on remarkably straight roads to the resort town of Clear Lake, Iowa.  Rain was letting up by the time we arrived.  

Our 5K walk began at the extremely retro Surf Ballroom (designated by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland as a historic rock and roll landmark).  The Surf Ballroom was the venue of Buddy Holly’s last concert in 1959.  Holly died in a plane crash in an Iowa cornfield early the next morning.  Also killed in the crash were Ritchie Valens and “The Big Bopper.”  Waylon Jennings, a member of Holly’s backup band, had given up his seat on the plane.  

Our walk also included a section of the shoreline of Clear Lake and the Clear Lake Fire Museum (closed, but we were able to see a turn-of-the-century engine inside). 

An unexpected delight was the Central Gardens of North Iowa.  You can see me in a photo on the Gardens’ Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Central-Gardens-of-North-Iowa/258194993769).

Rating:

Walk Route: A

Walk Documentation: A