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Old 07-12-2009, 10:30 PM   #1
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We did have a little adventure in Clear Lake, Iowa a few years ago, pre-Scamp days. Driving along the Interstate, talking with my sister on the cell, when a loud pop goes off followed by a awful flapping noise.

The Ford F-350 C-class RV had blown a front tire on a Saturday evening at about 5pm (guessing on the time). I was able to stop, check the damage, drive to the next exit (we were passing Clear Lake), what a nice sight to see, a fairly new Ford Dealership. The salesmen were just putting things away for the night. But they said I could pull over by the side of the garage area and campout there. But it would be Monday before they would be open.

To make a rather long story short, here are some of our adventure there:
While drivig around the town in our Geo Metro (the Dinghy), we almost drove into the lake (exaggerating) as the main street turns into a boat ramp.

We were out looking for a place to use as shelter if a tornato came our way. Later it looked as if one might, a huge rain followed.

We discovered a little "beachtown" in the middle of Iowa. Many of the building, homes had the look of a beach town.

The place Buddy Holly played his last music (In the early hours of February 3, 1959, a Beechcraft Bonanza aircraft carrying Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens, who had been performing at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, took off from the local runway in nearby Mason City, on its way to the next show. The plane crashed soon after takeoff, killing all aboard.) and Mason City was the setting of the Music Man.

We woke up the next morning with a list to starboard, the tire had gone flat over night. We needed 3 tires in all, found a Sears in Mason City with tires on sale. In only two trips we were able to get the tires we needed, eg not much room in a Geo Metro.

I was able to change all the tires out so on Monday they would only have to get the brake line fixed which was broken with the flapping tread. It was when Firestones were comeing apart all over the country.

Clear Lake is a neat little "beachtown", Mason City has some nice stores, a large Wal-Mart, etc.

Iowa has a county with a Spanish sounding name, Cerro Gordo County, Clear Lake is a natural lake, I believe it is higher than Mason City eg (maybe) meaning of Cerro Gordo is Fat Hill or more likely: big, serious (informal) (problema, asunto) hill. It would be my guess it is Serious Hill. Cerro = Hill; Gordo = Serious

There is a large Hispanic population around Mason City, eg a very agricultural area. It seemed like home.

There is a Clear Lake State Park with camping.
State Park

Town of Clear Lake

Mason City l]
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Old 07-12-2009, 11:13 PM   #2
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I had a similar experience. There are two Frank Lloyd Wright structures in Mason City I wanted to see and we also discovered Clear Lake by accident. We just happened upon their annual festival with live bands etc. It was cool.
Thane

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We did have a little adventure in Clear Lake, Iowa a few years ago, pre-Scamp days. Driving along the Interstate, talking with my sister on the cell, when a loud pop goes off followed by a awful flapping noise.

The Ford F-350 C-class RV had blown a front tire on a Saturday evening at about 5pm (guessing on the time). I was able to stop, check the damage, drive to the next exit (we were passing Clear Lake), what a nice sight to see, a fairly new Ford Dealership. The salesmen were just putting things away for the night. But they said I could pull over by the side of the garage area and campout there. But it would be Monday before they would be open.

To make a rather long story short, here are some of our adventure there:
While drivig around the town in our Geo Metro (the Dinghy), we almost drove into the lake (exaggerating) as the main street turns into a boat ramp.

We were out looking for a place to use as shelter if a tornato came our way. Later it looked as if one might, a huge rain followed.

We discovered a little "beachtown" in the middle of Iowa. Many of the building, homes had the look of a beach town.

The place Buddy Holly played his last music (In the early hours of February 3, 1959, a Beechcraft Bonanza aircraft carrying Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens, who had been performing at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, took off from the local runway in nearby Mason City, on its way to the next show. The plane crashed soon after takeoff, killing all aboard.) and Mason City was the setting of the Music Man.

We woke up the next morning with a list to starboard, the tire had gone flat over night. We needed 3 tires in all, found a Sears in Mason City with tires on sale. In only two trips we were able to get the tires we needed, eg not much room in a Geo Metro.

I was able to change all the tires out so on Monday they would only have to get the brake line fixed which was broken with the flapping tread. It was when Firestones were comeing apart all over the country.

Clear Lake is a neat little "beachtown", Mason City has some nice stores, a large Wal-Mart, etc.

Iowa has a county with a Spanish sounding name, Cerro Gordo County, Clear Lake is a natural lake, I believe it is higher than Mason City eg (maybe) meaning of Cerro Gordo is Fat Hill or more likely: big, serious (informal) (problema, asunto) hill. It would be my guess it is Serious Hill. Cerro = Hill; Gordo = Serious

There is a large Hispanic population around Mason City, eg a very agricultural area. It seemed like home.

There is a Clear Lake State Park with camping.
State Park

Town of Clear Lake

Mason City l]
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Old 07-13-2009, 11:57 AM   #3
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Two Frank Lloyd Wright structures in Mason City, WoW, I would have liked to have seen them. But we were so busy, not sure if we could have taken time to have gone or not.
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Old 07-14-2009, 08:11 PM   #4
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Two Frank Lloyd Wright structures in Mason City, WoW, I would have liked to have seen them. But we were so busy, not sure if we could have taken time to have gone or not.
Don't forget to check out the ScampCamp /fiberglass meet at Clearlake this September!
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Old 07-16-2009, 07:00 PM   #5
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Thanks for the memories. I lived near Mason City and Clear Lake for a few years in the seventies, and enjoyed Clear Lake, especially.
Is there a rally at Clear Lake every fall?
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Old 07-25-2009, 10:17 PM   #6
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Thanks for the memories. I lived near Mason City and Clear Lake for a few years in the seventies, and enjoyed Clear Lake, especially.
Is there a rally at Clear Lake every fall?
Twice so far!
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