Boomer Destinations: Clear Lake, Iowa
By Tim Trudell
“The Day the Music Died” resonates with Boomers of all ages. The line, made famous in Don McLean’s epic song, “American Pie,” describes Feb. 3, 1959, the day a plane crash took the lives of early Rock-n-Roll stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson, along with pilot Roger Peterson.
The crash occurred moments after the trio boarded the small plane at a municipal airport outside Mason City, Iowa, following a performance at the Winter Dance Party at Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake.
Surf Ballroom
Music fans visit the Surf to pay their respects. The interior of the music venue, which still hosts concerts and events, remains almost the same as it did 67 years ago.
Standing on the stage, extended slightly to meet requirements of modern acts, you’ll see portraits of the three music legends hanging on the far wall.
The Surf also serves as a music museum, showcasing acts that have played there over the years. From guitars autographed by stars Bret Michaels (1980s’ Poison) and Kevin Costner to photos of classic acts like Paul Revere (a Harvard, Nebraska, native), ballroom staff have done an outstanding job in documenting the Surf’s story. The ballroom offers guided tours.
Older acts that have performed here include Styxx, Lynrd Skynyrd, BB King, Dion and the Belmonts and the Everly Brothers. More recent stars have included Dwight Yoakim and Costner.
Prior to taking the stage, performers hang out in a small room off-stage, aka the Green Room. They sign their name on the walls.
Key signatures on the walls include members of The Crickets and the Valens family.
One signature may be the most poignant of them all, though. With room for only three passengers, and those seats taken by the three stars, shortly before they departed for the airport, Waylon Jennings, who was performing as a member of The Crickets, joked with Holly that he hoped the plane would crash. That joke tormented him much of his life.
After several years, Jennings returned to the Surf in the mid-1990s. His wife, Jesse Coulter, was instrumental in helping him work through the terrible memories of what he said and the loss of a friend. During an interview with media, Wayne Christgau, the ballroom’s maintenance supervisor and historian (my words, not his) said Jennings kept tapping his knee and saying he wished he had never said those words.
Jennings signed the wall. Nearby are autographs from Willie Nelson – a Jennings friend and former singing partner – and Shooter Jennings (Waylon’s son). Coulter also signed the wall.
In 2025, “Not Fade Away: The Immersive Surf Ballroom Experience,” a permanent exhibit honoring the legacy of Holly, Valens and “The Big Bopper,” opened at the new Music Enrichment Center, located adjacent to the ballroom.
The Surf Ballroom continues to host the Winter Dance Party on the first weekend of February. Featuring classic and contemporary acts, tickets to the four-day event can be purchased on the Surf’s website.
Crash Site
A few miles north of Clear Lake (315th Street and Gull Avenue), people gather at the crash site to pay their respects.
A sign post, resembling Holly’s black-rimmed glasses, marks the crash site entrance. The site is on private property, but the owner lets people access it without issues. The site is about a 1/4-mile off the road, but the path is walkable.
Fans bring a variety of items to memorialize the rock stars. A permanent memorial honors the four men.
Lady of the Lake Cruise
The Lady of the Lake paddle boat takes you on a 90-minute tour along the shoreline of the 14,000-year-old Clear Lake, focusing on the area’s attractions and history, including tales of liquor runs during Prohibition. Created by glacier melt following the Ice Age, the lake is known for its outstanding water sports and fishing.
Lady of the Lake has two decks, so you can enjoy views from the upper deck, only a few feet from the pilot house, or the window-enclosed lower deck.
The Lady of the Lake cruise has been around since 1987, when the then-owner bought the boat and transformed it from a river ferry to a cruise boat. It was the last ferry to operate on the Missouri River, once transporting passengers from Niobrara to Running Water, South Dakota.
Color the Wind Kite Festival
The kites flown at the annual Color the Wind Kite Festival are a far cry from our youth, when you could buy a plastic kite set at the local grocery store for a buck, assemble it, then create a tail to help it fly. If you were like me, you were lucky if it survived the first outing.
Kites flying high above frozen Clear Lake on the third Saturday of February resemble hot air balloons. With some dwarfing their handlers, kites can cost thousands of dollars. To their pilots, the kites are worth every penny.
It’s common to see hundreds of large kites hovering over the lake during the Color the Wind Kite Festival. From alligators, whales and horses, special shapes seem more popular than the traditional square kites (though you’ll find them flying there).
The daylong festival attracts kites flyers from across North America, as well as thousands of enthusiasts, eager to watch.
The 26-year-old event had only been canceled a few times because of thin ice.
Accommodations
While Clear Lake has plenty of hotels and Airbnbs, consider staying at the Historic Park Inn Hotel, the only original hotel designed by renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The vintage hotel is located in Mason City, about nine miles east of Clear Lake.
The hotel retains several of the Prairie School designs that Wright championed – shapes and straight lines.
Dining
While some of Clear Lake’s restaurants are seasonal, such as Lakeside Landing, others like Rumorz, Rookies and Half Moon steakhouse are open year-round.
A favorite among locals and visitors, Cookies, etc. creates giant freshly-baked cookies, such as chocolate chip and monster. Grab a six pack and enjoy it with a coffee from Cabin Coffee as you stroll through downtown or along the seawall on the lakefront.
From spring through autumn, the South Shore Sweet Shop is the spot for an ice cream treat. With its shack resembling an ice cream cone, it’s a Clear Lake classic.
Whether you’re a water enthusiast or foodie, Clear Lake offers a weekend of fun. However, for music fans, a trip to Clear Lake allows people to pay homage to the three early music legends whose lives ended too soon. While Feb. 3, 1959, may have been the day the music died, they live on in the memories of millions of fans.
