5-27-18 Clear Lake, IA Part II

Hundreds, even thousands, of concerts still
happen here, year after year.

Wind your imagination’s clock back to February 2, 1959, a night to remember.  Buddy Holly stepped onto the stage to sing to the crowd, as did The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens.  Waylon Jennings was also a part of the entertainment.  The evening concert took place on stage at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, IA.  When the performance was ended, Buddy Holly called his wife, Maria Elena, from the phone booth in the lobby.  Ritchie Valens called his agent. 

Phone booth last used by Buddy Holly
and Ritchie Valens.

A plane had been chartered to transport the entertainers to their next venue in Moorhead, MN.  Waylon Jennings opted out of the flight considering the severe, icy, snowy weather, choosing instead to ride on a bus.  The relatively inexperienced pilot had not done well at previous training in instrument flight rules.   Five miles north after take-off, the plane rolled and crashed killing all aboard.  It is rumored that the 3 plane passengers chided Waylon Jennings and joked that he should enjoy his bus ride.  The words he quipped back haunted him for life, “Yeah, well I hope your plane crashes.”  Today, the Surf Ballroom is a landmark in Clear Lake, preserved exactly as it was on the night of the last concert performed by the 3 who perished.  The booths along the walls sit before a backdrop of seascape murals intended to give patrons the feeling of lounging near the surf beneath a ceiling painted in the manner of the sky dotted with white fluffy clouds.  On the side, you can walk into a small dressing room where thousands of entertainers have since scrawled their signatures.  And in the front lobby sits a precious baby grand piano whose keys have been tickled by a thousand musicians including Duke Ellington who signed the inside of the top board.

Look under the top board.  See the words, "The Duke."

Rock on, Rob.  Buddy Holly's last stage.

Original booths intended to seat six.  Seascape murals
on the back wall.

LIncoln and Kim

1

Kim and Roberto!

At an outdoor bar and restaurant called the Tiki Bar, we offered one of our empty seats to a gregarious, outgoing fellow named Lincoln.  We got to chatting about our situations and before we knew it, he invited us to take a boat ride around Clear Lake the following day.  Naturally, this was an opportunity neither to be ignored nor left for another time!  After a quick stop at the farmers’ market and our tour of the Surf Ballroom, we packed up a cooler and met up with Lincoln and Kim and their kids at their waterfront vacation home for a sunny afternoon of boating.  We traveled the whole perimeter of the lake (about 22 miles or 4 beers) while our new friends pointed out the highlights including the enormous, glamorous multi-million dollar homes.  Lincoln tells us that everything is seasonal, here.  After Labor Day week end, folks roll up the sidewalks and Clear Lake turns into a ghost town.  And from what we hear, a very cold ghost town.  The lake freezes over at some depth and the few hardy souls who weather the winters drive their cars on the ice to their fishing shacks.  I guess this is the place where the walleye never sleep!  I am certain that the temperatures here could probably turn even me into a “Grumpy Old Man!”  On the flip side, the time was well-spent today with Lincoln and Kim, young, energetic, friendly, generous people who shared their boat, time and cheer with ol’ Lindy and Rob.

Lincoln mansplains it all to Lucky Lindy

All is well with Noobee and we are off like a prom dress, heading for home.  Our first stop is Doniphan, Nebraska at the Grand Island KOA.  Another first for Noobee:  we hooked up the Jeep to tow it and Lindy was the first driver.  Since it was a long drive across the wind-swept plains, we switched drivers twice so as to just walk around, stretch and grab a soda pop.  The gusts of winds were alarming and made staying inside the lines a little tricky at times, especially when being passed by a semi, so it was nice to trade off and dry off the sweaty palms.  But here we are in the park where they deliver hot pizza and buffalo wings to your doorstep, a nice touch after a long, tense day.  No cooking tonight! 

PS-Road kill count today:  8 deer.  Perfectly good venison… ruined.  Sigh.

PPS-Will Power won Indy and Lindy is a VERY happy girl!  Figures I am not in Nevada this year to buy a winning casino ticket on cute Will Power!  But he won.  Yay!