I love books, history and the Clear Lake Public Library. Books serve as a tool to record and share information, stories and knowledge. In the beginning, people etched images into stone. Exquisite hieroglyphics and pictographs still tell us the stories of centuries past. Stone tablets recorded information but also posed a bit of a challenge. [...]

There are many many viewpoints and opinions about the plans for the Surf District. But there’s one thing we can all agree on. The Lighthouse Drive In was a fabulous spot in Clear Lake.   The Lighthouse was originally built as a service station for travelers along then Highway 18. For many years it filled [...]

Through the magic of movies we can sit in one place and be transported to another place and time. Our imagination is captured by the massive screen and that sound that commands attention. A good story seeps inside our brains and stays with us as we step back into everyday life. Clear Lake has embraced [...]

Let’s take a walk along Clear Lake. Starting at the north end of Lakeview Drive we enjoy the lake breeze as we approach the lovely Lady of the Lake. Her windows seem to wink as we pass on to the Seawall recognized on the Natural Register of Historic Places.(Thanks Beth Ann Schumacher) People are lingering [...]

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year 🎼🎤” How did that happen? Summer has moved with astonishing speed! It’s here again. Another year of school is upon us with all kinds of possibilities. Kids sporting new clothes will be posing for the first day of school photos, parents  behind the camera smiling like Cheshire [...]

Summertime draws visitors to Clear Lake’s beautiful campgrounds. These days State Park (est. 1925) and McIntosh State Park (est. 1943) come to mind. These parks were just twinkles in Clear Lake’s eyes when our first campgrounds were booming. Perched on Mars Hill Drive in today’s DNR Park, the campgrounds were a popular destination. From the [...]

Old cars capture our imagination. We harken back to a simpler more refined era. But was it? The first cars required the owner to crank hard to get them to start. Many an arm fell victim to the crank. Without a windshield the riders shared their journey with insects and random birds. Winter presented new [...]

My grandfather once pointed out to me the location of McDowell’s Hill, a tall hill located approximately where the Chappell Clinic/One Vision building was at 217  7th Avenue North. This 1939 newspaper article reports that the Works Progress Administration partially leveled the area in the 1930s, and it was further leveled in 1939 to use as [...]

This weekend the popular Art in the Park will fill our park with beautiful, creative works of art waiting to be discovered by shoppers. This event has been a mainstay of the summer for many years. In early 1977, the Arts Council was organized. One of their first events was Art Sail held in 1978. [...]