Clear Lake Crew

The GPS route from the Dells to Clear Lake, IA took the Smitanic a bit north thru southern Minnesota then further south into Iowa.  The rolling cornfields were rain soaked and flooded in some spots, leaving the crop waiting for a delayed harvest.

Clear Lake was a familiar gathering spot.  In his youth, Kevin spent many a weekend and countless holidays at his grandmother's and/or aunts house.  His aunts and several cousins still live in the area and jumped at the call to coordinate several gatherings.  The rain continued as the soggy rig parked in the pull thru site at the Oakwood RV Park on the south side of the lake.  The first night was at cousin’s, Nancy & Jack house. Nancy’s sister Kathy her husband Steve joined in as well as their daughter Alyssa.  

The highlight of the evening was when Aunt Elma (95) came in! (Nancy and Kathy’s mom). She was recovering from injuring to her knee, but was in great spirits.  Everyone was caught up on current life events and there was even a quick FaceTime call to bring in Kevin’s mom, Glorianna, and sister, Torreen, to the conversation.  It was great to see everyone and enjoy the moments with family.



The next days schedule was lunch with Kathy and Alyssa and a car tour around Clear Lake.  The weather was still a bit cold and gloomy, but it was very evident that the small town was in the midst of a major expansion especially on the waterfront.  Small fishing houses had been renovated into million dollar lake houses, leaving no view of the lake from the road. Some famed establishments still remained like The Surf Ballroom, and Louie’s meats.  This required a visit to load up on some tasty protein options for the Smitanic icebox.




Dinner that night was at Aunt Carol & Bill’s in Swaledale, is just 10 miles away.  The house was decked out for Halloween and Bills impressive woodworking creations, including a massive kitchen table with benches.  More food and catchup conversation filled the night as well as another FaceTime call with Glorianna and Torreen.




There is nothing like family to warm the heart!

The rain continued and temps were to dip into the 30’s overnight, so the water was unhooked to avoid any freezing. The heated floors and fireplace made it toasty inside as the rain finally stopped and the strong winds attempted to dry out cornfields.


Theresa called to reserve a site for 2 days in the Des Moines area. The need to get further south was now evident before hard freeze happens!