13 March 2007

Clear Lake postscript

If you’re driving by Clear Lake around lunch time, skip the fast food joints at the I-35 intersections. Drive into town; it’ll only take you an extra five minutes. You’ll find a local café or a deli where you can get a sandwich and a cup of soup and a slice of homemade pie.

I grew up in southern Minnesota, about 40 miles from Clear Lake. When my mom and dad were young, they used to go to dances at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake. Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and “The Big Bopper” died when their plane crashed while trying to take off in a snow storm after playing a show at the Surf.

That was early in the morning of February 3, 1959. I was 7 years old.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Bill & I have toured the Surf Ballroom and trekked out to the site of the plane crash. It's in a farm field and marked only by a makeshift memorial. BBB

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