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Visit Clear Lake, Iowa

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For some baby boomers, the north-central community of Clear Lake is the place where music died. On Feb. 2, 1959, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson performed before a sold-out crowd of 2,000 in the Surf Ballroom. Shortly after takeoff on a flight to Moorhead, Minn., for another concert, their plane crashed, killing them and their pilot. A record player spindle sculpture honors the trio in Three Stars Plaza near the Surf Ballroom. In early February fans from around the world remember “The Day the Music Died” during the Buddy Holly Festival.

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DoubleTree by Hilton & Austin Conference Center

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Country Inn & Suites by Radisson

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Country Inn & Suites by Radisson

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Best Western Holiday Lodge

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Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Mason City

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AmericInn by Wyndham

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AmericInn by Wyndham Austin

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Historic Park Inn

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Holiday Inn Express & Suites

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Super 8 by Wyndham

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DESTINATIONClear Lake For some baby boomers, the north-central community of Clear Lake is the place where music died. On Feb. 2, 1959, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson performed before a sold-out crowd of 2,000 in theSurf Ballroom. Shortly after takeoff on a flight to Moorhead, Minn., for another concert, their plane crashed, killing them and their pilot. A record player spindle sculpture honors the trio in Three Stars Plaza near the Surf Ballroom. In early February fans from around the world remember “The Day the Music Died” during theBuddy Holly Festival.
NATIONAL PARKApostle Islands National Lakeshore The Apostle Islands lie offshore from Bayfield Peninsula in Lake Superior in northwestern Wisconsin. There are 22 Apostle Islands ranging in size from 3 acres to 14,000 acres. All but Madeline Island
NATIONAL PARKChequamegon Nicolet National Forest In north-central and northeastern Wisconsin, the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest comprises 1.5 million acres in four separate regions. The Chequamegon (she-Wa-ma-gon) area covers 856,938 acres east, south and northwest of Park Falls on SRs 182 and 13; the Nicolet (nik-oh-LAY) area totals 661,200 acres east of Rhinelander and is accessible via several major highways.
NATIONAL PARKEffigy Mounds National Monument Three miles north of Marquette on SR 76, Effigy Mounds National Monument extends 3 miles along the bluffs of the Mississippi River and covers 2,526 acres. The Yellow River divides the tract into two sections. The 206 mounds, some built in the shape of animals and birds, contain the remains of a Native American society that lived in this region between 1,000 and 2,500 years ago. At the visitor center a video and museum explain the history of the mounds.
NATIONAL PARKHomestead National Monument Of America Four miles northwest of Beatrice on SR 4 following signs, Homestead National Monument of America was one of the first quarter sections of land to be claimed under the Homestead Act of 1862. The act provided a process by which citizens (or intended citizens) could acquire their own homestead. After filing an application, prospective landowners could claim 160 acres (a quarter of a square mile) of surveyed federal land. If the homesteader lived on the land for the next 5 years, built a dwelling and cultivated crops, he could file the necessary paperwork and be granted ownership of the land.
NATIONAL PARKPipestone National Monument Pipestone National Monument is 1 mile north of Pipestone on US 75, then half a mile west. Within its 300 acres are pipestone quarries that yielded red stone used to fashion ceremonial pipes. According to one Native American legend, the quarry site was discovered by a woman who followed a white bison to a spot where its hooves turned the rocks red.
NATIONAL PARKSheyenne National Grassland Stretching along the Sheyenne River south of Fargo, Sheyenne National Grassland comprises 70,180 acres. A variety of landscapes—from prairie and sand hills (stabilized sand dunes) to forest—provide habitats for some of North Dakota's rarest plant and animal species, among them greater prairie chickens, two rare butterfly species and the endangered prairie-fringed orchid.
NATIONAL PARKSt. Croix National Scenic Riverway Flowing from the highlands of northern Wisconsin and central Minnesota to the St. Croix's juncture with the Mississippi River just s.e. of Minneapolis-St. Paul, the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway is a 255-mile river reserve. The Upper St. Croix River and its tributary, the Namekagon River, were among the original eight rivers designated as National Wild and Scenic Rivers in 1968. Four years later the Lower St. Croix River from St. Croix Falls to Prescott was added to the system by Congress.
NATIONAL PARKSuperior National Forest Located in northeastern Minnesota, Superior National Forest's more than 3 million acres abound with lakes, rivers and streams. The 1 million-acre
EDITOR PICKWhere to Find AAA TourBook Guides and MapsMichelle Palmer04/01/2025 : The AAA TourBook guides provide travel information and are a planning tool for destinations across the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.
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