Day 3 - Davenport, IA to Clear Lake, IA

This was a great day to see Iowa.  It was sunny, the roads were in fine condition, the fields were carefully tilled and the people were welcoming.  We got to explore areas we hadn't seen and really enjoyed the experience.

The Route
I-80W from Davenport to I-380 at Iowa City, north on I-380W to US-218 at Waterloo, north on US-218 to Charles City, west on US-18 from Charles City to I-35N then north one exit to Clear Lake.  The 223 mile trip took us through Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Cedar Falls, and Charles City.

About the Day
The day started with sunny skies and stayed that way.  The temperature reached the mid-60's.

We've passed the World's Largest Truckstop at I-80 Exit 284 a number of times and remain unimpressed.  We approached the exit again today and pulled off.

This time we discovered a treat hiding just across the road from the truckstop ... Gramma's Kitchen.  It has a fun, homey atmosphere.  We enjoyed a nice breakfast there.

Mason jar water glasses and fun cups add to the effect.

We enjoyed the peaceful scenes of fields that seemed to stretch forever.

Views from I-380 north of Iowa City

We toured Clear Lake (the lake, state campground, parks and downtown) after getting setup at our campground.  The beach, grounds and community are attractive and well maintained.

Clear Lake from S.Shore Drive

The Lodge on Clear Lake.

Wow!  A working phone booth at the Clear Lake beach.

The Campground
We're staying at Oakwood RV Park on the south end of Clear Lake.  It's nice and has some interesting amenities.

Entrance

We stopped early enough to do some bug removal.

Clear Lake Church is a part of the campground.

Planning Ahead
We usually check campground availability and make reservations just a few hours before arrival.  It's a risky approach during holiday weekends. So, we called ahead and will be staying in St. Cloud, MN tomorrow night, Grand Forks, ND Friday night and Minot, ND on Saturday.