“This’ll be the day… you cache Clear Lake” wins Iowa Geocachers Organization’s Award

We are thrilled to announce that Clear Lake Tourism’s geocache, titled “This’ll be the day… you cache Clear Lake,” has been honored with the Most Creative Mystery Cache Award by the Iowa Geocachers Organization (IGO). This prestigious recognition was presented at the IGO’s People’s Choice Banquet, held on April 30, 2023, at the Lakeview Community Center in City Park, Clear Lake.

Clear Lake Tourism embarked on an exciting geocaching journey in May 2022, unveiling a new series of geocaches for explorers to discover. The series commenced with “Welcome to Lake Life,” featuring a beautifully designed custom postcard that geocachers could take as a cherished memento. This initial cache was met with enthusiasm, prompting Clear Lake Tourism to include a postcard in each subsequent cache in the series, ensuring that every search becomes a memorable experience.

Libbey Hohn, Director of Tourism at the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, expressed the intention behind the geocache series, stating, “The goal for our series of caches is to encourage visitors to explore Clear Lake in a new way. It is so fun to read the logs and hear how people have discovered a feature or learned something new about our community.”

“This’ll be the day… you cache Clear Lake” has captivated geocachers with its intriguing theme, garnering over 124 logs and an impressive 32 coveted “favorite points” within just one year. The cache is associated with the three fallen stars and has received positive feedback from enthusiasts:

  • flowers22: “Very well-presented cache… great code for the lock & the postcard was a real treat. TFTC (Thanks For The Cache)”
  • Team Io-Honu: “We came over after visiting the Buddy Holly crash site. I did use the interactive selections at this site to listen to some of the music. A very appreciated memorial. TFTC”
  • muggy80: “One of the nicest ones I’ve seen!”

Allow us to provide the clue for “This’ll be the day… you cache Clear Lake”: The cache is located at the site of a former gas station, which the City transformed to commemorate Clear Lake’s significant role in American music history. Interact with the site’s interactive feature for a complete experience. Once you find the cache, make sure to spin the lock back in time to the year known as “the day the music died.” As you close the lock, rotate the numbers, preparing it for the next cacher.

Continuing their geocaching endeavors, Clear Lake Tourism recently launched the third cache in their series, titled “Main Street, USA.” This cache has already received five favorite points and garnered positive feedback from geocachers:
  • BobSarah: “Beyond Buddy Holly and The Music Man, we have learned so much throughout the weekend. Thank you for making your geocaches so available to the public. Not quite the norm where we live, but it should be!”
  • ofausnaugh: “THIS WAS SO FUN!!”
  • Let Freedom Ring: “…Loved the other hides this CO [Cache Owner] put out last fall so had to come after this one. Really enjoying your involvement in our ‘sport.’ (A) great way to promote tourism!”
  • birgenfamily: “Fun little puzzle and very tourist friendly.”

Clear Lake Tourism is excited to engage geocachers and promote tourism through these creative and interactive experiences. To discover more about their geocaching series, visit geocaching.com and search for user ClearLakeIowa.