BY: RACHEL WUMKES
Was it just me, or did this week feel like it took forever? My goodness, it may have been the longest one to date since this whole ordeal began. It didn’t help that I spent the majority of Thursday actually thinking it was Friday. What a let-down when I finally realized the truth!
Here at the Clear Lake Area Chamber, the week has been anything but dull. In case you missed it, we dropped a little teaser pertaining to our Thursdays on Main event. You can watch it on our Facebook Page HERE. Incidentally, be sure to give that page a LIKE to stay up to date on any information about the event!
The week kicked off with a bang as we celebrated National Tourism Week. The coronavirus public health crisis is having a devastating impact on the travel and tourism industry – and the entire American economy. This year, more than ever, our industry must unite together, support each other, and remember that even through the most difficult times, the spirit of travel cannot be broken.
Although we are unable to gather for an official event to celebrate NTTW, we encourage our community to continue to support our tourism industry businesses that continue to be deeply affected by the pandemic. Here are some great ways to support our local hotels, restaurants, and attractions:
- Buy a gift card for later use
- Continue to shop local whenever possible
- Engage with our local businesses on social media (like & share their posts, leave positive business reviews on Google, Yelp, TripAdvisor, etc.)
While we still advise residents and visitors to stay home, we will be ready and welcome as soon as there is a healthy, safe environment.
Speaking of that… this week, the state of Iowa began its course of action for opening up. While there are restrictions in place and guidelines that must be followed, it is at least a step in the right direction of getting our lives back to something close to normal. I would imagine as the weeks progress, more businesses will be able to open their doors, providing us all with the goods and services we’ve been missing.
To stay up to date on local business info, be sure to follow these blog posts: Let’s Go Shopping and Dine In Clear Lake. They are updated as we are aware of information.
And lastly, we need to celebrate our newest members of the Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce. Businesses who have decided to band together for the betterment of our community. Be sure to check them out!
Mow-Tivated D&T Lawn Care
Jessica Qualey, RN, Reiki Practitioner, Psychic Medium
Welcome! We are excited to partner with each of you.
There you have it, folks, another week filled with goodness! I wish we were sailing into a weekend filled with awesome events and fun activities, but alas, we just aren’t quite there yet. The time will come, though. A time for gathering and celebrating. A time to join large groups of friends for drinks and food around town. A time for normalcy.
Yes, the time will come. We just need to make the best of things until we get to that point. You all have been so incredibly amazing. Please continue to shop and eat local whenever possible. Anything you can to help, so when the time for ‘normal’ is here so are all our favorite local businesses.
Have an incredible weekend, friends!
We’ll see ya – at a socially acceptable distance – at the Lake!