Now that's history right there, I can remember when that happened, so sad. I would love to go there and see the Surf Ball Room, I bet that place was packed back then. Waylon gave up his seat on plane because the other guy was so sick. Thanks for Sharing. 😊
Thanks for visiting Clear Lake! You were only about 2 hours from me! I lived around the area for about 15 years. Interesting side note - around 1980 they were doing some work in the Sherriff office and moved some file cabinets to discover an envelope that had a watch and a pair of glasses. They ended up belonging to Buddy - and the watch (still working) belonged to The Big Bopper. Lost for 21 years after the crash "The Day the Music Died". Really good stuff - thank you for visiting and videoing.
Very interesting video. Such beautiful country- I love being able to look out across the way and see wide open spaces. Thanks for showing us the areas where Buddy Holly and his gang played and tragically died. I was 2 years old. Nice the farmers are keeping the site intact and upkeep. I sure love your drone work, gives great perspective of the areas you visit. Stay safe and GOD bless
I have flown from southern California to Des Moines and drive to clear lake Iowa twice in the passed two years and even went to the 2023 winter dance tour and met Ritchie valens sister. The surf and crash site is a magical Place and has special place on my heart. RIP legends. Thanks for sharing
@@TravelwithaWiseguy If you come down again to north Texas let me know. I will take you around to some places for videos. Theres lots to see here and in southern Oklahoma.
In the mid 1990s I stood out in front of the ballroom, and looked out over the water and lapping surf. A decade ago I went back, and found that view of the lapping surf is now obscured by tall condominiums. Sad.
Hey Coach.That drone looks like it had eyeballs, you are getting tricky with that bad boy. Thanks for the coverage of these interesting places, especially the crash site.
I just happened to be there when they were starting the procession. Actually I was filming on top of the cemetery and they politely asked me to move as cars were about to come through. 😊
I was just nine, but I remember an older teen age sister crying over the crash and the death of Buddy. The treed in cemetery was interesting. I always wander them looking for the white veterans stones. Editing was really good on this one John.
I've met Buddy's brother, did the Lubbock Tour. I've also had Vi Petty give us a persinal tour of the Petty Studios in Clovis. I never did get to Clear Lake, thanks for making the stop
Kinda crazy, I grew up on a farm less than a mile from Buckhorn and never knew the story on it or that the area was even called Buckhorn. I'm glued to this channel now, love this kind of stuff.
As a North Iowa native, some of the stories that are connected with the Buddy Holly crash are numerous, even today. As in the crash plane is buried under a building at the Mason City Airport to yes, the pilot should not have been flying that plane.
I like your jacket. Very bizarre with Buddy Holly and crew. The drone lets everyone know just how big that area really is (goodness, lots of farming). Christmas is coming (large argh). Be good, be safe !
So, when Buddy and Waylon parted ways, Buddy said to Waylon, I hope your bus freezes up, and Waylon responded, I hope your plane crashes. I think he literally never got over it. He always said, I'm alive because Buddy is dead, Buddy's dead because I'm alive. There was also an urban legend going around that JP survived the plane crash. He was exhumed and showed he had broken every bone in his body in the crash, no way he would have been able to have survived.
You have renewed my love for my native Iowa. Those drone shots of those rolling hills filled with fields, farmsteads, and the creeks with their woodlands brings back wonderful memories. Remember the morning after "The Day Music Died". The weather was nasty, being a day that I would of rather stayed by that old coal stove in the kitchen of our old cold farmhouse. I do not know what the official "cause" of the crash the FAA listed, but the weather they took off in was very chancy. So nice the locals have kept up the memorial. I never made it by there while I was a resident. On my trips back to see my sisters, who reside within a quick drive of the farm, I may need to visit the area morea. Been waiting for my wife to retire, but I may need to go solo. I have enjoyed all the "Taveling with the Wiseguy" videos, but this one really took me "Home"! Thank you!
Thanks so much! Very kind words. Such an unfortunate event and very sad to think about. I’m glad they marked it so it can be easily found. I appreciate your support!!
Yes I’ve seen some of it but not all. I never know when it’s gonna be on 😊 the producer actually reached out to me prior to it being on air. Looked very interesting from what I saw!
I remember exactly where I was when the 3 musicians died. As much as Don McLean presented a great homage to the 3 , I guess I would've liked to have heard 'Rave On' or 'Come On Let's Go' than American Pie. Great video again
You mentioned in your random fact about Rockville that it was a major stagecoach stop? I assume there is no remnant of that stop anywhere or you would have shown it
It wasn't the weather that caused the plane crash. It was barely snowing in Mason City, at the time of take-off. The problem was that the pilot wasn't certified to fly at night, by instruments. The plane they were in used a different type of horizontal altimeter than the plane Mr. Petersen typically flew. It worked the complete opposite. Shortly after passing the tower, he was given direction to back right, to line up with the flight plan. He did so, but shortly after, he looked at the horizontal indicator, which he thought showed that he had banked left, instead of right. He made the big adjustment to correct, but there wasn't really a need to correct. This put the plane in a 90° position to the ground. When that happens, airplanes fall out of the sky. The tip of the right wing was the first to hit the ground, as it was 500+ yards short, from where the wreckage ended up.
I really like your vids as I am also a ghost town enthusiast but I might suggest that you maybe not bother with so many townsites with basically nothing left except a cemetery or something. It might mean fewer places visited, but the ones you do video would have enough ruins to be interesting. I watch your vids, but I think too many of the towns you visit aren't really ghost towns, but rather just townsites.
I 100% agree with ya. If you reference 0:40 you can see clear activity of people using and owning buildings. Abandoned is defined as deserted or uninhabited.
Awesome video, sir!!! Was just up in the Clear Lake/Mason City, IA, area this past July visiting the Buddy Holly Crash Site. Might little sister was visiting and she wanted to make the 300+ mile drive to visit the site. We made it to the parking area only to discover that our vehicle had developed a coolant leak. We enjoyed the trip, and she was extremely excited to make the visit. We also went to the Surf Ballroom and spent about 2-hours inside exploring the awesome museum. Also, I have a friend whose wife grew up roughly a mile from the crash site. From the parking area (which was not there roughly 10 years ago during my 1st visit) follow that side road about 1/2-mile to the east and that would have been where her house was. She was 8-years old when the crash happened and says her father was one of the first people to make it to the crash site. She has an awesome story about that night. Also, depending on sources, the actual crash site is supposedly about another 500-feet or so to the north.
My mother was at the show at the Surf with her brother and his fiancee (now wife) as a belated birthday gift before she graduated high school. She still talks about it and hearing the news on the radio as they got home.
