♪♪ [Kohlsdorf] Once a summer destination for Sioux and Winnebago tribes, Clear Lake is a sparkling 3,600 acre lake on the western edge of Cerro Gordo County.

For generations, this body of water and the classic resort town named for it have been a place to unwind, stroll the marina and take in a little slice of Americana.

At the center of it all floats a beloved local treasure, The Lady of the Lake.

♪♪ [Scott Monson] Good job.

[Scott Monson] She's a true paddle wheeler.

She was built in 1960.

She's the only one in operation that still is chain driven, and it is a true paddle wheel, and it's powered by a 90 horsepower John Deere diesel.

It's very unique because it was hand built.

It was built in 1960 by the Dubuque Boiler Works.

They took her in two pieces over to the Missouri River.

And you wouldn't have recognized her.

And in 1987, Gary Geiss brought her here, he and his wife.

And they're actually on that stone there.

But what they did is they found excursions, weddings, they were able to get the public out on the lake, and then we started adding the history to it.

So, we do a 90 minute narrated cruise and we cruise every day of the week but Wednesday.

[Kohlsdorf] Built as a replica of the grand paddle steamers that once cruised the Mississippi River, The Lady of the Lake offers something you can't find on the interstate or at the local shopping center, a slow, scenic voyage through time.

[Scott Monson] We had a dredging project that was done about eight years ago.

They took some spots over there in Ventura.

[Scott Monson] Right next door where you see the three brick condominiums, that is the original site of the Surf Ballroom.

[Scott Monson] You know, we've got buddy Holly.

We had the we had the Bayside Amusement Park from 1910 to 1958, Billy's Casino, a lot of natural history around Clear Lake that a lot of people don't know.

In fact, when I started driving 17 years ago, I didn't know a lot of it.

And I had already worked in the lake for 15 years.

Just like the seawall, it was built as part of the works project done during the Depression, and we just restored it a few years ago.

But these guys walked from Mason city.

They lived in labor camps north of Mason City, and they came to Clear Lake, and they built this.

[Kohlsdorf] In the late 1800s, Clear Lake was a getaway for rail travelers seeking cool breezes and entertainment by the water.

Today, the Lady continues that tradition, linking the present to a time when leisure meant community, music and the simple joy of being on the lake.

♪♪