Buddy, the Bopper and Ritchie's Wild Ride

After roughing it at the five acre Parecki Estate I decided to take my mother-in-law up on her offer of staying in her swell Mason City bungalow. It just so happens that music died no more than thirteen miles from the coazy guest room in which I slept.

Before I made the trek into a cornfield to pay my respects, a visit to Buddy, the Bopper and Ritchie's last venue was in order.

460 North Shore Drive Avenue - Clear Lake, IA
Winter Dance Party Tour - 2 FEB 1959

All three fellas and their pilot boarded a puddle jumper at 0255 on 3 FEB 1959. A novice pilot disoriented by weather flew the plane into a farm field killing everyone on board as well as the music. Before you head north to the crash site be sure to bring a little tchotchke to add to the already overwhelming pile of junk.

Take Buddy Holly Place out of town and shag right on 310, weave left on Gull Avenue.
Keep your eye out for the biggest pair of horn rimmed beauties, they
mark the field. Hike your chub a little over a half mile while
following the fence line and you can't miss the shrine.

Weird doesn't even begin to explain the crap that people have left for the fellas.

This guy pasted Buddy's face over his father's, left a library card,
a blank check and a photo of Buddy Holly just in case
is ghost who haunts the site every February forgot what he looked like.

Hundreds of guitar picks litter the area, but my favorite piece left for the spirits
is a federal penitentiary identification card - CLASSY.

This broad attached her nearly thirty year old drivers license attached to the stems of fake roses.
She wrote the name of a Buddy Holly song on each petal.

I was winded after my walk to the site,
I'm not sure how these two handicapable folks made it.

Even soccer hooligans pay their respect.