I don’t know what it is about 4th of July but it has always held a dear place in my heart. Maybe it’s the fact that it’s the only time of the year I get to go out to Iowa and visit my moms side of the family or all the memories I have of 4th of July’s spent at my grandma’s lake house, but it’s one of my favorite holidays.

My grandma lives on a large lake in northern Iowa, in the cute little town of Clear Lake. During the week of 4th of July the small town’s population grows exponentially. People come from all over to celebrate America’s birthday in a place that does it better than any large city I have been to. They have a carnival on the lake, bands every night, and of course all the water activities you could dream of.

The first day there we went for a ride on the pontoon. My cousin brought his dachshound named Ranger, which I of course took a liking to since I too have dachshound. I wore a striped L.L. Bean pullover paired with white denim cutoffs, which made for the perfect nautical outfit for a boat ride.

We spent the couple days leading up to the 4th paddle boarding, boating, going to the carnival, attending a concert and of course, just relaxing by the lake. Clear Lake truly embodies the idea of small town America. I loved going to the carnival because they make me feel like a kid again.

For the 4th we went and ate at a local tiki bar and watched the fireworks from the beach. We usually take the boat out to watch the fireworks being lit up over the lake but this year the weather was calling for lightening, so we decided to play it safe.

My favorite part about the 4th is spending time with family celebrating all the freedoms we have here in America. Remember freedom is not free and I genuinely appreciate those who give their lives for this great country of ours. Happy Birthday America!

Sincerely,

Cara