Without question, tourism in Lake County last year was down considerably. Despite the excellent bass fishing in Clear Lake and gorgeous scenery and abundant bird life, the tourists just stayed away. The good news is things could be changing.
Dozens of fishermen and sightseers have visited the lake the last couple of weeks. Several motels have reported being nearly full and the restaurants also have been busy. The other good news for the county’s tourist industry is that the San Francisco Chronicle will run a 20-page feature about Lake County in this Sunday’s edition.
According to Melissa Fulton of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce, the insert in the Chronicle’s Sunday edition features a number of stories about Lake County and what it has to offer. She said it’s all part of an aggressive campaign to attract visitors to the county.
A good example of how important tourism is to the county is occurring this week. BASS, a national bass tournament organization, is holding a major bass tournament on the lake starting today. The tournament is called the BASS Nation Western Division Finals and features a field of 77 boats from throughout the Western United States. The tournament is going out of Konocti Vista Casino and it runs through Friday. The weigh-in each of the three days begins at 2:30 p.m. at the casino.
Another major bass tournament visits the lake April 17-19. The American Bass Lucas Open will field about 100 boats. Studies have shown that bass tournament fisherman spend at least $200 a day in the local community.
The other tourist attraction coming up within the next few weeks is the annual nesting of the western grebes. They are among the most colorful birds on the lake and every year thousands go through their mating ritual. Western grebes are popular among bird watchers because of their courtship dance in the spring. The male approaches the female and does a series of dips with his head. She responds with like dips and then they run across the surface of the water with their necks arched in perfect unison. Their final act is to dive exactly at the same time. This maneuver is called “rushing” and the birds actually swim so fast they hydroplane. After the little ones are hatched they ride on their mother’s back.
The lake also contains a wide variety of other birds, including eagles, osprey, pelicans, cormorants, ducks and herons. The ideal way of getting up close and seeing these birds is with a kayak.
In addition to all the parks around the lake, Clear Lake State Park is a must-see on the places to visit. The 600-acre park, located at 5300 Soda Bay Road outside of Kelseyville, annually draws more than 120,000 visitors, making it one of the more popular tourist attractions in the county. The park has 147 campsites where both tent campers and RVs can find plenty of room. All the campgrounds have restrooms with hot showers. There is also an excellent boat ramp.
One resort that appears to have the magic formula in attracting tourists is Indian Beach Resort in Glenhaven. According to co-owner Tony Benevento, the resort has been full for the past six weekends. They have excellent docks where their guests can fish. During the summer months they have a free barbecue for everyone on Thursday evenings. They also serve a free breakfast on Sunday mornings.
Mount Konocti stands as a sentinel above Clear Lake and now that the county owns the top of the mountain and it’s a park it is drawing a lot of tourists. Mount Konocti County Park is now open to the public and offers breathtaking views from its summit. To reach the summit you have to hike approximately 4 miles, but the view is well worth the climb. The mountain is said to be 500,000 years old and there are vents that go from the top to the base of the mountain. There are also said to be secret caves in the mountain. It is steeped in mystery, which makes it even more attractive.
If the trend continues, Lake County and Clear Lake will once again be one of favorite tourist locations in the state. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.
