Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Howard County Freedom Rock

    5.0 (1 review)

    Howard County Freedom Rock Photos

    Recommended Reviews - Howard County Freedom Rock

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration
    Photo of Dan T.
    1222
    909
    4293

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Verify this business for free

    Get access to customer & competitor insights.

    Verify this business

    Where The Music Died - 2025

    Where The Music Died

    4.9(17 reviews)
    64.0 mi

    This Iowa landmark is one of 4 (that I remember) that requires a drive in the country, while…read moreenjoying the vast stretches of rural beauty. The other 3 are the Estherville Meteorite, the highest point in Iowa (Hawkeye Point at 1670 feet), and the Field of Dreams baseball diamond. 75 years after that fateful plane crash, folks are still coming to the informal shrine to "Where the Music Died". They come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom. They turn into the small parking lot, not knowing for sure why they're doing it. We arrived as innocent as children, longing for the past. People will come, Ray. OK, that's from Field of Dreams, but it fits. After a brisk walk of about 1/2 mile starting from the big glasses, what I found was a stainless steel guitar and a set of three stainless steel records marking the exact spot where the plane carrying Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, & JP ''The Big Bopper'' Richardson came to rest following their final concert at the Surf Ballroom in nearby Clear Lake. A second monument was erected on the 50th anniversary of the tragedy honoring their pilot, Roger Peterson. Waylon Jennings was also at the Surf that day, but gave up his seat to Richardson, and took the bus. When Holly learned that Jennings wasn't going to fly, he said in jest, ''Well, I hope your ol' bus freezes up'' and Jennings responded, also in jest, ''Well, I hope your ol' plane crashes''. This would haunt Jennings for the rest of his life. Dad stayed in the car while I completed my lone pilgrimage. The visit was short, the day was cool, and this fan monument was insightful and worth the trip to this lonely stretch where unfortunate history was made. I hope that any person reading this review has a chance to visit here and the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, which is the site of Buddy Holly's last performance.

    Took a detour of the road during my travels today and visited the Buddy Holly Crash Site. Popular…read morespot to stop and view the crazy tragedy that occurred on 2/3/59. The trail head to the crash site (which is located in a corn field) is marked by a large pair of Buddy-Holly type glasses. You can park on the side of the road, and then walk through the corn field on a well-travelled path to the crash site, which has some fan-made memorials there. I placed my sunglasses in the middle of the bridge of Buddy Holly's glasses in the photo attached. True artists and RIP to all that past that day. RIP Highly recommend checking out this spot. Pretty cool to see.

    Photos
    Where The Music Died
    Where The Music Died
    Where The Music Died - Memorial at crash site

    See all

    Memorial at crash site

    La Crosse Bridge - (Cass Street) La Crosse Bridge over the Mississippi

    La Crosse Bridge

    5.0(1 review)
    53.6 mi

    In most places when you will cross the Mississippi River and journey from one state to another…read more Here in La Crosse, this section of the river is entirely in Wisconsin and you won't be at the border to Minnesota for another mile or so. There are two spans here, with the upriver (westbound) being the Cass Street Bridge and the downriver (eastbound) is the Cameron Avenue Bridge. They connect downtown La Crosse with Barron Island. It is only when you are on the La Crosse West Channel Bridge and you go from Barron Island to cross into La Crescent Minnesota. The Cass Street Bridge (the one that I drove heading west) opened in 1939 and replaced a swing bridge that was damaged in 1935. It is a cantilever bridge 17 panel rivet-connected warren through truss with a a total length of 2532 feet and a width of 30 feet. There is 67 feet of clearance below to the Mississippi. It is paired with the Cameron Avenue bridge that is more modern and opened in 2004. If you're here, do check out the deck truss approach spans which are curved. Another interesting feature is the stairways that are midway along the approach spans at each end of the bridge and allow pedestrians to climb up to the bridge sidewalk. The western stairway includes a crossover stairway that passes under the deck truss allowing pedestrians to switch which sidewalk they are walking on without walking across the roadway. [Review 20711 overall - 280 in Wisconsin - 1692 of 2023.]

    Photos
    La Crosse Bridge - (Cass Street) La Crosse Bridge over the Mississippi

    (Cass Street) La Crosse Bridge over the Mississippi

    La Crosse Bridge - (Cass Street) La Crosse Bridge over the Mississippi

    (Cass Street) La Crosse Bridge over the Mississippi

    La Crosse Bridge - (Cass Street) La Crosse Bridge over the Mississippi

    See all

    (Cass Street) La Crosse Bridge over the Mississippi

    Ear of Corn Water Tower - The tower on a snowy day

    Ear of Corn Water Tower

    5.0(2 reviews)
    47.0 mi

    Adding to my collection of water towers that includes the World's Largest Catsup Bottle…read more(Collinsville, IL), the Peachoid (Gaffney, SC) and the World's Largest Dixie Cup (Lexington, KY), I'm checking out this one that yes, looks exactly like an ear of corn. The water tower was built in 1929 to provide water to the adjacent cannery which has since closed but the tower lives on. It is 151 feet tall and that includes the 60 foot tall tank. It holds 50,000 gallons though it has not been used for such since the Seneca Foods plant closed in 2018. The water tower is now owned by Olmsted County and it is quick to visit, free and completely quirky. I love it. [Review 20716 overall - 128 in Minnesota - 1698 of 2023.]

    Whenever I return to Rochester, I pass by the Ear of Corn Water Tower and have taken it for…read moregranted. It has always been here. I decided that it needed far more attention than I have been giving it since I lived in this city. After stuffing myself with a foot-long corn dog and garlic cheese curds, I drove over to check out the tower. I found that my fair food was fitting for this occasion. This water tower is across from the Olmsted County Fairgrounds. It was fairly quiet in the area. I parked on the road and admired the water tower for a bit, taking a few photos in the process. This husked ear of corn water tower used to stand above the old Libby Foods plant. I always think of Libby's baked beans and other canned veggies. The tower is considered to be a landmark. This steel tank was established in 1931. It's nearly 150 feet high and stands on four steel legs. It supplied water for canning operations. I don't know what it supplies these days or if it's strictly a landmark. The old Libby building has been demolished, but the ear of corn water tower endures. Olmsted county has deemed the tower to be historically significant. Last year, it got a fresh coat of paint. I will admit that the ear of corn looks good and is popping... haha! When my mom first visited Rochester, she immediately saw this water tower and liked it. She's a corn freak, which extended to me. My officemate at the time had a dirty mind and thought of something else, especially in the evening. Her mind tends to be at gutter-level. I like the quirky ear of corn. It's cool. It's Rochester. If you're ever in Rochester, check it out. It may seem boring to some, but it's fun to look at. Take a photo with it as a backdrop. It's free, after all. (148)

    Photos
    Ear of Corn Water Tower - Ear of Corn Water Tower, Rochester

    Ear of Corn Water Tower, Rochester

    Ear of Corn Water Tower - Birds flying away from the tower

    Birds flying away from the tower

    Ear of Corn Water Tower - Ear of Corn Water Tower, Rochester

    See all

    Ear of Corn Water Tower, Rochester

    Howard County Freedom Rock - landmarks - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...