2018 Clearlake, California - Just Passing Through

When you hear the name Clearlake, California, you immediately picture a clear mountain lake in the middle of the California Coastal Mountain Range. Surrounded by pristine beaches and small welcoming resorts. At least that's what I imagined when I was introduced to this midsized mountain community.

Clearlake the lake is bordered by Hwy 29, Hwy 53, Hwy 20 and is inside Lake County. The city of Clearlake is located along Hwy 53. When you enter the city limits of Clearlake, your nose will immediately be assaulted by an unfamiliar odor. Depending on the time of year that you visit, will determine how offensive that odor is. That odor is the lake, or more specifically the algae and pollution in the lake. In addition, when carp spawning season ends, the smell of dead rotting fish along the shoreline is almost unbearable.

The stores and shops are nothing original and can be found in any town, they even have a Walmart. The city streets and buildings are clean, but like many communities today, there is a growing homeless presence.

When checking into a room or buying groceries, the employees are polite and professional. Yet say hi or attempt to start a conversation with someone you meet, will result in a less than desired result. The people seem guarded and distant, especially towards travelers that don’t fit into their expectations of what a ‘tourist’ should be.

There really is nothing of interest for a tourist to do. The lake is too polluted to enjoy any water activities, there are no historical attractions or museums, and the only real tourist event worth mentioning is the annual Carp Bow Shoot in mid-summer during the carp spawning season.

With it population at just over 15,000 it’s hard to believe that such a small community could have such large problems. Drugs, homeless, and crime, this small city has many of the same issues that plague larger more diverse cities… and that is problematic for those who travel through. If you stay in a motel, empty your car of anything of value, and leave the vehicle doors unlocked. Why? Because if a criminal is going to break into your car, maybe they'll just open the door rather than break the window of your locked car. Saving you a pricey deductible. I suppose crime is everywhere...

The homeless that I encountered were not aggressive and didn't ask for anything, just keeping to themselves. Though there were many more homeless than expected in this community.

The biggest problem this community has is drugs, meth and now likely an increase in marijuana use since it's now legal in California. Though the likelihood of a tourist being confronted with a drug dealer or drug riddled criminal is low, that danger being more likely to affect a resident of the city.

All in all Clearlake is what I call a ‘stop and sleep’. Merely a place to grab a nights rest and filling up the ice chest with snacks before heading on to better places. And that is a shame, because with just a little effort on the part of the city (specifically cleaning up the lake), this could be turned into a relatively nice tourist location.