After shopping at the Central Emporium, and dining at The Gardens, we were ready for our boat tour. Upon doing research on things to do in Okoboji, I found a handful of Lake Cruise options.
After shopping at the Central Emporium, and dining at The Gardens, we were ready for our boat tour. Upon doing research on things to do in Okoboji, I found a handful of Lake Cruise options. Some ranging from one to three hours, some during the day, and some at night. We decided to take the hour-long Siesta Cruise, this way it was during the afternoon, and we were only committed to one hour, almost like an introduction to lake life.
All aboard!
Walking onto the dock from the back patio of The Gardens bar and grill, we were greeted by a very nice boat captain named Bob, he stepped out, introduced himself, and we handed him out tickets. Not knowing how many people were going to be on this tour, we decided to strategically place ourselves next to the beer cooler. And yes, drinks are included in their very reasonable $20.00 ticket price. Guests can have their choice of beer, wine, soda or lemonade throughout the tour, which is another reason why my husband and I ate something before embarking.
Lake life 101
We were glad we snagged our seats under the awning, so that the sun wouldn’t be beating down on us the entire hour on the lake. We learned a lot about lake geography and famous residents. For example, the founder of Godfather’s Pizza and Warren Buffett’s granddaughter have their Summer lake homes right next to each other. And shockingly, these lakefront homes are around one to four million-dollar properties!
Stories about local myths and lores were told, and we were surprised to find out that the Winter Games bring in more visitors than the Fourth of July celebration! In fact, during the Winter, the lakes freeze over completely, leaving a 6-inch ice cover, making it possible to drive equipment and vehicles on the frozen surface.
Water sports
In addition to the Winter Games, fishing is a huge industry here, especially sport fishing. Over 40 species of fish inhabit the waters of the Iowa Great Lakes, and of these forty, 13 are sport fish. Outdoor enthusiast travel from all over the nation and world, just to catch and release some of the rarest fish species in the Midwest.
With over 15,000 acres of water, boating is obviously another huge industry here in Okoboji, Arnolds Park and Spirit Lake. Snow birds, yearly tourists, and permanent residents ready their jet skis for an adventurous and eventful Summer. But did you know that West Lake Okoboji, the largest of the Iowa Great Lakes, is one of only three blue water lakes in the world?! Formed by glacial movements 14,000 years ago, the lake has an average depth of 38 feet, with a maximum depth of 136 feet, making it the deepest natural lake in Iowa.
Iowa Great Lakes
Our boat tour took us around West Lake Okoboji, which is one of eight lakes contained within the Iowa Great Lakes region. The largest of these lakes is Spirit Lake, which early Native Americans wouldn’t dare traverse across in their canoes due to its choppy waters. And the smallest is Upper Gar Lake, which boasts a maximum depth of only 8 feet, and is considered a connecting channel between East Lake Okoboji and Minnewashta Lake.
State parks line the shores throughout this territory, protecting land and habitat, thus ensuring visitors and their children and grandchildren will be able to enjoy the scenery. Overall, our tour was insightful and entertaining, full of educational information and interesting facts. We took home a greater appreciation for Iowa’s lakes, and we both agreed that we had no idea how unique this landscape is, and how beautiful Iowa can be when you actually get out and explore.
Book your tour
There is a lot of information available at your disposal if you are interested in learning more about the Iowa Great Lakes. Below are a few websites to read through:
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iowa_Great_Lakes
Travel Iowa: https://www.traveliowa.com/trails/iowa-great-lakes-trail/49/
Vacation Okoboji: https://vacationokoboji.com/preserve-our-lakes/lake-facts/
Finally, start planning your Summer 2021 vacation now, and check out Parks Marina’s website (https://www.parksmarina.com/) for information regarding all the cruises they offer, departing locations, and prices.
