Okoboji Project

08/08/2025

Us at the Dickinson County Museum - Iowa living our best archive life 😆 We were flipping through 1925 and 1926 editions of the Spirit Lake Beacon for our season finale, A Night Out in 1926.

✨ Stories, ads, scandals — it’s all in there.

🎧 Listen now: https://okobojiproject.com/episode-page-a-night-out-in-1926

06/08/2025

It’s here — our Season 2 finale. 🥂

A Night Out in 1926 drops you right into a summer evening at the Iowa Great Lakes, nearly 100 years ago. You’ll arrive by train, stroll through the amusement park, slip into your glad rags, and dance under the lights of the Casino.

There’s Prohibition mischief in the air, fashion straight from the pages of 1920s style magazines, and a boat ride home with the music still ringing in your ears.

Thank you to our friends Cole Clawson from Dickinson County Museum - Iowa and Jonathan Reed from Okoboji and the IOWA GREAT LAKES history books!

And thank you to everyone who tuned in this season. Your support, listens, and messages make every story worth telling. We couldn’t do this without you. ❤️

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, or right here:

Stream the latest episodes wherever you listen to podcasts. The Iowa Great Lakes is a vibrant quilt woven from the threads of American history. Check out our episode about the roaring 20s in Okoboji and more!

23/07/2025

Folks, this one’s special. ❤️ Love Stories from Okoboji features five real couples — each with their own path, each rooted in the same extraordinary place.

We’ll take you to the Majestic Roller Rink in the ’60s. Gerk’s Resort in the ’70s. Even Taco House over a plate of nachos.

We thought we were making an episode about summer love. But we found was something deeper — a reminder that beautiful things can grow from very ordinary places.

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, or right here:

Stream the latest episodes wherever you listen to podcasts. The Iowa Great Lakes is a vibrant quilt woven from the threads of American history. Check out our episode about love stories in Okoboji and more!

09/07/2025

This week on The Okoboji Project, we're going behind the boat 🚤 We're tracing how gutsy lake rats turned homemade gear and slalom courses into a full-blown culture.

From aquaplaning in the 1920s to wake surfing today, this is a wild story about invention, community, and some gnarly wipeouts.

You'll hear from pro wake surfer Tyler Stewart and longtime Okoboji skier Mia Stockdale, plus stories from local wake sports legends past and present.

🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, or on our website.
📺 Bonus: Check out our blog for nostalgic videos and photos from every era of Okoboji's wake sports!

Stream the latest episodes wherever you listen to podcasts. The Iowa Great Lakes is a vibrant quilt woven from the threads of American history. Check out our episode about aquaplaning, water skiing, wake surfing, and more!

26/06/2025

If you’ve ever sat on a dock and wondered how these lakes came to be, this episode is for you.

This week on The Okoboji Project, we’re digging into the deep story of the Iowa Great Lakes. And we mean *deep*. We're talking millions of years, massive glaciers, and ancient landscapes. Hidden flows and quiet marvels.

We wanted this episode to feel immersive, like an episode of Planet Earth… but an audio journey with the lakes you love.

To help us tell it, we spoke with Iowa’s State Geologist Keith Schilling and his team at the Iowa Geological Survey. Their latest research has uncovered discoveries that change what we thought we knew: how the lakes were formed, how water flows through them today, and what big questions are still out there.

We also talked with Mary Skopec from the Iowa Lakeside Laboratory about how we can protect these lakes, and how more than a century of data is helping us track what’s changing.

This one surprised us. We hope it surprises you, too.

🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, or on our website.
📸 Check out the blog for maps, photos, and more geology goodness.

Stream the latest episodes wherever you listen to podcasts. The Iowa Great Lakes is a vibrant quilt woven from the threads of American history. Check out our episode about how the Iowa Great Lakes were formed by glaciers and more!

12/06/2025

One of Dickinson County’s most well-known historians is celebrating Father’s Day in a very special way this year.

Longtime author, teacher and “Memory Lane” columnist Aubrey LaFoy reaches the century mark on June 15.

The June 18, 1925, edition of the Milford Mail was LaFoy’s first of many appearances in a local newspaper.

LaFoy celebrates historic century mark |

https://www.dickinsoncountynews.com/lafoy-celebrates-historic-century-mark

12/06/2025

In northwest Iowa, The Flood of ’93 left more than damage. In 2024, those lessons rose with the water.

This week on The Okoboji Project, we look back at the Flood of ’93, and what it tells us about Spencer’s recovery today.

🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or on our website.

Clay County families still need your support — for materials, skilled labor, and safe places to call home.

💛 Give through Clay County Long Term Recovery: https://spenceriowachamber.org/chamber-foundation/

Stream the latest episodes wherever you listen to podcasts. The Iowa Great Lakes is a vibrant quilt woven from the threads of American history. Check out The Flood of '93 episode and more!

28/05/2025

When you hear the Queen II's horn echo across the lake, you know it: summer’s here ❤️

She’s been part of the Iowa Great Lakes—one way or another—for over 140 years. A moving landmark. A local legend.

This week on The Okoboji Project, we trace her story through every lake in Okoboji, lavish parades, quiet cruises, and generations of care. Thank you to Jon Pausley, CEO of Arnolds Park Amusement Park, and Rory Marra, one of the Queen's outstanding captains.

🎙️ Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, Amazon—or stream it on our website below.
📸 And don’t miss the blog—packed with Queen photos from every era.

Stream the latest episodes wherever you listen to podcasts. The Iowa Great Lakes is a vibrant quilt woven from the threads of American history. Check out The Queen and the Queen II episode and more!

30/04/2025

Every great place in Okoboji has a backstory—and most of them start the same way: with a big idea and a group of locals who cared enough to make it happen.

That’s because they’re all part of the story of how this community shows up—again and again—to build the places that make Okoboji feel like home.

In this episode of The Okoboji Project, we’re tracing the ripple effect of local nonprofits, big dreams, and the constant support from The Okoboji Foundation that helps bring it all to life.

🎙️ Tune in on our website: https://okobojiproject.com/episode-page-the-okoboji-foundation
🎧 Or listen now wherever you get your podcasts!
📸 And head to our website for snapshots and stories from 40 years of hometown projects in motion.

23/04/2025

We’re celebrating Earth Day with a little time travel—digging back a century into the archives to find snapshots of our shores and early photos from The Iowa Lakeside Laboratory, which was founded to study Okoboji’s diverse and changing ecological landscape.

It’s easy to look at those old photos and imagine a place somehow separate from people. But this area has always been shaped by human relationships—Indigenous communities, scientists, locals, and visitors alike.

Today is about recognizing the past and present connections that help us take care of Okoboji’s future. Stories from these photos and places can be found wherever you listen to podcasts from us at Okoboji Project! 🎧 Happy Earth Day! 🌍

18/04/2025

If you stood in one place for 165 years… what would you see change? At The Okoboji Store, things look a little different — but they still feel the same. And that’s kind of the magic.

In this episode of The Okoboji Project, we look at the history of The Okoboji Store through two families — the Wilsons and the Maus — who’ve cared for this shoreline longer than anyone else. Generations may pass, but the heart of the Iowa Great Lakes holds steady.

🎙️Listen now on your favorite podcast platform.
📸 See even more photos on our website - link in bio!

15/04/2025

Last summer the city of Spencer, IA was underwater. Nathan Kraft knew he needed to help. His willingness to serve those who needed a meal left an indescribable impact.

“CHEERLEADERS” is available to watch now, free on YouTube!