Photo by Mike Nelson A motorboat pulls into the Lake CIty Marina as the Mississippi Queen riverboat passes.

Lake City is one of those small towns where, walking down the street, everyone says hi to you whether they know you or not. It's a tourist town, yes, but the locals and the tourists don't stray from each other. The locals welcome the tens of thousands of tourists who flock toLake Pepin and the surrounding towns during the summer months like family welcoming family. They encourage visitors to take advantage of all the things their small town offers.

And it offers quite a lot.

"We look at this area as a destination, not just one community," said Mary DeRoos, one of the board directors of the Lake City Minnesota Tourism Bureau.

Lake City, with a population of about 5,000, is just one of many towns on Lake Pepin, a 20-mile-long lake and the widest point on the Mississippi River. At two miles across the center, it is often considered one of the best sailing lakes in Minnesota and is at the intersection of U.S. Highway 63 and U.S. Highway 61. When driving to Lake Pepin, make sure to take advantage of the Great River Road — Minnesota 61 — which provides spectacular views of the river and bluffs.

The Lake Pepin area isn't just a vacation spot, said Jerry Green, executive vice president of E.T. Investments of Minneapolis. Green said many people are coming from a 100-mile radius to purchase condominiums in the area as an alternative to a northern Minnesota lake house.

"That's probably what's driving the whole market down here," he said.

With the close proximity to the Twin Cities and Rochester — it only takes about an hour to get to Lake Pepin from either location — many are flocking to Lake City for a usable second home, versus fighting traffic and driving hours to get to the Northwoods.

"It's just slowly Lake City has been discovered over the last few years by a different kind of person," Green said. "It's a changing atmosphere."

Lake City and the Lake Pepin area have everything needed to make a booming retirement or vacation home the perfect weekend destination. It is close enough to a major international airport and prime shopping opportunities in the Twin Cities and a state-of-the-art health care facility in Rochester.

"It has all the ingredients of a town that's poised to just explode," Green said.

Those looking to enjoy the water have many opportunities for fishing, skiing, boating, sailing and paddleboating.

Austin resident Rick Kiker enjoys boating on the Mississippi as soon as the season opens in April. For him, boating excursions are a biweekly ritual.

"It's beautiful over there in the summertime," Kiker said.

Lake City boasts the largest small craft harbor on the Mississippi River, housing 637 powerboats and sailboats. Sailboat lessons and rides can be found easily or you can bring your own boat and enjoy the wind in your hair as you glide along the water. The Pearl of the Lake paddleboat gives cruises and history lessons about the pearl and clamming industries that helped make the city what it was.

"When you come out here on a sunny day with all the sailboats, it's breathtaking," said Larry Nielson, president and CEO of Lake Pepin Paddleboat.

Most Lake City residents would remind you that their town is the birthplace of waterskiing. To celebrate this great accomplishment, Lake City holds its annual Waterski Days Festival, which draws almost 20,000 people. This year, it takes place June 22 to 24.

Ralph Samuelson invented waterskiing in 1922. He suffered many failed attempts but finally succeeded on June 28, 1922. After mastering this feat he went on exhibitions and soon became the first waterski jumper on July 8, 1925. Because of his efforts, the American Water Ski Association named him the Father of Waterskiing.

Additional summer festivals in the Lake City area include the Fourth of July Celebration, the Sail for Leukemia July 28 through 29 and the Street Market July 19 through Aug. 31.

Along with many water sports and recreation, Lake City has a beautiful 2.5-mile lakeside walk, to help visitors appreciate the beautiful lake and bluffs scenery.

There are seven golf courses within a 15-mile radius from Lake City offering blufftop views and your choice of nine- or 18-hole courses.

The gambling enthusiast can take advantage of Treasure Island Casino in Red Wing, which is just a 15-minute drive from Lake City.

History buffs can appreciate the stories behind the development of Lake City. Its prime spot on Lake Pepin made for prosperous pearl button factories, punched from clam shells taken from the river. Unfortunately, the creation of the plastic button changed the industry and pearl button factories are no longer found in the area. Old pearl buttons and punched clam shells can still be seen in a display at Swan Jewelers.

Cute shops and restaurants line the streets of the historic downtown area. Homemade fudge and popcorn can be found at Treats & Treasures, Swan Jewelers makes custom pieces from freshwater pearls found locally and Chickadee Cottage Tea Room & Restaurant boasts,

"Where stylish cuisine takes a step back to homemade and leisurely." Visitors can find many antiques and gift shops around the area, most within walking distance of the lake and marina.

The Skyline Restaurant sits directly on the shores of Lake Pepin, allowing diners a magnificent view of the sunset over the lake. Recently opened Nosh Restaurant offers cordon bleu cuisine in the sailboat marina. Other dining experiences include sports bars, Chinese food, mom-and-pop shops and family dining.

Hok-Si-La Municipal Park & Campground and Frontenac State Park, four miles from each other, offer year-round activity with camping, birding and hiking. Both have tent and RV camping amenities. Hok-Si-La has one mile of Lake Pepin shoreline and a swimming beach, fire pits, trails, screened-in buildings and rental dining facilities. Frontenac sports blufftop camping and 13 miles of hiking. Both are prime spots for outdoors enthusiasts.

For those who like to sleep indoors, many hotels and luxury condominium rentals line the shoreline as well. Most have spectacular views of the lake and the bluffs and are reasonably affordable in the $125 to $250 a night range during the peak season.

Lake City's many attractions draw new visitors every year, and some even stay a while. Dorothy Perkins and her husband moved to Lake City from Hugo, near the Twin Cities, over a year ago for retirement and absolutely love it, she said.

"I think the people here are really friendly," Perkins said. She and her husband have traveled many places and she said she prefers retirement at Lake Pepin rather than in Florida or Arizona.

However, the river is what pulls people to the cities surrounding Lake Pepin.

"It tops the list for attractions that bring people to southern Minnesota," said Lake City Mayor Katie Himanga. "Without a doubt, boating draws people. The river all by itself is just water — it is the water and the bluffs that surround it."

With the beauty and splendor that is Lake Pepin, it isn't hard to imagine why people like to visit more than once.

"Everyone who comes here comes back," Nielson said.