Clearlake CA displaced (#1011)

Clear Lake (the lake), from a public beach in Clearlake (the town).

Clearlake was quite different from what I remembered from my trip through there in the 1980’s. The image in my mind was of a small town in a relatively flat area that consisted mainly of small cottages and mobile homes, all fairly run down. The town, particularly in the older sections, does have lots of older small homes and mobile homes, with many that looked a little bedraggled, but there are many more nicer areas and the area is much hillier than I remember.

The memory of Clearlake as impoverished, though, had a fair amount of support from the people that were around me as I was taking this picture. As a prelude to what surprised me for much of this trip, I noticed in this park probably 20 or 30 people who looked fairly worn, some of whom were either talking to themselves or from their interactions with others appeared to be suffering from drug or mental health conditions. Most had the clothing, grooming, posture, and visible health typically seen among the homeless or near-homeless; most seemed to be just hanging out in the public space that was available. A scene I had not previously experienced in in rural America. Little did I realize at the time the number of similar displaced folk that I would see on the rest of the trip.