Group of friends visit Waconia for Fourth of July

Who doesn’t want to be in Waconia at this time of year?

Chuck Bean was back to his hometown for the Fourth of July and brought a group of six friends with him for the festivities, including three from other countries.

The group has traveled together to other places, Bean said, including a small town in Spain where friend Ricardo Esquer-Blasco is from. Others hail from Lebanon, Argentina and spots in the eastern United States.

It’s a group he met while working in Arlington, Va., where he served and recently retired as executive director of a civic organization called the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. The Waconia stop continued a tradition of visiting others’ home communities.

Bean’s Waconia connection is to Dr. Charles Bean, who located his family here in 1956 as one of the initial partners of Lakeview Clinic. He also was one of the first doctors on the medical staff of Ridgeview Hospital.

Son Chuck has been back only a few times in 40-some years since graduating from Waconia High School 1982. The return trip was a chance to visit familiar sites and new attractions, and celebrate a class reunion.

“I’ve been coming to Waconia for more than 30 years,” added Bean’s wife Betsy Howes-Bean, “but through our friends’ eyes it was like seeing it all again for the first time.”

The group visited local wineries and restaurants; got a pontoon ride on Lake Waconia; toured city hall, Carlson’s llama farm and historic Zoar Moravian Church -- even got a haircut at Bob’s Barbershop. Other stops included the Dakota Rail Trail, Mackenthun’s Fine Foods (the group is crazy about summer sausage, Bean said), and surrounding communities like Cologne, Hamburg and New Germany.

“The highlight for me was meeting an old Marine at a bar in Hamburg,” said Fadi Maamari, who is from Lebanon. “He greeted me solemnly and told me he was stationed in Beirut during a very difficult time in our history. I will never forget it.”

For Marcela Maamari, who grew up in Argentina, the highlight was the lake.

“Lake Waconia is so beautiful,” she said. “The fireworks, the view from Sovereign’s Winery, and our pontoon ride were spectacular.”

The group stayed at an Airbnb at Parley Lake Winery where guest Nancy Odorherty said she enjoyed the wildlife as much as the wine.

Visitor Steve Odorherty said he appreciated the Wednesday night service at Zoar Moravian Church, “especially the singing.”

“My parents fled to the United States from Castro’s regime in Cuba,” added Alicia Perez. “They landed in Virginia, but they would have loved Waconia. And I think Dad would have loved the summer sausage!”

“The warmth and friendliness of the people reminded me of my mother’s village in Spain,” said Esquer-Blasco. “It’s called Gea de Albarracin. Anyone from Waconia would be welcome there!”