Lake Havasu, AZ (02-14-14)

Our First Day here:

We wasted no time lollygagging around once we got to Lake Havasu City. I’ve never been here so I was anxious to see the London Bridge.

Just kidding with that picture- that’s not the real London Bridge, its just a small bridge in a nearby park.  This is the real London Bridge.

You might wonder why the London Bridge is in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. Well, it’s like this.  This city was a planned community- the brainchild of Robert McCulloch, who built the city in the mid 1960s on the shores of Lake Havasu.  Unfortunately, neither tourists, nor potential residents were flocking to his new city, and he needed something that would attract them here.  He purchased the bridge from the City of London (it used to span the River Thames) and had it brought here. As a means to bring crowds of curious people to his city, it was successful.

Our first stop, of course, revolved around food.  We found a local restaurant with a view of the bridge, and headed there for lunch.

Since it was a brewery, serving many of their own beers, I decided to try a sampler.  Barley Brothers Brewery  brews everything from a Blonde Ale to an Oatmeal Stout.

Of course, I had my favorites, and contrary to the drunken depiction in the artfully arranged scene created by my friends, I had a fair amount of help drinking the beer!

After leaving the restaurant we toured the nearby island. (The one you get to via London Bridge.).  We were looking for a spot to put the dinghy in, in case we decide to use it. Along the way we encountered several lighthouses.

It turns out there are about 20 lighthouses along the shore. They are all functional navigational aids, and are all 1/3 replicas of full sized lighthouses in other parts of the country.  This particular one is a replica of a lighthouse in Minnesota, on Lake Superior.  The original one was decommissioned in 1969 but is lit every year on November 10th to commemorate the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald. 

We didn’t get close to any other ones, but it would be neat if they each have their “own” story to tell.

Hiking SARA’S Crack

  Ok, don’t blame me….I didn’t name the trail. SARA stands for Special Activities and Recreational Area and it’s the name of the park that we are staying in here in the city.

There are quite a few hiking trails that originate in the park, so Paul and I decided to check out SARA’s Crack. The trail is about 6 miles long if you hike the whole loop.  It starts off in a wash, then goes through a slot canyon.

The most challenging spot to navigate has a ladder to help you out.  otherwise you could slide down if  you want to. We didn’t need to climb up, just down.

We love slot canyons, and I love bouldering, so this part of the trail was really fun.  Plus, it just felt good to be hiking again.

Once we came out of the canyon, it wasn’t long before we got a nice view of Lake Havasu.  If we had wanted to, we could have gone down to the water and gone for a swim.

Instead of walking back through the canyon, we made a loop and walked along a small ridge. By that time it was getting pretty hot and by the time we got home, it was in the 80s.  With the sun beating down on you, that’s pretty hot.

The reason we are here is for the fireworks convention, and so far, it hasn’t been a disappointment.  Each night has had something great to see.