Last year we made a short stop at Lake Havasu City, Arizona, and Jim wanted to go back as it's a great place to kayak. I had some sort of bug that first trip and spent most of our visit “upstairs,” as we call the sleeping compartment over our rig’s cab. This time I got in two paddles and Jim did three. All the photos below were taken from Bev's kayak.
From what we’ve read, there are times of the year when the actual lake (created by the Parker Dam about 40 driving miles south) is so busy, boaters can walk from one boat to the next across the lake and not get wet feet. Luckily for us, the lake and the city were more sparsely populated both times we’ve visited.
The town came to be when developer Robert McCulloch started buying lake shore property so a company he owned could test boat motors. (McCulloch was also in the chain saw business -- Jim said he used many a McCulloch chainsaw during his days with the Oregon State Department of Forestry.) The city was formally established in 1963 and now has about 50,000 residents.
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The London Bridge is a Lake Havasu tourist attraction. Designed in 1799 and opened in 1831, the bridge started to sink due to heavier traffic of the 20th century so the city of London put it up for sale. Lake Havasu City founder Robert McCulloch bought it in 1968 for $2,460,000 and had it transported from its original spot over the River Thames.
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| Close up of London Bridge's stones and railing. Click on the photo to make it larger and you'll also see a line of swallow nests. |
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| A guy takes a photo of a catfish caught by his wife in the channel near the London Bridge. Before they tossed it back in, they told me it measured 28 inches. (Jim guessed it weighed 8 pounds.) The secret to catching catfish, they said, is usually chicken livers -- but this one was caught with anchovies. |
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| Per Lake Havasu's visitors' guide, Lake Havasu has 24 light houses -- most of which are 1/3 replicas. That's Jim in his kayak to the right. We camped not far from this lighthouse at Lake Havasu State Park for $30 a night. |
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| Mountains north of Lake Havasu City. Besides Lake Havasu City, Robert McCulloch also founded Silverlakes, CA; Fountain Hills, AZ; Pueblo West, CO; and Spring Creek, NV. And no, we haven't heard of any of them. |
Wow, a European Landmark (or at least a lyric in a child’s song), the avian version of tenement housing, a big fish, a tiny lighthouse, and really majestic mountains; all from your kayak! And, this is why you travel, just so much to see.
ReplyDeleteI hope the bump on your head has healed.
Hi Carl! Hope all is well in southeast Ohio. I almost bumped my head again while watching the Buckeyes this afternoon, but that was on the TV screen.
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