The adage that reads, "Go west, young man, go west" should be modified to advise going to the far west of Arizona to Lake Havasu City. This area is deservedly known as Arizona's beach resort city. The majestic Colorado River, at this point in its 1400+ mile journey, has been dammed to form Lake Havasu with an expansive 25,000 acres. The fast-growing Lake Havasu City includes a mainland portion plus a manmade island, formed by dredging a stagnant stream and converting it into an integral part of the lake/river.
We first visited Lake Havasu City about 1999, and, by way of confession, were not overly impressed. Maybe we weren't looking hard enough. But, in 2008, through guided tours and other means, we saw first hand what a thriving small metropolis it is.
Lake Havasu City was founded in 1962, as the work of industrialist and visionary Robert McCulloch (1911-77). The lake itself goes back to the late 1930s when Parker Dam served to control the Colorado River in those parts.
A unique talking point about the city is that it features a bridge brought over to the U.S., lock stock and stone, from London in 1968-71. When London authorities decided to auction off their sinking London Bridge, McCulloch got the idea of bidding on it and resurrecting the original stones over Lake Havasu. This project cost him about $7 million, with most of the total made up of stone transportation.
Naturally, it seemed unique to walk across the reconstructed London Bridge in Arizona. On the city side, under the bridge, is a waterfront area known as the English village, featuring the London Bridge Hotel. We enjoyed walking and window shopping.
As you would expect, the city's main revenue source is tourism. However, with 8 boat manufacturers having a presence nearby, the area is noted for its supply of boats and boat races as well as annual regattas to showcase their latest products. It justly owns the title, Personal Watercraft Capital of the World, and has hosted the annual International Jet Sports Boat Association (IJSBA) World Finals since 1982. From our hotel room balcony, we enjoyed witnessing many of the varied watercraft.
Fishing, paddle boating, canoeing, kayaking, parasailing, windsurfing, scuba diving and sailing are also available. What is nice is being able to rent all the equipment you need by the hour, half day, or full day. This area is becoming a destination of choice in the Southwest for water sports.
Land lovers need not be bored. There is plenty to do within a considerable amount of public shoreline, all within city limits. This area includes London Bridge Beach, Rotary Park Beach and Windsor Beach. In addition to miles of public shoreline and beaches, Lake Havasu State Park also features camping and 138 boat-in campsites. We managed to get exercise just walking through the parks.
Golfers are not left out, as Lake Havasu City features five distinctly different golf courses. They cater to golfers of all different levels of expertise. In addition, they have more courses in the planning stages. Since we are not golfers, we can't provide first hand experience.
One aspect of the region that impressed us is the commitment of its people and the city to keep activities going all year long for a vibrantly desirable area. Volunteer organizations construct the local parks and keep them up to date with enhancements.
While visiting in February, we arrived for the Winter Festival. We saw around 250 booths and 35-50K attendees for a crafts, foods, and related sights demo, along a closed off Main Street. It had been years since we attended a craft fare. Walking up and down Main, we found that local vendors added tremendous color and history to our excursion.
In tandem with this, about a week later, Winterblast, an annual convention of pyrotechnics manufacturers, was scheduled. Annually, it provides a showing of latest advances in their field. It culminates in a huge, free fireworks display. Winterblast is something all look forward to watching, the Saturday after President's Day. This event was described by several with such enthusiasm, we will try to take part next year.
After the festival, we checked into Arizona's only all-beachfront resort, The Nautical Inn http://www.nauticalinn.com. Its 139 beachfront and lake-view accommodations provide a relaxing atmosphere.
That evening, we drove a mile to the Island Mall & Brewery and enjoyed an excellent dinner at Shugrue's Restaurant & Bar http://www.shugrues.com. We enjoyed man-sized portions of halibut and pork chops, creamed baby spinach, and stuffed baked potato, topped off by bananas foster for two. Our young waiter, son of the chef, talked us into the latter two selections. In checking to see if we were pleased with these innovative new dishes, he didn't realize that, for us, they brought back memories of the 60s and 70s.
We were fortunate the next morning to have Jared Lyman of the Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) http://www.golakehavasu.com give us a tour of the city and surrounding areas. The numerous parks in the city are easily accessed and well manicured. Jared took us out of town to visit one that members of the Chamber are expanding and enhancing. Listening to him describe how long it took his team to install stone gate posts and forge some of the trails made us appreciate walking them.
We were surprised to learn that, according to Dr. Michael Rourke, life sciences faculty member of Mohave Community College, "There are over 300 species of [water] bird that either make Lake Havasu their home or use it as a stop in their migratory route." Most arrive late in September and leave in the spring. Some good sites to view include Mesquite Bay, south Dike Road, Bill Williams Refuge, Parker Dam, and the Aha Khav Preserve. We were amazed by the number of species we observed.
After a morning of walking, during lunch at Javelina's Mexican Restaurant http://www.javelinacantina.com/, we found their fajitas to be an exceptional choice.
We were on our own after lunch and decided on a memorable boat tour around the lake in the Dixie Belle. Sailing from the English Village Dock next to the London Bridge, the narrated tour was exceptional. We viewed all the many lighthouses around the lake.
The closest one can get to experiencing what it was like to be on a steamboat on the Colorado River is with a replicated one (powered with twin engine out-board motors instead of being powered by cottonwood as they were between 1852 to 1909). At that point, the Colorado River could be sailed non-stop with a dredge, barge, or paddlewheel.
The Dixie Belle, a 68-ton vessel, is 51+ feet long and carries 122 passengers. One of the current captains, Gregg Smith, says the Dixie Belle replicates an old South sternwheeler. Captain Smith has been piloting this vessel since 2005. When taking this tour, it is easy to step back in time.
As dinner came around, we were still content from lunch. So, we opted for dessert at Cold Stone. Returning to our room, we enjoyed watching the lights across the lake.
The next morning, we wanted to try breakfast at the Makai Cafe. Located below Shugrue's, Makai was one of our favorite spots. There were many more locals than tourists, and it was easy to understand why. We tried the widely acclaimed Eggs Benedict and French Toast. Our breakfast was favorable, hot, with great customer service and good coffee. We found it quite calming, while looking out on the lake with a great view of the London Bridge.
After breakfast, we drove into town for a tour of the Lake Havasu City Historical Museum. Though quite small, it is well worth the time to spend an hour or so visiting.
We opted for a smoothie lunch downtown. Then we returned to The Nautical Inn to meet Robert P. Keller for an afternoon tour, concentrating on lighthouses. In addition to the London Bridge, Lake Havasu now has 14 lighthouses, modeled on a smaller scale to working lighthouses on both the Great Lakes and East coast. They serve as navigational markers for those out on the lake as well as attracting tourists. Bob is a Lake Havasu City historian and character re-enactor, who brings tours to life. He did a combination tour for us, but we were especially interested in how the idea of the lighthouses came about. What started as his one-man endeavor is now a club, and its members try to add several lighthouses a year. His RV garage is the club's workshop for this ongoing club project.
That night, we were done touring and chose to spend time with visiting friends from Chicago. We picked them up and went to Angelina's. This small intimate Italian restaurant is reasonably priced with well prepared dishes. It was a delightful finish to a wonderful 3 night get-a-way.
Lake Havasu City promotes many annual events, including the Havasu Classic in April when classic cars roll into town. October features the Relics and Rods Run to the Sun, with more than 1000 cars from 1972 and older. October is also host to London Bridge Days, which is a two week celebration. November brings the Chillin N' Swilling Brewfest. In December, the waterfront is decked with more than one million Christmas lights. Along with the Festival of Lights, a Holiday Boat Parade is part of the festivities.
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