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| London Bridge looking north |
This morning I start in Needles, California where it was
92 degrees by 8:00 AM. I drove east into
Arizona and headed south on 95 which
was a perfect route for a very windy day in that there were no trucks to
compound the effects of the wind.
My route paralleled to the Colorado River and took me to
Lake Havasu City. I’d heard of the town but did not recall in what context
until I saw a sign for the London Bridge. Moments after asking “are you giddying
me?” there was the bridge crossing the Colorado River. Curiosity piqued I made
a right turn into a parking lot, got out and walked over to take a photo.
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| Speedboats on the Colorado River |
The river was filled with flashy looking speedboats
strolling up and down the river. There was a plaza at the river’s edge, and a
collection of faux English buildings. Tacky yes, but intriguing. I walked down
a ramp and along the shore where I could appreciate how the arches of the
bridge framed views up and down river.
I skipped the visitor center but learned from Google that
the London Bridge was originally built in the 1830s and crossed the Thames
River in London. The bridge has a rather gruesome history which you can read
with this
London Bridge link. In 1967, the decision was made to sell the bridge
because it was structurally insufficient to support modern day vehicles.
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| London Bridge crossing over the Thames in London, ca. 1870 |
American billionaire Robert P. McCulloch, who made his
money in oil, purchased the bridge for $2.4 million, had it taken apart and
shipped to Arizona where the numbered stones were reconstructed onto a new
concrete bridge. He rebuilt the London Bridge between 1968 and 1971 in order to
attract buyers to his new residential development surrounding the new
attraction. It worked - Lake Havasu City now has a population of 50,000 and
according to Google the London Bridge is the second most visited attraction in
Arizona after the Grand Canyon.
After this novel stop I continued south until I hit I-8 where I turned east. I selected an RV site in Dateland and as I’d hoped celebrated the day with a date milkshake. It probably would not have appealed to me except I remember my mom telling me about having a date milkshake years ago - she raved about it. So, in honor of my mother I savored every drop. Tomorrow I head for Tucson.
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Plaza along the river bank
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Entry columns imported from London
oddly juxtaposed with desert vegetation |
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| Ornate wrought iron date adds to the faux setting |
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View to the south framed by bridge arch
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