Day Thirty-Eight

It started out to be another chilly day with temperatures in the low thirties but a hot shower at the state park took the chill off. Kudzu and I started out early to investigate London Bridge at Lake Havasu City. According to brochures at the welcome center, when the City of London decided to sell their dilapidated bridge in the early 1960s, a wealthy Arizona businessman purchased it and, after having it moved to Lake Havasu and reassembled, built a resort city to surround it.

London Bridge is NOT falling down!

We came upon London Bridge, literally driving over it, before realizing exactly where it was. It's somewhat unremarkable at street level, but very beautiful from lake level with the many Palms and Oleander adding just the right surreal flair amongst the Union Jacks flapping in the desert breeze. Being a city created in one fell swoop rather than emerging over the decades, Lake Havasu City has a bit of an amusement park flavor but nonetheless is very pleasant and worth a stop. Because of the warm climate, the City understandably has a higher than average selection of golf courses, RV parks, and early bird specials catering to the blue rinse set.

Sun never sets on the Empire

From Lake Havasu City, Kudzu and I shot up to Seligman to travel an eighty mile stretch of old Route 66, the early U.S. highway that ran from Chicago to Los Angeles, west to Kingman. The old two lane turned out to be a major disappointment except as an example of the same vast and overwhelmingly beautiful landscape we have enjoyed throughout New Mexico and Arizona. None of the old diners and motor courts remained along the route except as caricatures of their former selves hawking Route 66 shot glasses and T-shirts.