Lake Havasu in Arizona is at the crossroads of the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts, an area known for its abundant sunshine and extreme heat.
While we were here, the temperature outside was still 110 degrees at 9:00 p.m.! Stepping outside truly felt like standing next to a hot oven, and even the light breeze did little to cool things down. With such warm temperatures lasting all day, the lake was very easy to get into!
With more than 400 miles of shoreline set against a desert backdrop, Lake Havasu has become a paradise for boaters, high-performance race boat enthusiasts, and anglers seeking some of the nation’s best bass fishing.
An Interesting fact about Lake Havasu is its connection to World War II. Beginning in 1942, the U.S. military used the Havasu peninsula for several purposes. The site served as an emergency landing field associated with nearby Kingman Army Air Field, supported pilot and gunnery training operations, and was later developed into a recreation and rest area where servicemen could boat, fish, swim, hike, and relax. Known as “Site Six,” the location is now commemorated by the Site Six Boat Launch in Lake Havasu.
Within Lake Havasu City is the real London Bridge!
Robert McCulloch was a wealthy businessman who, in the 1960s, purchased thousands of acres of desert land with the goal of developing Lake Havasu City. He worked with developer C. V. Wood, who had played a key role in the development of Disneyland, to create a new planned community. The challenge was that the area was remote, making it difficult to convince people to move there.
And so began the search for a unique attraction to help bring people to the growing city of Lake Havasu. The London Bridge, built in 1831, had been slowly sinking into the River Thames, and London had decided it needed to be replaced. Robert McCulloch saw the bridge as the perfect attraction and in 1968, he purchased the historic London Bridge for nearly $2.5 million.It took three years to move and rebuild the bridge. It was carefully taken apart block by block, with each granite stone marked and numbered. The stones were shipped from England through the Panama Canal to Long Beach, California, and then trucked about 300 miles inland to Lake Havasu City. There, workers matched the numbered stones and reconstructed the bridge. A channel was then dug beneath it. A replica English Village was also built and London Bridge opened in Lake Havasu City on October 10, 1971. The bridge, along with McCulloch’s vision and determination, put Lake Havasu City on the map.
A few more sights from “London” in the Arizona desert!
When the original London Bridge was sold and moved to Lake Havasu City, London replaced it with a modern concrete-and-steel bridge that opened in 1973 and still spans the River Thames today.
A common misconception is that the more striking and picturesque Tower Bridge is actually London Bridge. In reality, the bridge relocated to Lake Havasu City was the historic London Bridge, not Tower Bridge.
Next stop: Grand Canyon, Arizona.