good-times-rollin: October 2025

Sunday, October 26, 2025

A Visit to Lake Havasu

River Island State Park

Parker, AZ

October 6 - 13, 2025

Lake Havasu City was established in September 1963. It all started with Robert McCulloch, founder of McCulloch Motors (known for manufacturing chainsaws and small engines) was looking for a place to test his outboard motors. He thought the land surrounding Lake Havasu had great potential and purchased the large parcel of land from the government. He and developer C.V.Wood (the designer of Disneyland) created this master-planned community. McCulloch offered free flights to over 137,000 prospective buyers from the colder states. His strategy worked and nearly every single parcel of land sold. Today lake Havasu is a thriving community and vacation destination.

A Few Fun Facts:
The London Bridge is rumored to be haunted.
It is also known as the worlds largest antique and in 1971 when it was opened to the public, it was permanently put on the map as a world-famous attraction.
It is the second largest Arizona attraction, topped only by the Grand Canyon, and continues to draw ten of thousands of sightseers a year.

For 0ver 900 years, this London Bridge was the only stone crossing over the Thames River. Due to the weight of modern traffic, the bridge began to sink. In 1968, Robert McCulloch, the founder of Lake Havasu, purchased the bridge for $2.4 million dollars at an auction sale. This original bridge was disassembled. The bricks were numbered and shipped to California, and reassembled in the dry, sandy desert. A man-made channel, called the Bridgewater Channel, was dug underneath allowing water from Lake Havasu to flow through creating an island and making the bridge a functional crossing.

The purchase of the bridge included the ornate lampposts made from the melted-down cannons captured by the British from Napoleon's army after the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. They still line the bridge today.

The walk along the Bridgewater Channel on both sides is colorful and friendly and lined with restaurants, resorts, gift shops, and marinas.

Water sports is a huge activity on the lake...

Before we left for our trip, I had booked a Sunset Cruise with Sunset Charter and Tour. It is a three hour cruise beginning at 5:00 pm on a boat named Serenity Now.

Serenity Now is a custom one-of-a-kind pontoon boat with individual bucket seats that rotate 360 degrees. It also has a great sound system for clear narration and powered by a 300 hp Mercury Verado Engine...the quietest boat engine we have ever had the pleasure of riding in. The excursions only seat 6 passengers to ensure a small and intimate experience that everyone enjoys.

Captain Kenny, our captain for the night, designed and built most of the vessel himself. He partnered with In Stitches Customs for the upholstery and stereo sound system and the vinyl wrap on the exterior was created/designed by Sharq Skinz...both companies located in Lake Havasu.

Joe and I were first to board...we were way early...I was way excited! We chose the first two seats on each side. Our view as we pulled out of the marina...

cruised thru Thompson Bay...

Thompson Bay

There are about 28 scaled down lighthouses on the shores of Lake Havasu. These are replicas of other lighthouses found all around the the United States. All of them are functioning navigational aids.

and into Lake Havasu.

We traveled 12 miles into the south Basin of the Lake to explore the coves, inlets, and canyons that make up this section of the Colorado River.

Havasu means blue-green water in the Havasupaia-Yavapai language of Native Americans. The word is part of the name of the Havasupai people which translates to "people of the blue-green waters".

Heading into Copper Canyon...

Balanced Rock

Water grass...my mom called these "cat tails" when I was much younger.

The late afternoon glow...

The Sleeping Indian was our turning around point. It is a natural mountain formation that resembles a Native American warrior on his back best seen at sunset.

One of the most common legends associated with the formation is about a Native chief who fell in love with a woman from a rival tribe. When the tribes discovered the couple, the chief was transformed into stone by the Great Spirit to forever watch over the woman he loved.

And my favorite part of the cruise...

The Milky Way

Shooting stars

Far away lights

Colors and reflections

London Bridge

Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

So many great words describe this Sunset Cruise with Captain Kenny. Relaxing, informational, peaceful, and beautiful are just a few that come to mind. It sure made for a great date night. I took a kazillion photos and it was hard to only pick a few. Anyone visiting in or near Lake Havasu should definitely add it to the "to do" list. And Captain Kenny is the best !

Looking from the front to the back.

October 17 - 24, 2025

Back at the oasis, the kiddos came for the weekend.

Lucy and Ozzie

Friday, Jamie grilled burgers and hot dogs to go with slaw and crispy potatoes.

Dinner at the big table...

And Saturday, we headed to MotoSonoran Brewing Co. There was a fund raiser to help Tucson Botanical Gardens raise money to have a mural painted on the outside wall of the gardens. In celebration of its 50th anniversary, the gardens is partnering with local muralist Ashly White and Shaurir Anand. We enjoyed a few of Belly Tank Blondes as a contribution to the cause.

Ashley with a poster of what the garden wall will look like.
"Public art has the power to connect people and places. We've been fortunate to contribute murals across Tucson, and this project is our way of giving back to a space that's touched so many lives." said Ashley and Shaurir.

Afterwards, we went to St. Phillips Plaza to peruse the market and have a late lunch.

Yummy chicken tacos in a crunchy shell...

The rest of the week has been quiet.

Lucy and I potted pansies and violas...

Late afternoon cloud resemblance of a fan...

The early morning calm before the storm that never happened...

Sunrise and wildflowers...

Sunset thru the trees...

And back on the east coast...

Preparation for the annual camping trip has begun.

Somebody spread the word...the goblins are out!

That's a wrap for now. Until next time,

English Village walk at Lake Havasu

An early morning walk with Lucy around the neighborhood

HAPPY TRAILS!

Sunday, October 19, 2025

A Visit to Parker

River Island State Park

October 6-13, 2025

Parker, AZ

Sunrise at River Island SP

River Island was a good fit for us this trip. It is right on the river, it has a big grassy doggie park for Lucy, the Rangers there are super nice and helpful, the sights are roomy, morning walks are delightful, and they stock the freezer at the Ranger Station with Haagen-Dazs on a stick.

RISP isn't a big park with only 8 beachfront sites for tents and small campers and 29 RV sites with 50-30-20 amp and water. Off site and just down the road the park offers access to off-highway vehicle back country roads.

The Wedge Hill Trail was a fun hike we did just about every morning. It is about 1/2 mile up the mountain with a switchback and steps to help. Once at the top, the trails are in all directions. Benches are scattered here and there with great views overlooking the Colorado River.

There were lots of holes dug looking for gold...

One day we went to Parker Dam.

Parker Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam that crosses the Colorado River 155 miles downstream from the Hoover Dam. It was built between 1934-1938.

Thanks to Parker Dam, we enjoy Lake Havasu.

It is known for being "the deepest river dam in the world". Seventy-three percent of the dam's structural height of 320 feet is below the original river bed. Only 85 feet of the structural height is visible. It has five 50-ft-square gates to control the water flow.

Once across the bridge, we took the Parker Dam Back Country Road...an 11 mile scenic drive along the California side of the Colorado River.

You might recall the name Bill Williams. He is the frontiersman I wrote about when we visited Williams, AZ. In addition to Williams, "The Gateway To The Grand Canyon", there are several more places and things named in his honor. One of them is the Bill Williams River which flows into the Colorado River/Lake Havasu. The confluence of the two rivers is in Parker. In 1993, 6,100 acres was designated as Bill Williams Wildlife Refuge.

Bill Williams River is a short river at only 43.6 miles. It originates in west central Arizona about 30 miles east of Kingman. This short, but beautiful river sure adds a lot to the desert and supports a wide variety of wildlife, vegetation, and recreational opportunities.

Designated as a Globally Important Bird Area for their outstanding value to bird conservation.

The Black Pearl was our choice for late lunch not once, but twice!

An awesome woodcarving...

The inside dining room is large with a wall of ceiling to floor windows to enjoy the view. The service was awesome, the food was delicious, and the views all make for a fun lunch.

First visit we enjoyed Fish and Ships...and that is not a mistake...with slaw, tarter sauce and a couple of icy cold brews.

And the second time, a Shock Top...a new beer for me that is very much like a Blue Moon... with fried fish tacos.

The Desert Bar, our destination for Saturday, is open on Saturdays and Sundays (from noon to 6:00 pm) between October and April. It is famous for its remote location in the Buckskin Mountains, rustic charm, and live music. The journey to Desert Bar is a destination in itself. Access to this unique old mining camp property is a 5 mile unpaved OHV road with rough dips and washboard sections. The bar built in the 1980s is entirely solar powered and cash only. There is a grill for sandwiches, burgers and fries, a saloon with really cold beer, a stage for live music, and relics from days gone by. The church at the entrance was built in 1990 with tin walls, a copper roof, and a steeple. It doesn't have a sanctuary for services, but has been used for weddings/pictures.

The bridge over the entrance...

The Deseret Bar is sometimes called the Nelly E Saloon because the land it sits on was originally a copper and gold mining claim named Nelly E. Todays owner bought the land in 1975 and built the bar which opened in 1983.

We shared a yummy bar-b-que pulled pork topped with sautéed sweet peppers and onions hoagie with waffle sweet potato fries topped with cinnamon...

Up next...Lake Havasu. But in real time, we are home, unpacked, laundry done and the fridge restocked. The weather is about as perfect as it gets here in Tucson. Cool mornings with fresh clean air and mild afternoons that are perfect for rockers on the patio.

Oh Lucy!