About a two hours drive from where we were staying is the 1830’s London Bridge at Lake Havasu City. The Arizona bridge is actually a reinforced concrete structure clad in the original granite blocks. She was brought to America by Robert P. McCulloch from the City of London after paying a grand total of $2.4 million for the bridge itself and for its shipping. The bridge was shipped across the atlantic to Port of Houston and then was transported overland to Lake Havasu City, where re-assembly began in 1968. The bridge and the Bridgewater Channel Canal was completed in 1971 and links an island in the Colorado River with the main part of Lake Havasu City.

1830s London Bridge

Next to London Bridge and along the canal is a series of tourist attractions in buildings that show their 60s and 70s age. The English Village is kind of campy, but it’s good for mild family fun. There’s a nice 2 mile Shoreline Trail walked along, where we saw boat goers, waterfowl and fish along the docks. Along the channel are 1/3 scale lighthouses replicas, which are actual functioning navigational aids. Each is built to the specifications of famous lighthouses on East Coast, West Coast and Great Lakes. More than eighteen can be seen on the shores of the lake, most can be hiked to and some are only accessible by boat.

Just north of the bridge is Lake Havasu State Park with its scenic shoreline, beautiful beaches, nature trails, boat ramps, and convenient campsites. The waters of the lake are bit cold this time of year, but when the weather is sunny and 90 deg F, it’s a nice reprieve.