We had heard so much about beautiful Lake Havasu, Arizona; that we knew we wanted to visit. While staying in Quartzite we were only an hour and a half away. *** Something weird happened with my scheduling and this post did not publish when it was supposed to! This one should have come BEFORE the one about London Bridge. Sorry for any confusion. ***
Welcome to Beautiful Lake Havasu Arizona!
Passing through Cienega Springs AZ, on our way to Lake Havasu
It was a gorgeous Spring day with weather warm enough to enjoy being outdoors. So we hopped in the Jeep and headed for the lake. At first all we saw was desert and vast open spaces. Then suddenly the highway drive revealed the intense beauty of the mountains of Arizona.
About 45 minutes after Cienega Springs we passed through the next town – Parker – on the Colorado Tribes Indian Reservation
The area was sparsely populated on land that is either leased or purchased from area Native Americans. We were in the Colorado River Indian Tribes Reservation.
Parker Strip AZ and Dam responsible for the creation of Lake Havasu
The largest town we drove through was Parker with lots of homes in the foothills of the mountains. Parker is probably best know for its dam. The dam was built in the mid 1930s to create Lake Havasu.
Vast expanses of desert landscape as we drive the Jeep to Lake Havasu
Some mountains in technicolor show off “purple mountains majesty”
From Parker, we continued our drive to Havasu City, enjoying the gorgeous scenery unfolding before us the entire way.
Straight from London to English Village at Lake Havasu
Steve and his new best friend at English Village
Since the weather was so delightful, we decided that we wanted to eat lunch al fresco. My Google Search led us to the perfect spot. English Village is a shopping and entertainment mecca along the vivid green water of the Colorado River. You can rent a boat, or dock your own boat, shop for all sorts of goodies, enjoy a delicious meal AND have a birds eye view of London Bridge!
Yup! It is the very same bridge that used to span the River Thames in London England. More about that in my next post!!!
Some of the shops at English Village
We strolled along river walk, popped in and out of some little shops and read lots of menus. What we were really trying to find was Papa Leone’s Pizza. It’s a good thing we broke down and asked someone because we would never have found it. It was on the second level, above those little shops we had visited. So we hiked the steep ramp up to Level 2.
View from our sun deck table at Papa Leone’s Pizza
Our efforts were rewarded with a spectacular view while enjoying a fabulous pizza on the outdoor deck. What could be bad? We were overlooking the Colorado River and London Bridge.
Our BBQ Chicken Pizza at Papa Leone’s, English Village in Lake Havasu
Very delicious slice of pizza!
Our pizza was huge, loaded with chicken, bacon, cheese and a generous drizzle of sweet and tangy barbecue sauce, it was way too much to finish for lunch. Fortunately we came prepared and brought our uneaten pizza home in our thermal bag with ice. We reheated it and finished it off for dinner. We would definitely go back to Papa Leone’s if we return to Lake Havasu.
But we still had not actually seen the lake! And as it turned out, we HAD to cross London Bridge to get there. So off we went in the Jeep, for a short scenic drive to beautiful Lake Havasu.
Our first peek at Lake Havasu
Access to the lake is over desert terrain. Finally we actually needed our 4-wheel drive. Steve just needed to figure out how to use it. We parked close to the rim of the lake and watched people enjoying water sports. It was so picturesque. Absolutely gorgeous!!! The water is so clear and so green. And if the sun hits just right it takes on a deep turquoise hue.
The sun was warm and the air was cool, but I still wanted to dive in!
We truly did spend a beautiful day in Lake Havasu, Arizona.
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