The London Bridge Ain't Fallin' Down

by Crystal Coons
Apr 30, 2003

This past Sunday, my husband and I decided to venture out into the western portion of the state, an area I never really got a chance to explore. I've always had the desire to go to Lake Havasu City, being that a town formed along a river in Arizona

Arizona	(air-i'-ZON-u')
The State of Arizona comprises the extreme south-western portion of the United States. It is bounded on the north by Utah, on the east by New Mexico, on the south by Mexico, and on the west by California and Nevada.

always intrigued me. After a long desert landscape-filled drive which lasted close to four hours, we finally arrived. I was, to say the least, extremely impressed. Lake Havasu City turned out to be a great, modern, hip town.

We headed straight for the famous London Bridge, and once we crossed it, we decided that it would be time to grab some lunch. We parked and walked over to the shopping and restaurant center that was charmingly built along the riverside. The river level shops provided a beautiful view of the river, as well as all the boaters. I walked down to the lower level and began to people-watch.

There's something that triggered the east coast girl in me as I watched the familiar sight of people rushing into the waters. With the charm of a small English town, combined with the hipness of being a spring break town, I felt more at home than I had since my move to Arizona

Arizona	(air-i'-ZON-u')
The State of Arizona comprises the extreme south-western portion of the United States. It is bounded on the north by Utah, on the east by New Mexico, on the south by Mexico, and on the west by California and Nevada.

three years ago.

We had a wonderful lunch, and then decided to visit the closest Arizonan city, Bullhead City. To be honest, I expected a little ghost town type of city, and what I got was the complete opposite. Bullhead City was surprisingly large, as it stretched back to the Colorado River

Colorado River	(col-o-RA'D-o RI'-ve'r)
The river, which over millions of years of erosion, formed the Grand Canyon.

, and met with Laughlin, Nevada. After exploring the area for a few hours, we headed back to our original destination. Being late in the day, we found a beautiful comfortable room at the Holiday Inn and turned in for the night.

We awoke the next morning, and I, being the woman I am, dragged my husband to the shopping district along the river, underneath the London Bridge. As I walked into the district, I was greeted by beautiful iron gates, and statues with plaques that read "City of London". A majestic and attention-demanding fountain featuring four lions was placed in the absolute middle of the surrounding restaurants. The red telephone booth over to the right side of the statue added a fantastic touch to the experience. I enjoyed my shopping trip, taking time out to watch the fish swimming in the river, and the ducks waddle along the boardwalk. It was a different atmosphere from the city I knew that once hosted MTV's Spring Break Party.

Lake Havasu is a small paradise in the middle of a harsh and unforgiving desert. I will definitely be returning to Lake Havasu to enjoy the shopping, the people, and the beaches. After all, it's the closest to home I'll have out here.