Monday, Sept 22nd/08I’m sure you’re all well aware from previous writings that “I don’t care for the cold”. That certainly is not an issue here as every day has been in the 100F zone. As we still have our rental car and no parts as yet for Rod’s bike we decide to take a drive over to Lake Havasu for a swim. It becomes a 200+ mile round trip but a very scenic loop. Lake Havasu, is named for the Mohave word "Havasu", which means "blue water".
In 196
8, Robert McCulloch (McCulloch chainsaws and oil) purchased the sinking “London Bridge” at a cost of $2.5M and it was dismantled brick by brick. The stones were coded with numbers to indicate how they were to be put together again. They were loaded onto boats and shipped halfway around the world to Long Beach, California. At that point, they were trucked into Arizona. Like a jigsaw puzzle, 40 craftsman worked from the coded diagram and the original 1824 plans to put the bridge together once more. It took more than four years to construct at a staggering cost of $7.5M and in October 1971, the bridge was dedicated by the Lord Mayor of London. 
It has become Arizona’s second-biggest tourist attraction, after the Grand Canyon. It was re-dedicated in October of 1971. The reconstruction of London Bridge spans a man-made canal that leads from Lake Havasu to Thomson Bay, and forms the centrepiece of a theme park in English style, complete with a mock Tudor shopping mall. Today, London Bridge remains a unique and unusual attraction. Under and around the arches is an authentic English village with shops and pubs and even a double-decker bus and a red telephone call box.
We drove onto the ‘island’ via ‘London Bridge’ and enjoyed some time in the sun and a refreshing swim in the lake. “Lunch” was ice cream at Cold Stone – if you’ve never tried it and like ice cream … YUMM!! Definitely won’t help me with my riding jeans though.
Headed back to Kingman via Rte 65N - stopped in Needles, California to mail some post cards, crossed into Nevada on Rte 95 then picked up 163East back through Laughlin then ‘home’ via Rte 68.
We have been in 3 states today – Arizona, California and Nevada. 
We are hopeful that parts for Rod’s bike will arrive by tomorrow and hope to be back on the road by Tuesday. Not that we haven’t thoroughly enjoyed all the Route 66 memorabilia but… it will be great to be ‘back in the saddle’.
We had heard a number of times that a great place to have dinner would be at the Diamond Creek Restaurant at Hualapai Lodge which is about 22 miles up the mountain from Kingman. As we believe this will be our last night here we decide to go for broke and head up there – after ‘Happy Hour’ of course. It’s already getting dark as we start up the mountain and there are many warning signs for wildlife. It is their feeding time and they will be close to the roads. I’m a little nervous as I don’t really care for night driving BUT if you recall I didn’t want to give Hertz the extra driver money so Rod could drive so just had to bite the bullet. It’s a steep and curvaceous climb to the park which is at 6,000 ft elevation. "Hualapai" means "People of the tall Pine" in native Hualapie Indian language. There is no ambient light and we are at the dark time of a new moon so it seems even darker. Finally just after 7:00 we reach the entrance and … Oh No… Closed on Monday and Tuesday! I guess we should have called. We head back down the mountain and the 45 mile round trip leads us to the Kingman Steakhouse where we enjoy a great meal in a cowboy atmosphere. Hualapai will have to wait for another trip.
Headed back to Kingman via Rte 65N - stopped in Needles, California to mail some post cards, crossed into Nevada on Rte 95 then picked up 163East back through Laughlin then ‘home’ via Rte 68.
We have been in 3 states today – Arizona, California and Nevada. 
We are hopeful that parts for Rod’s bike will arrive by tomorrow and hope to be back on the road by Tuesday. Not that we haven’t thoroughly enjoyed all the Route 66 memorabilia but… it will be great to be ‘back in the saddle’.
We had heard a number of times that a great place to have dinner would be at the Diamond Creek Restaurant at Hualapai Lodge which is about 22 miles up the mountain from Kingman. As we believe this will be our last night here we decide to go for broke and head up there – after ‘Happy Hour’ of course. It’s already getting dark as we start up the mountain and there are many warning signs for wildlife. It is their feeding time and they will be close to the roads. I’m a little nervous as I don’t really care for night driving BUT if you recall I didn’t want to give Hertz the extra driver money so Rod could drive so just had to bite the bullet. It’s a steep and curvaceous climb to the park which is at 6,000 ft elevation. "Hualapai" means "People of the tall Pine" in native Hualapie Indian language. There is no ambient light and we are at the dark time of a new moon so it seems even darker. Finally just after 7:00 we reach the entrance and … Oh No… Closed on Monday and Tuesday! I guess we should have called. We head back down the mountain and the 45 mile round trip leads us to the Kingman Steakhouse where we enjoy a great meal in a cowboy atmosphere. Hualapai will have to wait for another trip.
PS - Several people have mentioned that if you click on the pictures they will enlarge. Give it a try - hope you like them!
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