London Bridge

A Taste of London & Encountering Asses in Arizona
December 7th – 12th 2024 (5 nights)

What started out as a planned weekend to celebrate our Uncle’s birthday in La Quinta, California evolved into a trip leading us, in some aspects, across the globe and, then, onto an old gold mining ghost town inhabited by wild burros.

La Quinta
Our first stop was La Quinta, a desert resort community located between Indian Wells and Indio (and close to Palm Desert and Palm Springs – one of nine cities in the Coachella Valley).  About a two and a half hour drive from San Diego, it’s an ideal place to visit in the winter because the days are generally sunny and warm (around 81 degrees high during our December visit).  Many snowbirds come and stay here to escape harsh winters at home and enjoy golf, swimming and other outdoor activities.  We had planned to stay at Lake Cahuilla Veterans Regional Park Campground in La Quinta.  However, when we learned there was going to be a marathon here with restricted access during our visit, we changed our plans and parked our 2020 Scamp 13’ on our cousin’s driveway.  After a really nice family birthday weekend, we departed for Lake Havasu, Arizona (a three hour drive from La Quinta).

Lake Havasu
We stayed at Lake Havasu State Park, which is a beautiful campground directly adjacent to the lake.  We had campsite #22 (electric/water, $35/night, free Central Dump) which is very well spaced out (the view of the lake at this site is mostly blocked though by shrubs at the water’s edge).  Campsites directly on the beach are possible, but very popular and need to be reserved well in advance.  Verizon cellular service is very fast here.  Popular things to do at the lake are water activities like boating, kayaking, swimming, paddle boarding, and fishing.  There are nice trails (like the Mohave Sunset Trail) and bike paths which wind throughout the lowland desert and shoreline.  There are around 28 miniature replica working lighthouses along the lake helping watercraft navigate at night which are modeled after famous lighthouses throughout the United States.  There’s also the Arroyo-Camino Interpretive Garden which showcases the diverse life that exists within the park and this area of the desert.

Just a short drive outside the park, there is the English Village and London Bridge.  Park at the Visitor’s Center parking lot and walk into the English Village.  The Visitor’s Center is a good starting point (located on the mainland side of Bridgewater Channel).  The center sells souvenirs, offers free maps, and there’s a video worth watching detailing how London Bridge was created at Lake Havasu in 1971.  Additionally, there’s a tourist guide who is eager to share information on area highlights.  Right outside the Visitor’s Center is a waterfront shopping area with plenty of boutique and souvenir shops as well as restaurants.  Lake Havasu was created by construction of the Parker Dam on the Colorado River between Arizona and California between 1934 and 1938.  Factoid – Parker Dam is the world’s deepest dam, with 235 feet below the riverbed! London Bridge was moved to Arizona in the late 1960’s as a publicity stunt to attract people to the new community of Lake Havasu City.  The bridge was disassembled and shipped (individually numbered blocks) from London and reassembly was completed at Lake Havasu in 1971.  The bridge is lit up by colored lights for different holidays throughout the year.  During our visit, the bridge was lit up red and green to celebrate Christmas.  There’s a walking path, Shoreline Trail, that meanders along the water offering views of the bridge from different perspectives.

Oatman, Arizona
Oatman is an old gold mining town about an hour from Lake Havasu.  Since there aren’t any designated RV campgrounds in the small ghost town of Oatman, we stayed overnight at Crossroads RV Park in Mojave Valley, Arizona (full hookups, $60/night, fast Verizon internet).  This RV park is a large square cut out of the desert where people mostly come to ride out the winter and tend to stay for months.  Although there isn’t much here, it’s a short easy fifteen minute drive up to the mountain town of Oatman.  Be careful driving up the main highway as it’s common for wild donkeys to stand in the roadway, completely blocking the lanes.  This happened to us, as we had to stop for a few donkeys blocking the road.  We rolled down the window to get a better look and a wild burro and her baby walked right up to us and the mother stuck her face right into our car.  We weren’t really expecting this from wild donkeys.  Later, when we reached Oatman, a shopkeeper told us that the only time one is allowed to pet and feed the donkeys is in the town.

Oatman, Arizona was once a booming gold mining town.  In the early 1860’s, gold was discovered in these Black Mountains.  In 1915, two prospectors struck gold worth $10 million and the town’s population quickly grew to over 3,500 in one year.  The town was named after Olive Oatman, a 14 year old girl who was captured (along with her younger 8 year old sister, Mary Ann) and enslaved by Native American Indians in 1851 (who killed her parents and four siblings, known as the “Oatman Massacre”).  Her older brother Lorenzo was left for dead but survived. He tried to get help, but wasn’t successful in rescuing his sisters.  Olive and her sister were held captive for one year and then traded to the Mojave people.  Mary Ann died of starvation and Olive spent four years with the Mojave Indians, during which time they tattooed her chin with blue ink to signify her tribal enslavement.  Olive was repatriated to American society five years after the attack.  She became an oddity in 1860s American culture because she was the first known White woman with a Native tattoo.

Oatman is now a ghost town, a reflection of the early American Wild West.  Now, the main street is lined with tourist shops selling t-shirts, western leather products, and other souvenirs.  The old post office and jail are small relics of the past which still remain.  There’s even a wild west gunfight (times change daily, so best to call Outlaw Willie) in front of the old Oatman Hotel (the site of many alleged paranormal sightings).  Despite its fascinating history, the main attraction here are Oatman’s wild donkeys (as it’s one of very few places in the United States where it is legal to feed and pet them).  Each burro has their own name and they display unique and interesting personalities.  A young burro, named Diego, is known to kick his front hoof against shop doors which sell donkey food (many stores here sell a bag of donkey pellets for around $1).  We witnessed Diego in action and, fearing the glass might break, the shopkeeper opened the door and gave Diego some food (further reinforcing this behavior).  We saw another donkey walk inside a shop and block its entrance!  There are posted warnings that these donkeys are wild and may bite and kick, but we didn’t witness any menacing behavior.  On the contrary, all the donkeys we pet and fed had very sweet temperaments.  We even overheard one tourist say that these donkeys are tamer than the one she keeps at home.  It is wise though not to stand behind any donkey because they sometimes get into quarrels amongst themselves and sometimes kick back from their hind legs.  And, when feeding them, keep the food in your palm with hands wide open so fingers are not nibbled along with the snack!  The donkeys were surprisingly gentle with our hands, not biting the hands that feed them.

After a great trip, we chose to stop in Newberry Springs at The Barn 66 (a Harvest Host location free for members) on the way back home to make the 5 ½ hour drive more manageable.  The Barn 66 is a notable bar restaurant on the old Route 66 and is in the middle of nowhere (almost halfway between Oatman, Arizona and San Diego with Barstow being about twenty minutes away).  We read they have great pizza and burgers, but we found their hours to be variable and the Barn wasn’t opened when we arrived for a late lunch.  Route 66 was decommissioned in 1985, however its decline started in 1956 when President Eisenhower signed the Interstate Highway Act.  The new interstates, especially the I-40, diverted traffic away from Route 66.  Today, only about 85% of Route 66 can still be driven.  The transition away from Route 66 was a death blow to many small towns including Newberry Springs where The Barn 66 is located.  We parked our Scamp 13’ in the Barns 66’s dirt parking lot, surrounded by old dilapidated buildings adjacent to Route 66 (now with only occasional car traffic).  The I-40 interstate is visible in the distance from the parking lot with car and truck traffic buzzing non-stop 24/7.  There are also trains which run at all times of the day and night and were sometimes very loud with their horns blasting (note to light sleepers!).

We had a blast relaxing at Lake Havasu and discovering the old west in Oatman, Arizona.  It’s amazing there are so many places to uncover which have such unique history.  And, having a small travel trailer lets one immerse oneself in these bygone eras.  Learning about a significant piece of London history located in Arizona on the Colorado River was really interesting!  And, playing with the burro descendants of the gold miners and watching their funny antics made a lasting impression.  Although this was a short trip, it expanded our horizons.  And, we learned that being a wise ass isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

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