[BLOG] The Great American Road Trip: London Bridge Edition
The London Bridge, I have no idea how many times I have do the actions with the rhyme “the London Bridge is falling downâ€. This time since the London Bridge has not fallen all the way I felt it was something that every person should see once in their life time. Since it might not be obvious the London Bridge is not in England but in fact in Lake Havasu Arizona. The London Bridge edition is a continuation of The Great American Road Trip: Grand Canyon Edition.
The Approach:
Leaving the Grand Canyon was just as interesting as entering it; spending slow miles driving on a straight road alternately watching a big hole and massive trees. After passing the last town on the outskirts of the park the need for food was ever present both my mother’s and mine minds. I requested that we drive on for a bit before trying to find a hole in the wall to rediscover, this request will become a slight curse and blessing. The first town that the attempt to find a dinning establishment was interesting, because there was a discovery that not all towns have dinners that would be considered sanitary. After a few more towns of complete surprise we stumbled across a small dinner in an even smaller town. This was a place where the kitchen was larger than the seating arrangement, a place to trade books and VHS tapes, and a small band for their live music they have once a week. My mother and I ended up both ordering a small calzone, which ended up taking approx. 25 minutes to cook but were entertained by a local grabbing a beer while he laundry was finishing. When the calzones arrived both of them covered the entirety of a large pizza tray. The moral of this tale is if anyone ever passes Seligman Arizona they need to take a reroute and check out the eateries have to offer in this wisp of a town in the desert.
After finding our unlighted path back to the main highway and making sure there was sufficient fuel to reach our next destination without have to push the car part way. Quickly my mother fell asleep and the real driving began. I have a lot of experience in regards to driving so far in my few years behind the wheel, driving in almost a white out and in rain so heavy visibility was down to 10 feet or less at 80 MPH, and this was one instance that had me concentrating on what the road was actually doing as well as the small knot in my stomach. The mountain passes that had to be traversed at interstate speeds were hard to do well in the pitch black dark mainly due to the deceptive guidance the turn markers were giving on my weary and tired eyes, as well as my fatigued body. Half of the time going down the road was spent with an Escalade sitting a few feet off my bumper so they could make the passes faster than 50 miles an hour. I found myself day dreaming of what it would be like to know these roads and drifting these passes alone.
The London Bridge is falling down:
Once the city limits of Lake Havasu were reached everything slowed down and the weight of the pass few hours were finally sinking in. While trying to stay awake and alert with vehicles all around mine and cops sitting at every other intersection the task of finding the hotel was present and next on the list of to-dos. The Hilton was easily found after only missing the turn once and having to make a series of contrived turns to get back to the correct intersection.
The lobby was eerily quiet and clean for a spring break location. While checking in the desk lady person, I was really tired and distracted, asked if we were both over 21 and after the correct answer two free drink coupons were offered to us. The room was just as the lobby appeared, though as walking down the hall I kept expecting for a drunken college aged gentleman in a toga to appear out of a doorway while attempting to do a back flip with one of his hands on fire; I would be disappointed on several occasions. The next morning a decent sized breakfast buffet was had with nearly rotten fruit was just one mouthful away.
Our hotel was a short trek from the London Bridge so the car was abandoned for the entire day, the first instance of this since the onset of this classical trip. The bridge itself is not that impressive by itself but becomes interesting and attention holding when the history involved in its acquisition and travels are exposed; which as a quick fun fact the lambs that line the London Bridge are made from the melted remains of Napoleon’s cannons. The area around the bridge was what appeared to be the remnants of a once cheesy tourist trap that have slowly given way to trendy and more modern establishments. There are only a few places to eat on the island side of the bridge and one offers the atmosphere of your standard micro brewery.
Walking along the edge of the lake provided the scene that all men associate with beaches and water sports: HOT WOMEN IN BIKINIS! Like life not all of the women that were tanning their soft skin were delicious, tasty, and drop dead gorgeous. The girls that were there for spring break could mostly be piled into one category, tanned like an old piece of leather. There was lots of alcohol present, but only the cheap kind, and there were roughly four men present for each woman. The day was had with very little excitement and lots of sitting in the sun, as well as a quick quant to California to see a casino. The only real entertainment that was had was from the groups of boys and girls aimlessly walking about looking for something to do and acting like the opposite sex had some kind of incurable venereal disease……..there was also the building that burnt up while we were getting a drink at the casino. Though, while trying get some sleep at around 1 A.M. the kids came home after all of the parties had started to die out and they thought it would fun to yell and be extremely loud until a person with more years spent 10 minutes telling them to STFU because people sleep during the night.
The next day was full of the same the day before except it was the day of my birth a mere 22 years earlier. Before leaving Lake Havasu a classy paddle wheel tour was taken around the island as a last shebang for the area…..then we quickly left for more adventures.
The Approach:
Leaving the Grand Canyon was just as interesting as entering it; spending slow miles driving on a straight road alternately watching a big hole and massive trees. After passing the last town on the outskirts of the park the need for food was ever present both my mother’s and mine minds. I requested that we drive on for a bit before trying to find a hole in the wall to rediscover, this request will become a slight curse and blessing. The first town that the attempt to find a dinning establishment was interesting, because there was a discovery that not all towns have dinners that would be considered sanitary. After a few more towns of complete surprise we stumbled across a small dinner in an even smaller town. This was a place where the kitchen was larger than the seating arrangement, a place to trade books and VHS tapes, and a small band for their live music they have once a week. My mother and I ended up both ordering a small calzone, which ended up taking approx. 25 minutes to cook but were entertained by a local grabbing a beer while he laundry was finishing. When the calzones arrived both of them covered the entirety of a large pizza tray. The moral of this tale is if anyone ever passes Seligman Arizona they need to take a reroute and check out the eateries have to offer in this wisp of a town in the desert.
After finding our unlighted path back to the main highway and making sure there was sufficient fuel to reach our next destination without have to push the car part way. Quickly my mother fell asleep and the real driving began. I have a lot of experience in regards to driving so far in my few years behind the wheel, driving in almost a white out and in rain so heavy visibility was down to 10 feet or less at 80 MPH, and this was one instance that had me concentrating on what the road was actually doing as well as the small knot in my stomach. The mountain passes that had to be traversed at interstate speeds were hard to do well in the pitch black dark mainly due to the deceptive guidance the turn markers were giving on my weary and tired eyes, as well as my fatigued body. Half of the time going down the road was spent with an Escalade sitting a few feet off my bumper so they could make the passes faster than 50 miles an hour. I found myself day dreaming of what it would be like to know these roads and drifting these passes alone.
The London Bridge is falling down:
Once the city limits of Lake Havasu were reached everything slowed down and the weight of the pass few hours were finally sinking in. While trying to stay awake and alert with vehicles all around mine and cops sitting at every other intersection the task of finding the hotel was present and next on the list of to-dos. The Hilton was easily found after only missing the turn once and having to make a series of contrived turns to get back to the correct intersection.
The lobby was eerily quiet and clean for a spring break location. While checking in the desk lady person, I was really tired and distracted, asked if we were both over 21 and after the correct answer two free drink coupons were offered to us. The room was just as the lobby appeared, though as walking down the hall I kept expecting for a drunken college aged gentleman in a toga to appear out of a doorway while attempting to do a back flip with one of his hands on fire; I would be disappointed on several occasions. The next morning a decent sized breakfast buffet was had with nearly rotten fruit was just one mouthful away.
Our hotel was a short trek from the London Bridge so the car was abandoned for the entire day, the first instance of this since the onset of this classical trip. The bridge itself is not that impressive by itself but becomes interesting and attention holding when the history involved in its acquisition and travels are exposed; which as a quick fun fact the lambs that line the London Bridge are made from the melted remains of Napoleon’s cannons. The area around the bridge was what appeared to be the remnants of a once cheesy tourist trap that have slowly given way to trendy and more modern establishments. There are only a few places to eat on the island side of the bridge and one offers the atmosphere of your standard micro brewery.
Walking along the edge of the lake provided the scene that all men associate with beaches and water sports: HOT WOMEN IN BIKINIS! Like life not all of the women that were tanning their soft skin were delicious, tasty, and drop dead gorgeous. The girls that were there for spring break could mostly be piled into one category, tanned like an old piece of leather. There was lots of alcohol present, but only the cheap kind, and there were roughly four men present for each woman. The day was had with very little excitement and lots of sitting in the sun, as well as a quick quant to California to see a casino. The only real entertainment that was had was from the groups of boys and girls aimlessly walking about looking for something to do and acting like the opposite sex had some kind of incurable venereal disease……..there was also the building that burnt up while we were getting a drink at the casino. Though, while trying get some sleep at around 1 A.M. the kids came home after all of the parties had started to die out and they thought it would fun to yell and be extremely loud until a person with more years spent 10 minutes telling them to STFU because people sleep during the night.
The next day was full of the same the day before except it was the day of my birth a mere 22 years earlier. Before leaving Lake Havasu a classy paddle wheel tour was taken around the island as a last shebang for the area…..then we quickly left for more adventures.
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Comments
The big fancy bridge in London everyone likes to see is called "Tower Bridge." After seeing that, I was inspired to skip lunch one day and go see "London Bridge." There is a London Bridge in London, but it turns out to be a very modest affair with four or so lanes of traffic and a small, bronzed sign near the waterline that says "London Bridge" on it. Quite the letdown. I had to drink a Pimm's and soda just to bring myself to leave.
Also, you make me happy by trying hole-in-the-wall restaurants on your trip.
You guys don't know anything about rain;D