Fleeing CA

The wind and rain and cold caused us to spit the bit and quit CA.  Rather than drive bumper to bumper on I-10, we chose an alternate route that paralleled the 10.  It would add 2 hours to the drive time but it was worth it to drive nearly empty roads.

This side of the coastal mountains is much different as there are few trees and not nearly as green as we drive #166.  There is however.....

....thousands of acres of orchards, growing a variety of plants.

We pass through desolate locations such as Barstow and Needles, CA before crossing the AZ border and descending to....

....Lake Havasu. I've never visited before and glad we did.  Beautiful location that included....

.....the 2nd most visited tourist attraction in the state, behind only the Grand Canyon; the London Bridge.  Chainsaw magnate, Robert McCullough, in 1967, bid $2.3 million for the 10,300 granite pieces that made up the facade of the bridge.  Shipping all to AZ, he had a steel bridge constructed and then the pieces clad to the structure.  Included in the sale were the ornate lamp posts that had been cast from melted cannons captured during the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

Well worth a visit which includes....

....sandy beaches.  Our arrival coincided with the governors lifting of the mask mandate so it was great to.....

....visit one of the many, booming restaurants and bars.

The next day, we exited Lake Havasu and made for Oro Valley and home.