The first stop east of the Colorado River, nine miles from the border and 23 miles south of I-40, Lake Havasu City is a thoroughly modern vacation town built around a thoroughly odd centerpiece: London Bridge, brought here stone by stone between 1967 and 1971. Terribly tacky souvenir shops and faux London pubs congregate around the foot of the bridge, which spans a manmade channel to a large island, but the bridge itself is an impressive sight.
Unless you plan to retire here—or simply relax on a houseboat on the river—there’s not a lot to do at Lake Havasu; that said, the area has become a popular spring break destination for western college kids, thousands of whom flock to Lake Havasu State Park (928/855-2784) for fun-in-the-sun and who-knows-what after dark. For the rest of us—have an English muffin and a cup of tea, pay your respects and take a photograph or two, then hit the road again.
