April 4, 2024 - Travel to Lake Havasu City and Lake Havasu Wildlife Refuge

(I am a little behind in updating so hopefully will be caught up soon.  Today is 4/11 and we are currently in Boulder City, NV)

April 4th, 2024

We did our final clean up and lock down; said our "see you in the fall" and started our trek north.

Lots of grassy plants this time of year:

Past the big guns at the Yuma Proving Grounds:

The greenery from earlier this year is now turning golden:

But the brittle bushes are still blooming:

We made a stop for fuel in Quartzsite and continued to Lake Havasu RV Resort in Lake Havasu City.  This is one of our membership parks and it is our first time here.  

And it is WINDY.  My Andy did a great job getting us here!

After setting up, it was time for a road trip to check out the area.  First stop was the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge.

"Havasu National Wildlife Refuge, originally named Havasu Lake National Wildlife Refuge, was established by Executive Order by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1941 for the primary purpose of providing migratory bird habitat. The refuge is comprised of 37,515 acres along the lower Colorado River in Arizona and California. The refuge protects 30 river miles and encompasses 300 miles of shoreline from Needles, California, to Lake Havasu City, Arizona. One of the last remaining natural stretches of the lower Colorado River flows through the 20-mile long Topock Gorge. 

Havasu National Wildlife Refuge is within the Pacific Flyway, a major north-south migratory route along the western coast of the United States. Hundreds of birds stop here to rest and refuel during their long journey. Many species also breed and overwinter here. Because of its importance to birds, the refuge is considered an Important Bird Area in the state of Arizona. Come out and enjoy Havasu National Wildlife Refuge -- it's definitely for the birds."

All along the lake, there are trails.  We stopped at one of the walkways and took the tour.  (Sadly many of the kiosks with information have been destroyed)

The word Havasu ("HAVE-a-Sue") means blue green water in the Havasupai ("WA-Sue-Pie") language. Lake Havasu is a man-made lake formed by Parker Dam on the Colorado River.

The views at the end of the trail:

Just beautiful!

But it was windy!!

We continued our tour of the town and the island and finished our day with supper at the Elks Lodge. YUM!   It was many years since we have been here and they have really upgraded.  Nice.

Another wonderful day!  We will be here for a few nights so stay tuned and enjoy today.

(Another side note:  I appreciate all the comments on the blog.  But if you post as "Anonymous", I do not know who you are.  You can always put your name in the comment and still post "Anonymous".

Stats for today:

Miles Traveled: 166 Miles

Routes Traveled:

Arizona: South Avenue 3 3/4 E; East County 17th Street; South Avenue 4E; East County 14th Street: AZ-195; Araby Road; US-95; Chenoweth Drive; London Bridge Road