Joshua Tree, Lake Havasu
Well any ideas we had before of heading off to Vegas when we pick up the RV were firmly squashed when this morning both Tommy and Nick almost collapsed from the heat in the breakfast line. Strangely enough I figured it would be Andy who couldn't cope the most.
We decided that as were so close to the Joshua Tree National Park we would take a detour and check it out. It is also the first day when I get to drive. The good bit about heading slightly backwards is that we can get pics of the hundreds of windmills set up just out of Palm Springs. When we came through yesterday they were all spinning really fast and this morning only 1 or 2 were going.
Joshua Tree national park was spectacular with all the weird rock formations and joshua trees all over the place. We spent an hour meandering through this park and on the advice of the rangers we only just popped out of the car for photo opportunities.
I couldn't believe the roads here. They are all straight and then every 10miles or so you get to turn a corner ever so slightly. There are lots of dips in the roads though giving the sensation of riding roller coasters every so often. Because we detoured through the national park we weren't on the interstate but provincial roads. We saw hardly any other traffic and we watched the landscape change yet again.
Guess what, tumbleweeds are real!
Yeah they aren't just a figment of television's imagination. It wasn't very windy in the desert today so we only saw a couple but enough to convince us.
We crossed the border from California into Arizona today on our way to Lake Havasu City. Incredibly blue water makes up this lake which is formed from the Colorado River. And so we arrive at our hotel in Havasu. The temperature here is ridiculous. It is now 10.30pm and the current temperature is 108F 42C so you can imagine what it might have been like in the sun this afternoon. We took a drive down to the lake shores about 7pm and watched people retrieving their boats, the size of the boats was amazing - just like everything in America they were huge. Mind you when you look at the wakes on the Lake you would need a big boat just to be safe.
We drove over the London Bridge which Lake Havasu City bought from the city of London yonks ago and then transported it brick by brick and rebuilt it here. Quite impressive really but not enough to make us brave the heat and walk across it. We figure we will escape from here quite early in the morning as they are expecting a record temperature tomorrow of 128F or 53C and we don't even want to think about how hot that must be!
Hope all is well with everyone - drop me a line on lyndab@ihug.co.nz or leave a comment below.
