Following Quartzite our next stop was Lake Havasu. This is clearly an area focused on warmer weather boating and water activities, but there is a lot going on in the winter as well. We stayed on an island with the only way on/off being the London Bridge. Yep, this is the place where they moved it. The area boasts more lighthouses than any other. They are partly decoration, but they likely come in handy when the boats gather during the summer.
The area has a rugged beauty surrounding the lake. Just north of Lake Havasu and South of Needles is a nature area that is stunning to fly over. We were thinking about taking the boat, but decided that riding around the island was more fun. The nature area is very remote and with our luck in things breaking we were not ready to rely on the motor to get us there and back. Here is some video from the drone that was mounted on the strut of the plane as we flew over that area.
The airport was a great place to stage out of. At times it seemed like a Marine air base with a lot of military traffic. There were F-18's and Ospreys and many types of helicopters including a Russian attack helicopter that is based at the airport. Apparently it is used with military war games in local areas. I found out that the reason for the traffic was a program at the airport restaurant providing free meals to transiting military air crews.
The whole area seems like a huge Off Road Vehicle playground. There were trails everywhere on Government land. Honestly, I don't know what else you would do with the land so might as well let the off road gang have their fun.
Along those lines, a trip to the area is not complete without a journey to the Desert Bar. It's just like it sounds. It's a bar far out in the desert. It is completely self contained and is quite the draw on the weekends. There were traffic jams on the rough roads leading to the bar. Mix food, drinks, a band, off road vehicles and a helicopter to get an entertaining afternoon in the desert.
