California to Lake Havasu, AZ

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Today’s the big day so we got up at seven to get an early start. We had forgone the Eddie Izzard show the night before, Thomas was feeling sick and we had too much to do. We finally hit the road at 8 30 and stated heading down towards Ventura. As soon as we hit Casitas Springs Thomas blurts out “we forgot to stop at Mom’s house on the way out” So we turn around back up to Oak View to say goodbye to Mom. Then back on the road and back down towards Ventura. The plan was to travel through Cali with a minimum of stops and make it all the way to Arizona.

Along the 126 to Valencia, we pass five restored Model T Fords cruising down the highway. After driving along a series of highways (the same route we usually take to Vegas) we get to Victorville, stop long enough to get a picture of the Route 66 sign and a youth theater called Shenanigans. At the Chevron a girl on a motorcycle had a helmet with a pink Mohawk.

We depart from Hwy 40 to drive along Route 66 and get to a town called Daggett, pretty much a ghost town, but some cool things for photo ops. Newberry Springs and the Bagdad Café is our next stop. We haven’t seen the movie in 15-20 years, luckily they play it on a loop above the register. Thomas takes the owner’s advice and tries a buffalo burger; it turns out to be quite good. We watch the people come in and take pictures. One of the employees tells us about 70% of their business is tourists from FRANCE. I guess the movie Bagdad café has a major following there. We meet a gentleman from Paris with his family that have gone all around the pacific Southwest and are headed towards LA and then Las Vegas. He says he is staying in Santa Monica, but fears it is a bad area. I assure him it is a very nice area, right on the water. He wanted to stay in Santa Barbara but said everything was booked up. We advised him to at least do a day trip there as it is the French Riviera of the West Coast. We leave the cafe just as a tour bus has arrived, we ask one lady where they are from and she says France, go figure.

Driving from Mojave to Arizona is a trip. Once you pass over the Colorado River into Arizona the terrain gets rockier and less sandy. We pull into Lake Havasu about 4 and head towards the Motel 6; cheap accommodations for our first night. Our friend Angelica said it was against the Gay Code of Conduct for us to stay at a Motel 6. We tell her not to let the word get out; oh wait…
It is never a good sign when you show up at your hotel to find the Lake Havasu Crime scene investigation van, four police cars in the front and parking lot closed off. As we head into the hotel Thomas takes a picture with his phone of the CSI van and is asked by a Motel 6 employee to erase the picture. He says OK yet does not.

We are told a “water main has broken" and we have been moved to the sister hotel across town. Guess water mains require assistance by CSI here in Lake Havasu. Read story here We take in a quick swim and decide to head to London Bridge. Despite what Fergie says it is not falling down (maybe she meant her pants) So in the sweltering heat of 113 we walk two and a half miles down to the lake. It’s weird to be in a small London village complete with red phone boxes, Tudor buildings and London Bridge in 113 degrees! Thomas spies a booth selling gondola rides on the lake and is even more confused.