One of our favorite winter-time areas for camping is the Parker, AZ/Earp, CA area along the Colorado River. We were comfortably ensconced in a riverfront site in November before we had to pack up and return home quickly to Ohio to care for my mom, and had been looking forward to spending time with our RVing friends Brian and Judy who arrived four days after us. Since that was not to be, I thought I'd post an entry from the vantage point of previous visits.
The pictures above are of the Parker Dam, built between 1934 and 1938 by the Bureau of Reclamation. It is the deepest dam in the world as about 75 % of its total height of 320 feet is below the original riverbed. The Bureau of Reclamation excavated 235 feet of the riverbed to place the dam's foundation; only about 85 feet of the dam is visible and another 62 feet is the superstructure above the roadway. The Parker Dam was built to store water for the Arizona irrigation canals; Lake Havasu is that reservoir. Visually, it is one of the most attractive dams we've visited, but then again, I'm very partial to the Art Deco school of design.
If you visit the dam and have a RV or a dual-wheeled pick up truck you won't be able to cross the dam. Large concrete barriers are placed between the lanes of travel and are very tight. I don't know if this was done after September of 2001 as a preventative measure or not, as our first visit to the area was in 2002. I do know that the pictures from the rear of the dam where taken from an area off limits to people; the large gates were open so Denny and I wandered in to get pictures and were soon chased off by a security guard that arrived shortly after we did. Oops!
The Parker area is a strange mixture of campgrounds, BLM land, and expensive riverfront homes. There is a casino, a small museum, two grocery stores, several restaurants, shops, a golf course and plenty of area to explore. Lake Havasu City is about 40 miles away for even more recreational, shopping and dining opportunities.
I'm posting a picture of the homes across the Colorado River from our campsite. Can you imagine paying that kind of money to build a home only to have a view of a campground? I think we got the best deal on that one!
2 comments:
Wonderful pictures of the Parker Dam.. somewhere I have never been.. maybe someday.
I hope all is well and you are soon able to travel again. My husband and I will be retiring in a couple of years. He would love to live your style. I am still not sure, but you make it look very inviting.
Colleen, the RVing lifestyle isn't for everyone, as you have to be able to give up having a lot of "things" around, which includes gardens, grandkids, collections, work shops, etc. However, if there is wanderlust in your soul, traveling in a RV is one of the greatest ways to see the country at your leisure, with the knowledge that you're always going to go to sleep in your own bed no matter where you are.
Sheesh, someone get me off my soap box before I get started...
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