5:00 AM Moments

Last weekend we went camping / fishing with some friends.  I love getting away for the weekend because it usually means sleeping in.  The only items on our agenda were fishing, soaking in the sun, fishing, grilling, fishing and more fishing.  Did I mention fishing?  So, I was determined to sleep in on both Saturday and Sunday and begin the day whenever I woke up.  Well, I found myself waking up before anyone else on Sunday morning.. without the aid of an alarm clock b/c the plan was like I mentioned, to sleep in.  After laying under my cozy WINTER sleeping bag for quite some time (Troy just about froze me out of the camper because he had the air conditioning cranked as high as it would go in an attempt to freeze out all the gnats.  But that is another story.), I decided I might as well get up and go fishing.  It was 5:00 AM.  But I was up.

I was so glad that I ended up down at the lake to enjoy the sunrise that morning.   It was absolutely breathtaking.  I didn't catch anything on my fishing line; however, that was okay with me.  The time spent enjoying the first rays of sun, watching the mist on the lake, listening to the birds begin to sing was well worth it.  There was one other fisherman that also ventured out.  I think he had fisherman ADHD b/c he would cast a line, real it in, walk to a new spot and repeat the same process.  I wanted to tell him to chill!

Anyway, I think next time we go to the lake, I may just bring the alarm clock to make sure I don't miss the morning sunrise.   Oh, and to try and catch some fish of course!

Small Town USA

Last weekend I enjoyed some family time in Westcliffe, CO.  There is something about visiting a place where you walk down main street and and everyone "knows your name".  That's the way it is in Westcliffe.

 

We woke up on Saturday to a brisk foggy morning.  It felt more like fall instead of spring, which ended up being perfect weather for a parade if you ask me!  So, with coffee in hand we watched a parade honoring our Vietnam Vets stream down main street.

All bundled up!

Thanks, Dad, for serving!  

We love you!

A Huey helicopter that flew in Vietnam

Walking down main street...

Huey shots

Andrew got to try on one of the helicopter pilot helmets!

Coffee

An ode to my French Press....

There's a reason why coffee tastes so good

when pressed down through a strainer

It is hard to explain, but I think

It has something to do with the container

I feel a bit like a chemist when brewing my drink

Just thought you should know

so next time I pass with French Press in hand

and smile and give you a wink

Havasu Holiday

This last week Troy and I had a wonderful vacation getaway or 

what I like to call our...

 

"Havasu Holiday"  

Our friends, Jay and Rosie, opened their condo home to us and blessed us with this getaway.  What great memories!!

"Site #6", located on the Havasu Island, was used as an emergency landing field by the Army Air Forces during World War II.  In 1944 it became a rest location where US servicemen could enjoy swimming, fishing, boating, etc.

Now, Site Six is a location where free public boat launching is available.  There were also several people fishing from the dock, so there must be good fishing here also.  

Here is a glimpse of some other views / attractions in Havasu...

Relief from the desert heat... shaved ice via party barge

The desert in bloom

I love the water-colored look of this cactus

More Lake Havasu views...

Although tempted, I resisted the urge to "borrow" one of these waverunners and take it for a spin around the lake.

And of course... the famous London Bridge

When it was discovered that the London Bridge was "falling down" into the Thames river, the City of London decided to put the bridge up for auction.  The winning bid came from the founder of Lake Havasu City, AZ for $2,460,000 in 1968.  It took a total of three years to relocate the bridge to Arizona.  It now spans the Colorado River.

I spent several mornings walking down to the bridge from the condo. 

One of the pictures from my morning walks. Gorgeous!

Click the links below for the motorcycle portion of our "Havasu Holiday":  

Laughlin River Run

Hoover Dam

Parker Dam

A view from the road

Hoover Dam

The Hoover Dam is an engineering wonder.  What a thrill to ride a motorcycle across the dam!  There is currently a bridge bypass being built across the dam which will eliminate the traffic congestion.. There was quite the wait to get across the dam.  I took several pictures from the bike as we were crossing the dam.  It was truly amazing!

After picking Rosie up at the Las Vegas airport, we decided to stay in a cheap - $29.99 hotel / casino for the night so we didn't have to ride the bikes back to Havasu that night. (See Havasu Holiday post)  The next day we took the Hwy 93 back to Havasu... partially so we could go across the dam again and partially b/c we didn't want to drive through California (helmet laws).  This time, we spent some time walking around on the dam.

Lake Mead in the background

A view from the top

Gorgeous!

Hoover Dam ByPass being built

Bronze sculpture

Colorado River

Dam overflow - this tunnel goes through the mountain!

Um.. I'm not even tempted to get on that wall!  We did spit over the ledge though.  Hehe

Troy's grandpa helped to engineer the Hoover Dam.  So, it was a special experience for him!

Here is some neat construction history of the dam.

And on the way home... we ate lunch at Mad Dog's which is located on the Historic Route 66 aka "The Mother Road".

Laughlin River Run

For part of our spring vacation this year, we brought our bikes to Laughlin for the motorcycle River Run.  It was a sunny ride up from Lake Havasu City.  The road along the banks of the Colorado river provided a wonderful route with scenic views along the way.  Once we got to Laughlin, it was time to relax, do a little shopping, and soak in the sun!

On the way to Laughlin, we stopped at the Topock Marina. I'm thinking we need to recruit a few more bikers for the next time we come and have an official Topock poster made with our "biker gang".  Any takers?

Before crossing the Colorado river into Laughlin, NV you could see bikers stopping along the side of the road to put their lids on their heads.. yep, you have to pay attention to those helmet laws.

Some of the fabulous bikes on display...

This pirate bike will be given away on an upcoming biker cruise..

Who is up for a cruise?

An amazing work of art!

Notice the suicide shifter

I love the eagle claw on this one!

Enjoying the sun set!