Our first visit to Lake Havasu was not the typical desert heat days jumping from boat to water just to stay cool. It also was not the typical traffic and summer crowds and parties. But what it was – a winter wonderland.
My wife Lourdes and I took a last-minute vacation to the London Bridge Resort the week before Christmas. If you have not visited during this time of year, then you are missing out on some great magic. The resort hosts 12-Days of Christmas and Annual Festival of Lights which is filled with couples and families celebrating the holidays together. We arrived on a Wednesday evening and were greeted by the most friendly and attentive staff. It is a breath of fresh air in modern times to have staff that sincerely take the time to welcome you to their establishment and make sure you are all set up for your vacation.
We checked into our room on the third floor with a beautiful view of the bridge from our balcony and the seasonal ice-skating room below.
After our long drive from Los Angeles we went downstairs to the Martini Bay Bar and Grill to relax and have a drink and dinner. We got our drinks from the bar and then asked to be seated outside on the patio.
It was a beautiful late afternoon, and while it was raining back home in LA, we had the benefit of the desert winter weather in Lake Havasu which was a nice 72 degrees. It was currently happy hour at Martini Bay, and they had a wonderful selection of appetizers on the menu. We ordered the Spinach Artichoke Dip, Bruschetta Dip, and Firecracker Shrimp which were all delicious. We enjoyed them looking out at the sunset over the desert lake.
After enjoying the ambiance of the desert evening and the fireplace in the distance we ordered a fabulous dinner and then set out on a stroll to the boardwalk along the water that is connected by the famous London Bridge. This is THE Bridge from the popular children’s song “London Bridge is Falling Down”. Well, it didn’t fall down, It was rebuilt right here in front of the London Bridge Resort. What a perfect location!
The next day we spent wandering around Lake Havasu City and enjoying our time with a lot of locals. We had coffee on site at the resort coffee shop and then into the city where we shopped and walked on main street. Thursdays the street is lined with vintage cars as collectors come out and show off their cars and cruise main street. We had a delightful lunch at a local restaurant named Juicy’s. After a full day site seeing we headed back to the hotel to freshen up and then over the bridge to the Island where we had made reservations to eat at our local favorite, Shugrue’s. We started off at the bar and once again it was great being with all the locals – we were the only tourists at the bar 🙂 We shared a nice steak dinner and headed out for a walk along the shore and shops to let dinner settle.
A short walk down the boardwalk and we were in the English Village and enjoyed shopping for souvenirs in the shops. Taking the path back up past our hotel we arrived at the other side of the pool and club of our resort. There they set up Christmas themed drinks, firepits, games for the kids, and even Mrs. Claus and the Grinch were walking around greeting everyone. Take the walkway or take your boat on a night cruise through the Bridgewater Channel as over 500,000 lights set the water aglow.
We decided to each try one of their holiday drinks – they had hot coca for the kids and themed adult drinks for the festivities. My wife asked the bartender for a suggestion and was given a hot chocolate with Malibu Rum. I mentioned this because I was jealous! It ended up being the best holiday drink. We sat for a while at one of the firepits, enjoyed our drinks, and took in the fun. Not too far away was the pool club and they were having a bingo night, and it was packed with people laughing and having fun.
Eventually it was time to go up to our room and wind down. Our third-floor room opened to a kitchenette with 2 bedrooms and baths. The balcony overlooked the bridge, but just to the left of the balcony was a little room consisting of a spiral staircase up to a private roof top deck.
I cannot express how wonderful it was to be up there in the cool winter air relaxing and enjoying some incredible views. You can see here the view of London Bridge from our rooftop.
The private deck is set up with a table, chairs, and 2 loungers (this is the only time I thought “We have to come back in the summer”).
12 Days of Christmas Celebration
Directly down a short set of stairs from the outside dining deck was all decked out with lights for the holidays. There was a line forming for pictures with Santa Claus and we walked past all the excitement filled children – there is nothing better than that and the lights to get you in the holiday spirit.
The 12-Days of Christmas Celebration is a free event, including letters to Santa, stories with Mrs. Claus and visiting Santa Claus.
It is a great time for kids young and old.
12-Days of Christmas Celebration is between 5pm-8pm Wed, Thurs, and Fri until Christmas.
Call the London Bridge Resort at 928-855-0888 or activities@londonbridgeresort.com and come create fun memories with the kids this and every Christmas Season!
Our Last Day at the Resort
We had to get back to the rest of our family in Los Angeles for Christmas – we just snuck away for some much needed fun. We had a morning tee-time next door at Bridgewater Links, an executive 9-hole course. The weather was reporting rain, but everyone told us to ignore it because this time of the year it usually comes later in the afternoon. Everyone was right! It was sunny and we had the best time, although my wife almost beat me on the course!
I highly recommend anyone wanting to get away from the business of the holidays, whether it is just the 2 of you or the whole family, to come and visit the London Bridge Resort during their 12 days of Christmas Event. The only thing we did not get to do was ice skating. It was opening for the weekend on the night we had to leave. Visit the 12 Days of Christmas and the Festival of Lights every Christmas season. You will be filled with joy and will not regret one thing about your stay. You can do as little or as much as you want.
London Bridge Resort
1477 Queens Bay, Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403
(928) 855-0888
