Porter's Party Place, Lake Havasu City, Arizona

Our friends, Paul and Sue Porter, spent the summer in hot, hot, hot (120+F or 50C) Lake Havasu City (LHC) building a house. They are "full-timers" (live 12 months/year in an RV traveling) now coming off the road for a few months of the year to enjoy boating, a beautiful home and to offer their friends full RV hookups in their massive yard. As we leave St. George, Utah with snow predicted, we expect to spend 2 or 3 days with the Porters on our way to warmer southern Arizona. Then they invite us for Christmas, and we end up staying just over 2 weeks!

Porters' Party Place

Sue taking the first plunge! The pool has just been filled and Sue is anxious to test it out; after all, she had designed this pool to her own specifications - the baja shelf, the swim-up bar and the hot tub. She is in and out pretty quickly on this maiden swim. I think the water temperature is barely 70F and the air maybe 60F!

Our rig outside the Porters' house in Lake Havasu City There are two full RV hookups on this side of the house, and when we first arrive we are at the front of the house because Paul and Sue's rig is hogging precious Site #1. Well, okay, it IS their house!

In coveted Site #1 After the first week, Paul has time to move their rig and we move into the back, with a beautiful view of the pool and Christmas lights. This is not the full Christmas moon, but just a couple of days before; still big and bright!

Iron Door Mine Hike

Overlooking LHC.  Mountains across the valley are in California During our first week, we feel the need to stretch our legs. While the Porters are busy with sub-contractors and finishing jobs on the house, Brad and I explore one of the trails in the mountains above Lake Havasu City, the Iron Door Mine. A 4-mile hike up a road too rough for us to drive leads to an old mine that can be entered due to its solid rock walls and ceiling. No interesting pictures of that, but here's a view of the city and Lake Havasu which is a dammed section of the Colorado River.

Good thing you carry a spare! As we make our way down the foot path from the mine to the 4x4 road, we meet a young man and his friendly dog Eva. He offers to give us a ride back down to our truck (2 miles away) in his "rock crawler", a jacked-up Toyota 4Runner. He's driven these roads all his life, having grown up here in LHC, and it's apparent by the speed he drives. Suddenly BAM! His front tire hits a large rock (and there are MANY on the road), but does he stop? Nope, he picks up speed. Have to get to flat ground closer to the paved road before the tire goes completely flat! Scariest ride of my life - so far. I'm not sure if I'm hanging on to the dog for my sake or hers. But we make it back safely to the top of the 20-foot dryfall, and he's quick to change the flat like this has happened before (it has). Always an exciting adventure.

London Bridge Lights

London Bridge in Lake Havasu City On a calmer excursion, Brad and I walk along the channel to the London Bridge to see the Christmas lights. I have photographed the London Bridge for previous blogs (Feb 2015 and Feb 2014), but these are the first at night and with decorations. It is a beautiful night, and many people are out.

Three sailboats with their masts fully lit.

The Resort and shops lit up like a roman candle. I don't think I've ever seen that many lights on a building before.

Christmas with Friends

Nancy, Dave, Julie, Mike, Sue, Paul, Dozer, me and Brad I must admit, I do miss being with my family at Christmas. Usually, we are in California with my uncle, but sadly he passed away this past year. So we find ourselves with no plans when Sue suggests we stay for Christmas with them and 2 other couples whom we know from our RV gatherings (almost) annually in Quartzsite. What better way to spend the holidays. I will need several weeks to recuperate from the constant eating and laughing.

Could Christmas Eve get any better than this? The group of us (minus photographer Sue) in the hot tub on Christmas Eve: me (front and centre), Dave, Nancy, Brad, Paul, Mike and Julie. The day was actually warm and winds calm enough so, with the pool heated to about 80F, the swim preceding the hot tubbing is extremely comfortable.

Finally, with some persuasion, the guitars come out. Dave and Mike put on a fabulous concert for us after Christmas dinner.

They do not practice beforehand. Dave plays a melody and Mike follows with the chords. The result is we are witnessing a creation. Such talent.

What?!! Sue plays the guitar too? Who knew? Well, she says she hasn't played in many years, but it sounds great to us.

And Brad too? Is there anyone here who doesn't play the guitar? Oh, right - the rest of us. We have such a great time with this group, and look forward to seeing them again in a couple of weeks at the annual gathering in Quartzsite. Thank you, Porters, for the Christmas invitation and hospitality.

Around St. George, Utah

Snow Canyon State Park

A few minutes outside of St. George in southwestern Utah, we spend a couple of days hiking in Snow Canyon State Park, named after Mr. Snow, not the wintery white stuff. Typical of southern Utah, the area is adorned in red sandstone layered with minerals giving these petrified dunes their colour and texture.

A very recent volcanic lava flow from about 25,000 years ago gives this park a unique look. Here the exposed ripples glimmer in the sun.

The park has a few lava tubes which are big enough to enter although we can't get far inside them before collapsed boulders block the path. Brad is in the sunshine, to the left of the mouth of the tube cave.

Zion National Park

The reward for hiking the Taylor Creek Trail: Double Arch Alcove. Really, the bottom alcove is more of a ledge with a cave under it, but these two formations together are a sight to behold. We are freezing cold during this hike in Kolob Canyon, the northern-most part of Zion National Park at about 5,000 feet of elevation. There is quite a layer of snow and some ice along the trail, and since the sun only briefly peaks into this canyon, the rocks remain ice cold. I am wearing four layers and gloves.

On the Watchman Trail which starts at the Visitor Center in Zion Canyon near the park's main entrance. This cactus is possibly a pancake or beavertail cactus, similar to a Prickly Pear only much bigger.

At the top of the Watchman Trail which climbs about 370 feet to an overlook of not only the formation known as the Watchman (not pictured), but here looking up Zion Canyon towards the Towers of the Virgin.

Ghost Town of Grafton

Just outside of Zion National Park is the ghost town of Grafton. Its remaining buildings are being restored by a heritage society. It is somewhat famous because part of this abandoned settlement was used during the filming of the bicycle scene in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Raindrops keep falling on my head ...

I'd have to watch the movie again, but this building looks familiar and might be the one used in the movie where Butch, the Kid and the teacher hide out.

Smithsonian Butte Scenic Backway

A crazy, jagged ridge along the Smithsonian Butte Scenic Backway road which travels from Highway 59 to the town of Rockville, just a couple of miles from the entrance to Zion National Park.

Almost at the end of the road, heading towards the ghost town of Grafton and Zion National Park.

Water Canyon

We find the off-the-beaten-track hike of Water Canyon behind the polygamous Mormon community of Hildale, which was ravaged in September of this year by a flash flood that killed 13 people. The hike is fairly difficult and we have to scramble over and around many boulders while continuously climbing up the canyon until we finally reach this beautiful little grotto. We wonder if the September flood changed the course of the hiking trail as we were unprepared for the exhausting climb. This waterfall (near the centre of the photo) is actually easy to climb up (I'm wearing a red sweater), the depth of the water being only a couple of inches deep.

A hidden alcove reached by walking through a crack in the rock. Brad is looking at what would be a waterfall during floods.

Once atop the waterfall, a ledge never much wider than the one pictured here allows us to climb above the canyon to almost the top of the canyon walls. The views of the canyon below are gorgeous.

Looking down above a slot in the canyon, which is full of water. We see ropes and climbing gear in the rocks on the opposite wall, so climbers must come here to rappel into the canyon. Overall, it's a beautiful hike surprising us with its views and serenity. A hike not to be missed if you are in the area.