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<br /> o~ CRWUA
<br /> tower commands views of sun. And that's exactly left Scotty did get to go Dam, just one mile north
<br /> the river, the canyon, the what they had planned for fishin'. of the town of Parker,
<br />.. Painted Desert and neigh- Boulder Beach just west of Arizona.
<br /> boring Kaibab National Hoover Dam on Lake Mead. LAKE HA V ASU AND The Johnsons had decid-
<br /> Forest. Telescopes extend These jeweled bodies of THE PARKER STRIP ed to spend their time on
<br /> the view far into the Navajo water sparkle in contrast to "London Bridge is falling this part of the Colorado
<br /> Indian Reservation. Evenings the parched desert that sur- down, falling down, falling along the river, rather than
<br /> they would take advantage rounds them. Tanned and down. London Bridge is at the lake. Recreational
<br /> of the campfire talks. The muscled water-skiers churn falling down, my fair lady." possibilities were just
<br /> only things they'd really be blue waves into white As the miles rolled by, the about the same: jet skiing,
<br /> missing would be the river wakes. Bright sails billow words got louder and louder. boating, water skiing, fish-
<br /> rafting and backpacking as sailors catch shifting One more time and the ing and desert exploring.
<br /> and back country camping breezes and pilot the plenti- other three Johnsons were Vacation resorts grace the
<br /> opportunities and the ful waters. Both lakes often going to explode. In desper- shores of both, public and
<br /> strenuous "hikes" reCOffi- appear as empty as the ation, Heather blurted, private campgrounds,
<br /> mended only for "hardy" desert. Sailboats, fishing "Scotty, did you know they restaurants, stores, homes
<br /> individuals down to the boats, ski boats and house- fish in Lake Havasu?" do the same. But the strip
<br /> floor of the carlyon -and boats all share the lakes' Silence. Until it was broken seemed to offer an extra
<br /> back. And, of course, with 274 square miles and any by, "Dad, can we, huh? excitement. And excite-
<br /> it being 214 miles from one of them often has no Huh? Huh? Can we, huh?" ment was what they need-
<br /> Grand Canyon Village, clue any of the others are "Sure, Scotty, sure. We'll get ed jnst before heading
<br /> there was no way they were even there. For the best in one last fishing day." home.
<br /> going to get to see the North sightseeing, boatingis often Scotty's face beamed. And Dawn breaks and the
<br /> Rim, which is less visited the only way to go. Boaters the talk for the.rest of the river is calm. The shore-
<br /> and not as extensively devel- find that they can see and way to the lake was "fishin'.." lines slowly come alive.
<br /> oped, but with equal beauty. reach many scenic areas Fact was that one of the Bronzed fun-seekers carry-
<br /> By the end of the next that are inaccessible to road reasons they wanted to ing water skis or inner
<br /> few days, it'd been fun, but vehicles. Boats can easily include Lake Havasu and tubes and shirt-sleeved
<br /> Scotty was ready to go. make their way up the nar- the Parker Strip on their anglers, heads covered to
<br /> There hadn't been any row, steep-walled gorge of itinerary was to see London ward off the blistering sun,
<br /> fishin'. 1ceberg Canyon in Lake Bridge. The bridge had carrying fishing gear, seem o'
<br />" Mead or up the equally . been brought to Lake to appear out of nowhere.
<br /> LAKE MEAD NAT'L spectacular Black Canyon Havasu City from London Ignition switches on, boat
<br /> RECREATION AREA in Lake Mohave, which more than 20 years ago. It engines catch, and sOon
<br /> Lake Mead National . retains much of the chanic- had. been dismantled, stone the rumble of many fills
<br /> Recreation Area is twice ter of the Colorado. Many by stone, transported from the air. Instantly the calm
<br /> the size of Rhode Island. secluded coves with their England to America and waters are'split by racing
<br /> It stretches west and then own sandy beaches can be then reassembled, stone by boats and weaving skiers.
<br /> south along the Colorado reached'Only by boat. stone. There was a./ot of . . Lively arid exciting, .
<br /> from the western outskirts The J ohnsons had had six history sitting therein the . casual and carefree, with.
<br /> of Grand Canyon NatioRaI major recreational centers' Arizona. desert. An English tM evenings as inn-filled
<br /> Park to the southernmost on Lake Mead from which ' Village and restaurants, as the days, the Johnsons
<br /> tip of 67 -mile-long Lake to pick: Temple Bar, Overton shops and boutiques sur- loved it.Jim loved it.
<br /> Mohave, with 1l0'mile- Beach, Echo Bay, Callville round the bridge today. . Becky loved it. Heather
<br /> long Lake Mead covering' Bay, Las Vegas Wash and, The strip. loved it. And Scotty, he
<br /> most of the area in between. finally, Boulder Beach. To thousands of glamour' got to go fishin'.
<br /> The latter is the biggest sin- They selected the latter for seekers, that means Las Jim was packing up
<br /> gle magnet pulling people a number of reasons: the Vegas and its multitude of for the return trip to
<br /> into the Colorado River concessioners there offered glittering lights. To Sacramento, only 50 feet
<br /> recreation system, with as much as anywhere; it was Southern Californians, it or so from the river, when
<br /> some million visitors close to 726-foot-tall Hoover means a section of Sunset he heard "Dad! Come
<br /> every year. The two huge Dam which the entire family Boulevard, a once famous quick, Dad!" He turned
<br /> lakes in'this national recre- had agreed they'd like to see movie colony haunt turned and there stood his young
<br /> ation area cater to boaters, (Scotty was particularly renowned hippie hangout, son, small, arcing fishing
<br /> swimmers, sunbathers and excited about the prospect an area still trying to recov- rod held high above his
<br /> fishermen, while its desert of going down to the bottom er its former status. But to head, standing knee deep
<br /> rewards hikers, wildlife of that" 'normous tiring" in the vacationer, the out- in the waters of the
<br /> photographers and road- an elevator); and Las Vegas doorsman, the avid sports- Colorado.
<br /> side sightseers. It was the was only 45 minutes away. man, it means that 17-mile
<br /> sunbather part that appealed So for some five days, stretch of the Colorado ~
<br /> to the Johnson women. On Lake Mead constituted the winding south from Lake
<br /> this entire trip they had had Johnson family's beach Havasu between Parker
<br /> practically no time to just break. Oh yes, before they Dam and Headgate Rock
<br /> lie on a beach and soak up
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