As we were driving through Southern California on the way to Arizona (and further east) in early June, the Big Guy decided he wanted to pause and look at the Colorado River. This vital waterway, originating in Rocky Mountain National Park, winds through the desert south of Lake Mead and marks the state line between California and Arizona. We have crossed it several times now along Interstate 40, always without stopping. This time would be different, and the Big Guy rather randomly chose Needles, California, as the place we should stop. I was really hoping to get a good look at the Old Trails Bridge, but that was further south, at Topok. The trouble was, neither of us had done our homework, and going on impulse while putting all your trust in Google doesn’t always work so well when you’re traveling down the highway at 65 miles an hour.

We did get to see the river — or at least a small section of it. But it wasn’t a terribly inspiring view, and the weather (at 11:30 AM) was near the 100º F/37° C mark, so we stayed only long enough to shoot a few quick pictures and then retreated to the air-conditioned car. Maybe we’ll do a bit better next time.

At the Needles Marina Resort, a work in progress