Parker is a great base for snowbirds exploring the Sonoran Desert region
The arid climate of the Sonoran Desert produces a warm winter, allowing for a wonderful variety of activities throughout the winter months.
The majority of people driving through Parker, Arizona, stop for gas or to shop at the local Walmart or Safeway. Parker is just on the way to other places, such as Quartzsite or Yuma in the south or Lake Havasu City in the north.
If you were to explore the area you would, however, discover Parker has a great deal to offer snowbirds. The town has a population of only 3,500. It was founded in 1908 and was named after the first Native American Commissioner of Indian Affairs, General Ely Parker. So what does Parker offer to snowbirds?
Earp, California
Highway 62 West from Parker will take you to Palm Springs or across the Mojave Desert. As you leave Parker, crossing the bridge into California, the highway passes through Earp, California. The town is named after Wyatt Earp, famous for the gunfight at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona. The major building in Earp is the U.S. Post Office. There is even a fake grave of Wyatt Earp in front of the post office. Wyatt Earp and Josephine Sarah Marcus spent their summers in this area, laying copper/gold claims in the Whipple Mountains from 1925 to 1928. The Earps really lived near Vidal Junction, 16 miles (30 km) from Earp.
The Parker Strip
The 16 miles of the Colorado River from Parker to the Parker Dam is called the Parker Strip. Highway 95 from Parker to Lake Havasu City follows the strip and Lake Havasu. The drive is lined with red rock canyons, rocky mountains and the beauty of the Colorado River. From Parker to Lake Havasu, a distance of only 42 miles (60 km), there are 23 RV park resorts, three state parks, the Parker Dam, Emerald Canyon Golf Course, tourist resorts, stores, service stations and the Bill Williams River Wildlife Refuge and Visitor Center.
The Desert Bar or Nellie E. Saloon
In 1983, Ken Coughlin purchased an old copper/gold mine in the Buckskin Mountains. The mine is located five miles north of Parker and another five miles deep into the mountains. Coughlin’s dream was to build a bar in this remote area. During the winter months on weekends, the Desert Bar is open to the general public and patrons come by the hundreds. Arriving by car, ATV or helicopter, they flock to the bar to eat plain hamburgers, drink beer, listen to music and be amazed at how Coughlin built the bar out of scrap metals, wooden beams and anything he could salvage from the mine. If you feel the need, there is even a tiny church for those who may have skipped Sunday.
Parker Dam
In order to produce enough electricity and water for the west coast of California, the U.S. government built a series of dams on the Colorado River. The Parker Dam straddles the Arizona and California border and creates a reservoir of water called Lake Havasu. Water is pumped over the mountains to the west coast. The dam is 320 feet high and 235 feet deep, making it the deepest dam in the world. The dam is approximately 16 miles (30 km) north of Parker, just off Highway 95.
Blue Water Resort and Casino
The word havasu is an Indian word meaning blue water. Parker evolved to serve the Mojave Indians, but their casino now serves Parker and area. Blue Water is far more than a casino and restaurant. The resort facilities include a marina, amphitheater, hotel, arcade, movie theatre, miniature golf, concert venue, waterslide and RV park. The resort offers a wide range of concerts from Beatles tribute bands to Willie Nelson and classic car shows. In the summer months, the Colorado River offers a variety of powerboat races as well as the Great Western Tube Float.
An RVers paradise
The 42 miles from Parker to Lake Havasu City along the Colorado River is an RVers paradise. Lake Havasu City provides excellent shopping, many restaurants, an interesting museum, a weekly flea market, good golf courses, live theatre, cinemas, RV dealers, winter festivals and of course, the real London Bridge.
For snowbirds, the arid climate of the Sonoran Desert produces a warm winter allowing for a wonderful variety of activities throughout the winter months.
