When you spend a lot of time on a certain area of the Colorado River it's easy to lose sight of the fact that there are literally dozens of spots along the River that have their own following of faithful boaters who enjoy that particular brand of aquatic fun. As for myself, I spend a lot of my time at Lake Pleasant just outside of Peoria, AZ, a northern suburb of Phoenix. It's the most convenient lake to my home in Prescott and while I enjoy just about any body of water, the lake just doesn't hold the same allure as the Parker Strip does for me. While Parker represents all that is right with the river lifestyle, I'm realizing that it's not the only game in town when it comes to river boating. The "Lower River Invasion... Part 2" thread and the Junkies themselves have opened my eyes to other alternatives for shallow water shenanigans and as such I was pumped when I got the call from Brian at B&D Marine Performance to take a trip up to Park Moabi, just north of Topock, to meet up with some Inmates who frequent the area.
Brian picked me up at RDP at around 12:30 Saturday afternoon. It would have been earlier but, a run in with Shintooo, his better half, and Hammer the night before left everyone stuck in neutral the next morning. Anywhoo... After a quick trip through the Channel it was off to the gorge!
The trip up to the Devil's Elbow is always a good time but, in the B&D 28 Daytona it's a much shorter trip. Cornering in a cat at 110 mph is a must-do thrill ride to be sure! Once you hit the Gorge, however things slow right back down to river pace...
The Gorge is easily my favorite area of Lake Havasu. There are sand beaches everywhere and the scenery leaves you speechless everywhere you look. It's what boating should be... relaxed and beautiful.
Once we passed the Gorge we ran up river to Jack Smith Park just below Needles to meet up with Brian's son Dane and his crew. What strikes me about this part of the river, and what I like the most, is that it takes the River back in time about 30 years when there weren't big baller boats and million dollar mansions up and down the River. It's still a place where you can take the family, set up camp on the beach and run your river cruiser or flatty up and down the Colorado all day with kids in tow. It's Parker before Parker was closed if you know what I mean...
After chatting with Dane and friends we headed back down to Pirate Cove resort at Park Moabi. Pirate Cove, for those of you who haven't been, is a beach resort on the California side of the River just up from Topock. It has all the feel of the old Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney Land, complete with zip lines and nice looking waitresses to keep your cocktails full.
At Pirate's we ran into Enen and friends along with the infamous Eli. Enen docked his beautiful Schiada with absolutely no mishaps... and we all partook in some refreshments at the bar. Good times with some great Inmates!
Once the drinks hit bottom it was time to cruise up river a bit and meet up with STV Keith, TJ, and Woody for a cocktail or two. These guys had the setup... RVs, Toon on the beach with a big sound system, stand up skis, side by sides, and a bunch of dogs roaming around the camp looking for attention. Simple river fun!
All too soon the sun was beginning to set and it was time to cruise back to Havasu. As we made our way through the Gorge I looked back on the day. The Moabi area is really nothing like Parker. No big houses, no Road Runner, no Fox's, no Badenoch's, and no giant RV parks. It's simpler than that. This stretch of river is about being at the river for the sake of the river. It's not so much about the happy hours and prime rib specials, it's about being on the water with family and friends... It's river 1.0 and I like it!
See you on the water!
