Arizona has its own piece of London. Located in Lake Havasu City is the London Bridge.

The bridge formerly spanned the River Thames in London, England until it was dismantledi n 1967.

The Arizona bridge, as it stands now, is a reinforced concrete structure clad in the original masonry of the 1830s bridge, which was brought by Robert P. McCulloch from London. McCulloch had exterior granite blocks from the original bridge numbered and transported to America to construct the present bridge in Lake Havasu City. The bridge was completed in 1971 and links an island in the Colorado River with the main part of Lake Havasu City.

The bridge’s relocation was the basis of a 1985 made-for-television movie Bridge Across Time, also known as Arizona Ripper or Terror at London Bridge. In the film, a series of murders in Lake Havasu is attributed to the spirit of Jack the Ripper, whose soul is transported to the united States in one of the stones of the bridge.

So, the next time you’re yearning for a trip to London (but can’t exactly afford the great vacation), maybe plan a trip to Lake Havasu City instead. Then you can pretend you’ve escaped to the prestigious city while remaining right in  the desert oasis that is Arizona.

Photo courtesy of meteorcrater.com

With rumors going around about the possibility of traveling to Mars, people are now more than ever excited about taking a vacation from earth. The meteor crater in Winslow, AZ offers just that.

Winslow’s Meteor Crater is the world’s best-preserved meteorite impact site. This crater is the result of a collision between a piece of an asteroid travelling at 26,000 miles per hour and Earth approximately 50,00 years ago.

The crater is nearly one mile across, 2.4 miles in circumference and more than 550 feet deep.

The crater came to the attention of scientists following its discovery by European settlers in the 19^th century. It’s been dubbed the Canyon Diablo Crater.

There are outdoor observation trails, air-conditioned indoor viewing, a wide screen movie theater and an interactive discovery center at the modern Visitor Center located on the crater rim.

It is said that, in the ‘60s, astronauts used this crater to prepare for the moon landing. So, those wishing to venture to Mars might follow in our famed astronauts’ footsteps (from afar, at least. Leave the true traversing of the crater to your dreams).

Learn more about Winslow’s Meteor Crater by visiting their fun website here.