Question for the Californians

[Squirtcha?]

I'm curious about something. I see where lots of you make an almost weekly sojourn to the river. What's the drive time from LA or San Diego to the Parker Strip or Laughlin? I'm thinking it's about the same as it is for us (3-4 hours depending on where you're going)?
We hit our local lakes almost every weekend, but that's only a half hour to an hour away in most cases. As much as I enjoy the river, it's usually only a two or three trip per year deal for me.
I'd have to take a second job just to pay for the gas if I did the river every weekend or even just every other.

[77charger]

the drive can vary from 3-5 hrs from here in fullerton 3hrs no traffic not towing.4-5 towing depending on traffic.I am lucky if i can go once a month depepnding on time and money.I will normally take 1 weekned a month to go boating but will go to powell,havasu,blythe,or nacimento
(nor cal).For day trips i need to drive at least 45 minutes.

[littleC]

That really must suck going to local lakes!!! I try to go to Blythe every weekend. It is about 2 1/2 hours for me not towing, but if I do tow the time isn't much different. My roomate has a place in Needles and it takes about 3 hours. If you have never been to Blythe you should give it a try. I stay at a park called Mayflower Park. Very few people go and we have a sandbar that everybody goes to and hangs out. People are cool and if you like to ski the water is almost always glass.

[littleC]

77charger
where do you stay at in Blythe?

[Squirtcha?]

Where is Laverne?
Parker is about 2 1/2 hours and less than half a tank of gas. I find Parker to be way too rough on the weekends though. Havasu is about 3 hours and just a tick over a half tank. About the only place you can run there is in speed alley, the rest of it's way too rough for me. Haven't been to Blythe yet (emphais on yet!), but I'm gonna make it before summer is over. I guess that's about 3 hours too, but it's all highway and few hills, so not too bad. I've gone down below the spillway to Big River once and enjoyed that. Went to Lost Lake once too and it was o.k. but the water level was pretty low. Really had to read the river and watch the banks to see what side they'd dredged on, or risk running up on a gravel bar. Don't get me wrong, I like the bars as much as everyone else, but prefer the ones that serve drinks.

[JetBoatRich]

I hit the local lakes when ever possible, kids and time don't always allow us to get away every weekend or month for the 9 hour round trip drive. frown

[JetBoatRich]

My brother-in-law lives in Blythe, I guess we should go visit him more. Sound like a hidden place, I have never taken the boat there.

[77charger]

littleC:
77charger
where do you stay at in Blythe? between twin palms and paradise point.

[littleC]

Blythe has sand bars no rock bars. You have to read the water there also. We have a lot of fast boats and cool people. E-mail me if you plan on coming up.
LaVerne is where Rex-Marine is located. I am about 4 blocks away which can really suck because I am always over there spending money!!!!

[littleC]

Blythe has sand bars no rock bars. You have to read the water there also. We have a lot of fast boats and cool people. E-mail me if you plan on coming up.
LaVerne is where Rex-Marine is located. I am about 4 blocks away which can really suck because I am always over there spending money!!!!

[littleC]

Mayflower park up by the dam

[Jimmy Jam Jam Jim]

Little C damn that must be somtin going up der to bythe every weekend. Those people are all rich out there. A fun weekend for me is a case of keystone a doboy pool some copenhagen and a g-string.

[HM]

The Parker Strip is about 4 hours. Needles is about 5 hours.
I hit Elsinore and Canyon Lake almost weekly (15 minutes and 2 minutes respectively). As much as Smells-Like-Hell-Senior is hated, I like it quite a bit - and I have just gotten used to the year 'round ear ache and funny rashes. wink Canyon Lake I am limited to using the family Mastercrap and have to deal with the rule nazi's on the main lake, and the ski nazi's on the back bay.

[Squirtcha?]

Thanks for the insight on what it's like to boat from the other side of the river.
That's pretty funny stuff about Elsinore Holy Moly. What's up with that lake anyway? Is there a reason it is the way it is? I think I've seen some of the pictures. Isn't that the pea soup colored one?
LittleC, I'll definitely shoot you an email when I make the Blythe run. Hopefully we can catch you and your group over there in the next month or so. It'd be nice to have someone show me what not to run into. I'm gonna go for sure, before it starts getting cool.
MikeC from RealJetBoats went to Blythe last weekend and said Mcintyre Park had mosquitoes real bad. It didn't make sense to me as they usually like standing water and I couldn't figure out where there'd be any standing water in that area. I think he's going again this weekend, so it couldn't have been too bad.

[beached 1]

The Skeeters can get real bad sometimes out there from the farms. I'm not real sure what it is that they plant (Rice maybe?) but some fields are completely floded for 100's of acres. This can make it pretty bad. Only at night do I notice it. Bring a good Cigar for the evenings.
I have a trailer @ Mayflower. It's cool. Water is real shallow so it keeps the big boats away. About 150 mi from Phoenix

[wrightnow]

I travel from long beach to Big river every other week, about 31/2 hour drive. I keep the boat out there most of the time so no towing which helps with the drive. The drive does sucks but I enjoy the river more..
Mark

[MAXIMUS]

HolyMoly:
The Parker Strip is about 4 hours. Needles is about 5 hours.
I hit Elsinore and Canyon Lake almost weekly (15 minutes and 2 minutes respectively). As much as Smells-Like-Hell-Senior is hated, I like it quite a bit - and I have just gotten used to the year 'round ear ache and funny rashes. wink Canyon Lake I am limited to using the family Mastercrap and have to deal with the rule nazi's on the main lake, and the ski nazi's on the back bay. I grew up on Canyon Lake in the late 70's through 2000. You are right they are a bunch of scared nazis. After the freedom at the river that place blows... I am no longer a Canyon Lake playa... :cool:

[Taylorman]

That sucks big time. 1/2 from my doorstep to the launch ramp for me. I would not own a boat if I had to drive 3 hrs to water.

[Squirtcha?]

It's not so much that we have to drive that far to water. I've got a lake a half hour from my house too. It's just that the best (calmest) water is a bit of a drive. We've discovered the trick on the local lakes though...........don't go on the weekends. It's flat water just about any weekday night or even during the day for that matter.
You'd have to experience the river in order to fully comprehend why everybody likes it so much (and why it's worth a 3-4 hour drive). It aint nothin but hotrod boats and flat water (except for Parker Strip).
[ August 29, 2003, 03:27 PM: Message edited by: Squirtcha? ]

[MarKist]

YEAH.........what Taylorman said!!!!!! :D :D :D

[Mohavekid]

I grew up in So Cal going to the Colorado river and Lake Mohave every other weekend or so.
There is nothing else like it. :D
I now live up un Northern California with rivers and lakes all around. It's 5 minutes to the ramp on the Feather river and less than an hour to a bunch of other lakes, Oroville, Folsom, Englebright, Sly Creek, Little Grass Valley, Rollins, Collins, Thermalito Afterbay, Berryessa and a bunch more.
I've tried them all, and nothing compares to the desert lakes and the Colorado river. The austere beauty, the contrast between the desert and water and the fact that most of the boats are high performance customs makes it one of a kind and worth the drive for me.
The vast majority of the boats I see around here are fishing boats or a Bayliner type of thing. Yuk!!
[ August 29, 2003, 06:49 PM: Message edited by: Mohavekid ]

[Taylorman]

Yeh, gotta say it would be awesome going to a place that had lots of high perf. boats like i have. There is usually 3-5 of us in jets where we go.