You have to Go To the Desert Bar

When talking to people in Lake Havasu City, they all said the same thing, "You have to drive out and see the Desert Bar!" With only three days left in Havasu, we thought it was time to take the drive. Off we drove toward Parker, Arizona about 30 miles away. Taking a left turn onto a gravel road, Rick commented that we would not be the only ones checking out the spot. After a five mile drive over rock and dust, we found out that statement was true! The parking lot was full of cars with license plates of all states!

The Nellie E. Saloon (Desert Bar) is in the Buckskin Mts. and use to be an old mining camp. Ken, bought the land in 1975 which included a liquor license. He opened the bar, and hauled water in with an old fire truck. In 1997, he drilled a well. The saloon started out as a little lemonade stand look. After five years, he started adding buildings, or shelters.

A bridge was built to take you over a crevice and get to the bar and sitting area. Then, a church front was added for special weddings, pictures, and events. There are no pews and it is too small to put a chair in, but is an interesting look sticking up in the desert. Ken built a home to live in and does not venture out often. We met him amongst the 400 people or more that were there. 

The Desert Bar is only open on Saturdays and Sundays and closes in the HOT summer months. We found the sign in the parking lot amusing, stating that there is no beer drinking in the parking lot, as there were people sitting every where in the outdoor setting considered to be buildings. There is always some form of music entertainment. We could understand the draw to spend your lazy day in the sun having a beer and listening to the 60's and 70's tunes.

Kathi spent 20 minutes in the hamburger line, while Rick spent his time in another line for french fries. The sign states in no uncertain terms, "No Cheese!" We had been warned that the hamburgers were well done, but I found them quite tasty! The french fries on the other hand............ After spending an hour eating, looking, buying a t-shirt, and listening to the music, we headed back out to find another spot for Rick to try his metal detector.