A quick getaway to the London Bridge, in Lake Havasu City

Many grown-ups fondly remember their beer-infused visits to Lake Havasu City, but the Arizona community is more than a spring-break destination for college kids. The lake attracts couples and families too. It’s particularly pleasing in fall after the thermometer drops from summer highs that can reach the 120s. The tab for two can vary wildly: Soup, sandwiches and beer at Brew Shack will cost $25, but two nights aboard a houseboat will set you back nearly $1,600. Divide that by 10, however, and it works out to $80 per person per night.

The bed

Because this place is all about the water, why not consider sleeping on it? In fall and winter, Lake Havasu Houseboats ([800] 843-9218) rents a 60-foot vessel for $1,595 for two nights (the minimum stay). With two bedrooms plus berths, the boat can comfortably sleep 10. It offers all the comforts of home, including a full kitchen, and a sun deck with a slide that plops you into the lake. For landlubbers, the visitor center (422 English Village, Lake Havasu City; [928] 855-5655) can provide other lodging choices.

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The meal

The comfort food at Brew Shack (2018 N. McCulloch Blvd., Lake Havasu City; [928] 855-6768, closed Sundays) is both tempting and inexpensive. Owner Jerry Shackelford and his sister, Elizabeth, offer nearly 30 varieties of grilled cheese sandwiches, all priced at $6 or $7. The Bavarian includes bratwurst, Swiss cheese and sauerkraut, and the Bombay Bacon is stuffed with bacon, cream cheese, mango chutney and dates. Also indulge in a steaming hot bowl of homemade tomato soup ($3); it’s delicious. For a fancier meal, Shugrue’s(1425 N. McCulloch Blvd., Lake Havasu City; [928] 453-1400) overlooks the transplanted London Bridge.

The find

The River Thames has had a bridge since AD 43, but the one standing in Lake Havasu City opened in 1831. London auctioned off the 1,000-foot bridge in the 1960s when the span was slowly sinking. Jan Kassies, who leads 90-minute walking tours, explained that the bridge reopened in the Mojave Desert 45 years ago this month after its 10,000 numbered blocks of granite were shipped from England and reassembled. Tours ($10 for adults, children 12 and younger are free) leave the visitor center at 11 a.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from October through April.

The London Bridge was reassembled in Lake Havasu City.

(Sura Ark / Getty Images )

The lesson learned

Lake Havasu City has pleasant weather outside those scorching summer months. November’s average high temperature is 74. That number climbs to 85 in April.

travel@latimes.com