Friday, August 17, 2007

New in Travel on LiftedMagazine.com

The Unique Antique


Everyone has heard and probably even sung the children's tune "London Bridge is falling down." But few know it's surprising and somewhat tragic history. There have been at least five London Bridges rebuilt over the Thames River in England in the last 2,000 years and each bridge has its own tale of adventure.

In 1968, a wealthy businessman named Robert McCulloch purchased a crumbling London Bridge for over two-million dollars. At the time, it was recorded as the most expensive antique ever sold. Then he packed up the bridge and shipped it from London to its new home in the Arizona desert.


Lake Havasu City gave a new life to the London Bridge, yet ironically, the city received a new life of its own upon the bridge’s completion in 1971. Once a vast expanse of land, a man-made lake and a few shops, the opening day of the London Bridge drew in an excess of 50,000 spectators.


Today more than two-million tourists visit Lake Havasu City for its unique blend of history and present-day recreation.


Lampposts, which were fashioned out of cannons captured in the Battle of Waterloo, line the streets of the mock English village. Visible scars mark the granite bridge reminiscent of a WWII Nazi attack.


In contrast to the rich history, jet-ski’s and boats dot the crystal blue water surrounded by a coastline of campgrounds, fishermen and beaches.
The history of the London Bridge is like an action-packed movie or a good fiction book. It should be interesting to see what adventures are in store for this unique antique in centuries to come. Read the full story here.


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