- You’ve jumped off the cliffs at Copper Canyon or at least watched someone else do it from your boat.
- You know “the London Bridge” isn’t in England and you’ve probably told a tourist the story behind it more than once.
- You plan your errands around the heat. Anything after 10am in the summer? Nope.
- You’ve owned at least one water toy . . . jet ski, boat, paddle-board. It’s basically a rite of passage.
- You’ve been to Desert Storm or Spring Break at least once and maybe have the stories (or sunburns) to prove it.
- You give directions using landmarks like In-N-Out, Bashas’, Flying X or the channel. GPS is optional when you live here.
- You know that the leaves on the landscape trees do not change color, however, the license plates on vehicles do.
- You know monsoon season means crazy skies, quick floods and power flickers. It’s actually kind of exciting.
- You’ve watched fireworks from the beach or a boat on the lake; because here, that’s tradition.
- You’ve said “It’s a dry heat” unironically and truly believe 110° isn’t that bad (as long as there’s A/C or water nearby).
- You’ve been stuck behind a boat trailer going 10 mph and didn’t even get mad because, well, it’s normal.
- You refer to Phoenix as “the city” and anything more than 3 hours away is considered a road trip.
- You’ve taken sunset photos at Rotary Park or SARA Park and they’re probably still in your camera roll.
- You know the difference between the channel on a quiet weekday vs. a holiday weekend and plan accordingly.
- You’ve had sand in your car for months, no matter how many times you vacuum it out.
- You know the best taco shops and dive bars aren’t on the main drag and you keep them secret from the tourists.
- You’ve cheered for the Havasu Knights at a football game or at least heard the Friday night lights from your house.
- You know where the secret coves are and you’re not sharing unless someone really earns it.
- You measure seasons by lake levels and tourist traffic ~ not temperature or dates.
- You’ve helped push a boat off a sandbar or had yours stuck there at least once.
- You’ve waved at strangers on the water like you’ve known them forever . . . boat life just hits different.
- You’ve watched tourists try to pronounce “Mohave” or “Havasu” and smile politely every time.
- You know when to avoid the launch ramps. Especially during a three-day weekend.
- You’ve been in at least one group chat about “where the best sandbar party is” and maybe hosted it once or twice.
- You have a drawer full of tank tops, flip flops and sunglasses. It’s basically the local uniform.
~ Denise Myres
Havasu Homes with Denise
