Boating Lake Havasu to School

Teenager's boating commute to high school.

           When the Johnson family first moved to Havasu their oldest daughter, Lynn, had just graduated mid-term from high school and was heading off to college in the coming fall.  Their youngest daughter, Bobbi, was in eighth grade.  For the remainder of that school year Lynn and her mother, Caroline, drove Bobbi each day over the 8 mile dirt road, to the elementary school in Parker Dam.  The 12 mile drive took 20 – 30 minutes one way.  They’d heard that a previous owner of the park had sent their young child off to elementary school alone each day on a small motorbike.
          When Lynn went off to college Bobbi’s father, Walt, began driving Bobbi to Parker Dam each day.  There she caught the bus and headed to Parker, Arizona.  It was about 28 miles from Parker Arizona to the park.  The total drive took over an hour one way.  It was a burden for Walt, who was forced to interrupt his work twice a day to transport Bobbi to the bus stop. Meanwhile, in Lake Havasu City, high schoolers  were being bussed to Kingman, Arizona.
          The next year, in 1969, Lake Havasu High School opened its doors. Bobbi transferred to Lake Havasu City, and Walt began boating her to the city each day.  That lasted about a week, when Bobbi took over.  She began boating to and from Lake Havasu City each day, which took about 30 minutes one way. 
          In those days the lake was relatively empty during the winter months.  On one occasion, while going home alone in her boat, the Red Baron, the small craft began to sink.  Bobbi made it to Pilot Rock, beached the boat and then hitched a ride back to the park with some fishermen.

The local newspaper ran a feature article on the high school student, and her
unusual commute across the lake each day. The above photo is from the article.