Oatman, AZ

Oatman is about an hours drive from Kingman along the old ‘Route 66’.  I have a lot of memories associated with route 66. When I was younger I traveled this road every summer, with my parents and two sisters, from Oakland, California to Oklahoma. This was in the late 40’s, early 50’s before air conditioning. My dad always left right after work on Friday and drove through the night. Noon the next day we were traveling across the Mojave Desert and dyeing from the heat. We were on our summer vacation and going to visit grandparents and other relatives in Oklahoma City and Ada. Route 66 was a two lane road with dirt shoulders and as a ten-year-old remembers, light traffic except close to cities.  Our trip on the old 66 was very much like I remembered. You can see, very light traffic.

On the way up we passed by an old service station.

Here’s a view looking back toward Kingman and the valley we climbed out of.

Carole Lombard and Clark Gable stopped in Oatman on their honeymoon and stayed at the Oatman Hotel.

Oatman is also famous for the wild burros the roam around town, coming and going as they please.  Here mama is giving  junior a little nip for an indiscretion.

Looking toward the south end of town a car is stopped for burros and tourists in the street. ‘66’ turns right while the view continues into the mountains.