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Oatman, Arizona Photos
Oatman, Arizona
Historic Rte 66 Mining Town:
‘Big Gold and
Wild Burros’
“...not all the gold is gone..”
More gold was mined from the Oatman area mines than in any other area of Arizona. The last activity for mining gold in Oatman was as recent as the 1990’s. However, the mines were closed due to the low price of gold. Hey! Thar is still gold in them thar hills! Over $35 million worth of gold was extracted from the Black Hills in the ’20’s and ’30’s. Using the measure of ‘unskilled wage’ comparison this would be over one and a quarter billion dollars.
“...on the mother road, Route 66...”
Oatman is located on the mother road, old Route 66, about half way between Kingman and Topock, Arizona. With over a half a million visitors each year Oatman draws tourists from around the world. Boarded sidewalks line the store fronts while wild burros roam the main street looking for treats from the wandering tourists. These burros are the descendants of the burros used by miners in the late 1800’s.
“...Clark Gable and Carol Lombard...”
The Oatman Hotel remains to be the oldest adobe structure in Mohave county today. The hotel is famous for being the honeymoon site for Clark Gable and Carol Lombard who were married in nearby Kingman, Arizona. Oatman was a favorite ‘getaway’ for Gable and he regularly sat in on poker games with the local miners. Today, the Honeymoon Suite at the Oatman Hotel is a main attraction in Oatman, Arizona. Oatman was also selected as a location for the movie ‘How The West Was Won’.
‘take some time to stop at Cool Springs, Arizona..’
The road to Oatman is paved although one needs to be cautious negotiating the twisties through Sitgraves Pass. If you are traveling to Oatman from Kingman take some time out to stop at ‘Cool Springs’. Just a couple of miles east of town you can take a one hour underground gold mine tour at the Gold Road gold mine. The ride further west gives you the option to head on down to Topock or cut across the desert to Highway 95 and north to Bullhead, Arizona and Laughlin, Nevada. This is a great ride so don’t forget to take your camera!
Route 66 leaving Kingman to Oartman, AZ
Cool Springs, Arizona. Popular Biker Stop
Sitgreaves Pass, Route 66, Arizona
Route 66 twisties from Sitgeaves Pass, AZ
Riding into Oatman, Arizona from the East
Oatman, Arizona, Main Street, Downtown
The Oatman Hotel, Oatman, Arizona
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Historic Route 66
U.S. Route 66 is the official name of this iconic highway that transported americans across the nation from Chicago to Los Angeles. This famous road is also known as the Mother Road, the Will Rogers Highway, and Main Street of America. Covering a total of 2,448 miles Route 66 crossed through eight states; Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico Arizona and California.
Today just remnants of the original road exists. Since the highway is a ‘route’ and not a street or highway there are several areas that post the 66 sign on a street that is closest to the original route. I noticed this as I traveled from Chicago to Arizona and California riding as much of it as I could.
Missouri had some fairly nice stretches, as did Oklahoma and New Mexico, however the longest remaining stretch that is still in use is in Arizona. Today, portions that passed through Illinois, Missouri, New Mexico and Arizona have been designated as National Scenic Byways with the title of “Historic Route 66”.
Arizona’s original route passes through several towns that are still in existence today. Oatman is one of them, Kingman, Seligman, Williams, and Flagstaff are the other main towns that enjoy the nostalgia component of this famous route. The town of Williams, ‘gateway to the Grand Canyon’ is the largest town that still utilizes 66 as its Main Street.
The longest stretch of the original 66 in Arizona runs from Seligman to Kingman, Arizona. Heading west from Seligman the route passes through Peach Springs, the southern most tip of the Hualapai Indian Reservation. Speed is strictly enforced by the reservation police as it should be as there is a lot of activity near the road.
Continuing west route 66 passes the Grand Canyon Caverns, Valentine, and Hackberry and ends in Kingman. Just a short distance out of Kingman the original route begins it journey over Sitgreaves Pass down into Oatman and south to Topock. This is probably the most scenic stretch through the Hualapai Mountains and the old mining town of Oatman. Make sure you have your camera ready as you will undoubtedly be stopping every 100 feet for photo ops!
PLACES TO STOP ON
ARIZONA’S HISTORIC 66
(traveling east to west)
-
Hackberry Store -
Mr. Dee’s in Kingman
-
Cool Springs
-
Oatman
Although there are other places to stop along the way the above stops are the best places to take a break and enjoy the nostalgia of the Mother Road.
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