We can’t take a road trip without checking out this scenic byway. We’ve included 66 in our travels over the years, and it is always inspiring to learn more about the history of those who made the migration west so many years ago.
We met a nice couple at a blues brothers tribute show in Laughlin, who told us of a little town on 66 that we HAD to see. Along the way we encountered a few rustic road side businesses, as well as some amazing vistas. In Cool Springs, we met a man at a vintage gas station/gift shop, who was making shirts designed to hold in water and that would keep the wearer cool. He had quite a line of ladies waiting for him to finish their custom shirts.
Then we arrived in the little ghost town of Oatman, Arizona. This former gold mining town has to be one of the most unique tourist stops we have encountered thus far. The stars of their town are the burros. Most of the shops sell small bags of alfalfa pellets for the tourists to feed to these beautiful creatures, and they know exactly where to get their snacks.
The burros were bred to be pack animals, and played a critical role in the miners’ success. Today’s animals roaming around town, as well as the wild herds in the hills, are descendants from those that worked in the gold mines so many years ago. They were fuzzy and cute, pushy for snacks, and to be honest, a little stinky.
Each day there is a wild west show, where they reenact a bank robbery, which is incredibly fun to see.
If the Oatman name sounds familiar, it may be because you are thinking of Olive Oatman, one of the daughters of a migrating family who was captured by a local tribe, was tattooed on her chin to mark her as a slave, and was released years later. The town has had many names over the years, and was eventually renamed Oatman, in Olive’s honor.
Traveling Team Fischer 