Get your kicks on Route 66.

Saturday, November 9, 2013: “Get your kicks on Route 66”.

On the recommendation of the lovely lady at the Bullhead City Visitor Center, we are on a venture to drive a short stretch of the famed Route 66 Highway and to wander through the authentic Arizona ghost town of Oatman.  She guarantees us the ghost town is not commercial.  (Famous last words.)  We head south on Highway 95 and turn east at Boundary Cone Road which meets up with Historic Route 66 a few miles outside of Oatman.  What beautiful craggy mountains in the distance.

We came to see the wild burros as much as the ghost town.  Burros next 8 miles – we’d better start keeping an eye out for them.

No burros, no burros, no burros … burros!!! 

There are burros everywhere.  But they’re all in town.  I’m guessing they’ve wandered in out of the hills for lunch – or should I say, handouts from all the folks that want to feed them.  

Bikers, bumper cars, and more burros.

This place is an absolute zoo.  Bikers line up in front of the Ore House with the slogan, “The Best Little Ore House in Town”.  Now that’s original.  Never heard that one before.

A whole slew of OHVs come roaring into town after a day of “riding the range”.  They are literally like bumper cars bouncing off each other – and one kid was bounced off the tire of one of the OHVs.  Amazing.

And of course … more burros.

Shootout at high noon.

Everyone gathers around to take pictures of the “High Noon Shootout” on Main Street.  The burros move up behind unsuspecting people who are so engrossed in the shootout they don’t realize there’s a burro checking out their backsides.

Here’s a taste of the character of Oatman.

One entrepreneur along the main drag.  A little bit of everything for sale.

The General Store seems to still be selling film.  Really?

Oatman Hotel built in 1902.  We have an ice cream cone at the old hotel, but decide to pass on a night’s stay.

The Post Office.  About the only normal thing in town.

A look down Main Street. 

Kettle Corn … and one more burro.

Now, I have to tell you – I really love Kettle Corn.  I mean, really love Kettle Corn.  But somehow, I can’t bring myself to buy a bag when the proprietor’s greeter is a burro.  

The Glory Hole on US 66 – Now there’s some history.

This old hotel – Glory Hole City Hotel – is one of the few authentic pieces of history we discover in Oatman.  It would be great if there was a plaque telling the story of the old hotel, but none is to be found.  But then it wouldn’t be “authentic”.  

 We get out of Dodge – or in this case Oatman – as fast as we can and head for the city lights of Bullhead City.  Driving past the Visitor Center I consider pulling off and thanking that nice lady for suggesting such an "authentic, non-commercial Arizona ghost town" to spend the day in, but they are closed.  We make our way up into the hills of Lake Mead National Recreation Area (Yes, I know we’re on Lake Mojave not Lake Mead.  What can I say?)  Back at Katherine Landing we settle in for a quiet evening and watch the sun go down over Lake Mojave.  It’s warm.  The palm trees are swaying in the gentle breeze.  What a perfect ending to a totally goofy day.