Day 27

We heard last night about a abandoned gold mining town about 30 minutes from us, so we decided it would be a nice day trip for us.  We traveled outside of Bullhead City into the desert then up into the mountains to the town of Oatman. We parked and got out to explore what was obviously going to be an unusual place.  A little history about the place, it had been a booming gold mining town during early 1900's, which at its peak was home to nearly 10 thousand people.  Because it was such a thriving town when route 66 was being built they decided to route it thru the town. After the rise and fall of the gold prices and the impact of the war, Oatman soon became practically deserted. Today about 150 people call it home. They have tried to maintain the  little town with shops and and an atmosphere that attracts tourist. 

Yes, those are burros, they are descended from the original burros that were used in the mines. They were released when the mines closed and now these burros just roam around the town. 

Those are real dollar bills that people have pinned to walls and ceiling in hotel's restaurant. There are three or four rooms filled with thousands of dollar bills, unreal!!!

After leaving Oatman we decided to check out the Laughlin strip. It is really   awesome with the casinos right on the river front.