November 22-23, 2009 --- Ghost Towns along Route 66
Sunday morning we took a run up to Oatman, Arizona. The 25 mile road was quite narrow, steep and twisty, we were glad we left the MoHo behind and gave the Prius a good run This is a two block long vintage mining town, big on the Ass Theme. Many donkeys roam the area; we saw a momma donkey and her two new babies up on a near-by hill. We had breakfast at the 1902 Oatman Hotel, the location of Clarke Gable and Carol Lombard’s honeymoon in 1939. The décor of the old restaurant/bar was highlighted by the $65,000 of single dollar bills that are stapled all over the walls, and ceiling. We added our touch, along the bottom step leading from the bar into the restaurant. We joined back up with our home on wheels and headed west across more of the Mojave Desert and on to California. We stopped for the night in Barstow.
Monday was another Ghost Town tour; we spent our morning touring the old Calico Silver Mine Town. This had been owned by Walter Knott, of the Knott’s Berry Farm fame, until early in the 1960’s. Mike remembers coming here when we was a kid about that time. We also visited it back in the early 1970’s, camping in our old VW Van. A fun re-visit, beautiful weather, and only a few others doing the same. This marks about the end of our sight-seeing on this wonderful trip. Tomorrow we head west toward family and Thanksgiving Celebration in Long Beach, CA.