Join Us On The Road

Arizona

March 2008.........

Oatman: On old Route 66, which is a blast to drive, lots of mountains and curves and no guard rails. The town is named after a young girl that was kidnapped by Indians and was rescued in 1857 near the current town site. In later years Oatman survived as a tourist attraction along Route 66, but when I-40 bi-passed the the town it almost died. The Oatman Hotel, built in 1902, is the oldest structure in Mojave County and is where Clark Gable and Carole Lombard spent their honeymoon in 1939, and you can still visit their honeymoon suite. Oatman's "Wild" Burro's are the descendants of burro's brought here by the miners in the 1800's. They come out of the hills in the daytime and wander the streets to get fed by the tourists. We ate at the Olive Oatman Restaurant & Ice Cream Saloon (named after the girl that was kidnapped). The interior is something to see and the food is good. The town is a popular movie location and was the setting for How the West Was Won, among others. You can get to Oatman on H-95 or there is a dirt road from Bullhead City.

Oatman

March 2008.........

Cochise Stronghold : Coronado National Forest - The stronghold is located to the west of Sunsites, Arizona in the Dragoon Mountains. It was home for some 15 years to the famed Apache Chief Cochise. Not hostile to the whites at first, he kept peace with the Anglo-Americans until 1861, when a young Army officer, Lt. George Branscom accused the Indians of abducting a child, which they did not. Branscom held Cochise and his followers, Cochise escaped and the rest of the band was hanged. For the next ten years Cochise, who is reputed to have been a master strategist and leader, and his warriors harassed the whites. He died on the newly formed Chiricahua reservation in 1874. He is buried somewhere in or near his impregnable fortress. There are hiking trails, restrooms and a campground, however no RV's over 30' are allowed. It's a nice quick stop and a trip back into history.

Cochise Stronghold