© Mark Lipczynski

OATMAN

Named for pioneer-turned-Indian-captive Olive Oatman, this Route 66 survivor is best known for its population of burros. They roam the street willy-nilly, fed by camera-happy tourists. Although Oatman was a booming mining town in the early 1900s, a fire destroyed many of its structures in 1921. Luckily, the Oatman Hotel was spared. The hotel, built in 1902, is the oldest two-story adobe structure in Mohave County, but its biggest claim to fame is its movie-star appeal — Clark Gable and Carole Lombard honeymooned there in 1939. Today, the hotel's most famous guest is its resident poltergeist, Oatie, believed to be the spirit of Irish miner William Ray Flour, who died behind the hotel.

— Kelly Vaughn Kramer

Information: Oatman-Gold Road Chamber of Commerce, 928-768-6222 or www.oatmangoldroad.org

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