Historic Route 66

Having been disappointed by my visit to Chloride, I discovered another ghost town that I could get to if I was to drive along part of what was the famous old “Route 66”, one of the original US highways, it was opened on November 11 1926, however signs did not go up until the following year.

The famous highway originally ran from Chicago, through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and California before ending at Los Angeles, a distance of 2448 miles.

Route 66 was a major path of the migrants who went west, especially during the 1930s, today portions remain called “Historic Route 66.”

Sometimes you have good ideas, sometimes you have bad ideas, this was not rated a good one. I set off along route 66 heading for Oatman, the road was not bad, a bit dusty, no other traffic, then I came across a warning sign, not suitable for vehicles over 40 feet, ok I thought, I am only 35 feet, I soon discovered why, the road now reduced to single track and was about to go over the Black Mountain, ok, just another little challenge.

I am now driving on a very twisty road, full lock on some corners, climbing in first gear, with no edge to the road, they just tar to the edge, big jagged rocks on the other side hell bent on making a hole in the side of my bus.

After what seemed like a couple of hours I came across this old dusty ghost town. It may be a ghost town but there are a lot of people about, some of the shops are open, the post office, I’m not sure about the hotel, it looked a bit doubtful, all the buildings are old, the town really does look authentic, a dusty main street, some broken down buildings, as it is so dry things don’t rot, they slowly turn to dust.

Everywhere you look were burros (what we call donkeys) walking, standing even lying on the road, baby ones, old arthritic ones, and everything in between.

The burros are the descendants of the ones left behind when the miners and prospectors left, they now live wild in small herds in the hills, they come down for a handout and a drink.

I don’t think anything has changed in a hundred years.