Step back in time in Oatman, Arizona

Nestled in the sleepy "Black Mountains", adjacent to old Route 66, lies a town once bustling with miners and cowboys during it's "HeyDay". Oatman, Arizona , was once a active mining town during the "Wild West" days. The town was named around 1909, after the Oatman family that was massacred back in 1851. One daughter Olive Oatman, was kidnapped by Yavapai Indians then later saved and returned in 1856.

Though that history is nothing more now than fact and some local folklore, the town still echos the sounds of gunfights and gunfire. Locals who now reside in Oatman, have kept its rich history alive. Simulated gun fights in the streets, burros roaming freely, small shops and restaurants are now open to visitors. The Oatman hotel, built in 1902, still exists, towering over the smaller buildings as a testament to who lived and worked in Oatman during those earlier, "Wild West" mining days. Venturing into this incredible historic structure, brings you back into time. The smells of the wild west still linger, the taste of the brew on your lips, the ghosts of the "Oatman Hotel" still may reside there, stories to be told , yet unsaid. One may feel an avian of spirits as they walk in, or may feel the memories of a time past.

 On one of my visits to the "Oatman Hotel", I ventured upstairs to see the famed hotel room that Clark Gable and Carol Lombard occupied on their honeymoon in 1939. The room was not accessible to tourists, but a glass window allowed me to peer in. No one was on the floor except myself. To my left, within a room doorway, I gazed upon a vision of a semi transparent woman, short and humble, dressed in what could have been a maids outfit, with a rounded cap upon her head.. She glanced at me and I at her, then she disappeared into nothingness. Her sad, ghostly vision, forever lingers in my head. Oatie, is another spirit that is suppose to haunt the hotel. He was a miner that lived at the hotel until his demise in the back alley behind it. His bullet ridden body was found in the dark shadows of the alley and his body brought inside. It is said, his spirit still haunts the old hotel, perhaps searching for his murderer or simply trying to relive a life lost.

As you walk the town you can't help but wonder what else could have happened on the very street or sidewalk you walk upon. A gunfight? A murder? A stagecoach passing through? Wandering behind the buildings, I found an eerie silence and a musky thickness in the air. I felt it even more so, as I ventured into the desert land surrounding the town.

Oatman, is a must see, old nostalgic ghost town if your in Arizona. Oatman is located on the old historic, Route 66. For directions, it is best to look it up on a map. The best time of the year to visit would be from September through November when the temperatures are somewhat cooler. If your a paranormal investigator visiting, bring your investigative gear. If your a tourist just bring your camera. Everyone wants to take pictures of the wild burros, the town itself and the simulated gun fight, if your lucky enough to catch it. Unfortunately, the Oatman Hotel, no longer rents out rooms for the night. Make sure if it's to be an over-nighter, to find a motel in a neighboring town for the night. Both Bullhead City, Arizona and Kingman, Arizona which are close by, have adequate lodging.

In Oatman, the spirits from the past may walk with you..