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Oatman, Arizona is the sort of place that everybody loves to visit, as it features something for everyone. It's a rebuilt and repackaged ex-mining, ex-ghost town, that's trying to achieve the status as towns such as Breckenridge, Colorado, but just doesn't have the expertise, the advertising budget, or the clientele to quite make the grade. Nevertheless, Oatman is a fun place to visit, especially if you love to pet wild, cough... tame, burros. However, while you're touring the sights of Oatman, you're sure to become hungry, and you might wat to pay a visit to the historic Oatman Hotel and Restaurant.
Left: Oatman Hotel, located on Main Street, a.k.a. Route 66, in Oatman, Arizona. Right: Who's the dummy? The author gets his photo snapped as he hugs his new best friend, in the lobby of the Oatman Hotel. As you enter the historic hotel, you'll notice a small museum in the lobby, and a plaque on the wall that let's the visitor know that the two-story Oatman Hotel is the oldest adobe building still standing in Mohave county. It will also tell that you that the hotel has served as a meeting place for miners, movie starts and politicians for many years, in fact movie stars Clarke Gable and Betty Lombard spent their honeymoon upstairs. If you're hungry, you'll want to put the history aside and make your way into the restaurant, which is located adjacent to the hotel, through a connecting door. If you're a fan of dollar bills, you've reached dollar bill heaven, as the place is covered with them, as dollar bills are attached to the walls and ceilings of the place, and just about everywhere else you can imagine. Picture this: Dollar bills everywhere! Homeless persons, criminals, low-life's and rip-off artists beware, as before you take a trip to the Oatman Hotel to steal a piece of the loot, be forewarned that: The dollar bills are marked, so it's just a lookeee and a not-takeee experience. I feel better now that I've forewarned you, and maybe I've saved you a few years in the state prison, if you're the sort of person who has sticky fingers.
Left: The white board announces the daily specials. We opted for the turkey/ham and soup special for $4.95. Right: When I snapped the photo of these gals, who work at the hotel/restaurant, I remarked that I was just a "dumb tourist" who liked to snap photos, but they smiled and said it was ok, as they were used to it. I guess they are used to photos from dumb tourists like me... We visited Oatman Hotel with our friends Jerry and Edna, and we seated ourselves in the main dining room, and we were glad to get out of the cold, of the freezing Friday, January 12, 2007 late morning, that promised snow flurries. Oatman Hotel's coal-fired stove, hot coffee, and chicken noodle soup sounded good, as the snow flurries started to fall outside. The white board on the wall announces the daily specials, and one of them was one-half ham or turkey sandwich, served with a cup of homemade chicken noodle soup for $4.95, which sounded good to all of us. Couple that with an appetiser plate that Edna ordered, and cups of delicious, hot, freshly-brewed coffee, how could lunch get any better on a cold Friday afternoon, in Oatman, Arizona?
Left: Sharlene and Enda enjoy the appetizer plate. Right: The dining room in the Oatman Hotel, with the dollar bills pinned to the walls and the cheery coal stove, just the thing on a below-30-degree Friday afternoon. The Oatman Hotel and Restaurant caters to tourists, but doesn't turn away locals, and they're very friendly at making guests feel at home. Sometimes when you walk into a restaurant with a camera, and snap a few photos, the staff, management and guests will give you a bad feeling, like you know the kind that sort of tell you to "put that blasted camera away an' don' take no dang pitures in this place as we don' like it one litt'l bit..." Well, that's not the case at the Oatman Hotel and Restaurant, as the staff and guests smiled and seemed to like the fact that I was taking photos.
Left: Jerry gets served his hot dog, loaded with chili, cheese and French fries. Right: My half turkey sandwich and homemade bowl of chicken soup. The food? Good, reasonably priced, and served with fast, and very friendly service. Oatman Hotel doesn't feature gourmet dining, but you'll get an honest bang out of your buck, and you'll leave the place with a smile on your face. Do I recommend dining at the Oatman Hotel? Yes!! Oh yes!! Oatman
Hotel and Restaurant Copyright(c) 2007 eRench Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. This site has been on the web since December 22, 2002. Web page design has been created by eRench Productions, Inc., custon photography for any occasion...
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