Kanab, UT Roadtrip Stop #1
So often we think of traveling as leaving the borders of our country of residence. I don’t know where you are in the world (maybe you can comment below and share that with me) but I’m sure there’s something amazing just up the road – no passport or big money required.
“Overlanding” with Park & Petey was one of the huge motivators for selling my business. If you’ve followed Park on Instagram you know he sees some amazing stuff.
Last month we loaded up Park’s new rig, a Ford F250 fitted with a HAWK 4 Wheel Camper, and headed for Kanab, Utah. This was my first real trip with Park in the pop up camper. It was no secret that my goal during this trip was to convince him, if we were going to travel together, we needed a motorhome with a bathroom, shower & kitchen. Let the adventure begin…
First Stop – Oatman, Arizona
Oatman is famous for, or should I say infamous for, the wild burros that inhabit the tiny Route 66 town. These “sort of” friendly fellows are the last remnant of the gold rush days in Oatman. Left behind by disappointed miners when their mining days were over, the burros have continued to live and breed in the area surrounding Oatman. When you visit Oatman, you can purchase “Burrow Chow” from the stores along the wooden sidewalk and hand-feed the wandering burros.
This young burro was a little annoyed that Park wasn’t offering any burro chow, he decided to try and nibble on Park’s Croc instead.
Petey is not a fan of the burros.
When you’re in Oatman, take a good look at the wooden sidewalks – you can see them well in the photo above. While there are a few concrete areas, the vast majority of this tiny town has the wooden sidewalks of yesteryear.
Park is a “Boondocker” – if you’re unfamiliar with the term, it means someone who camps for free – rather than paying for a campsite in a campground or RV park. The joys of boondocking include saving a few dollars, finding amazing places to camp, enjoying the peace & quiet of being alone. The downside to boondocking – no amenities; water, power, etc., and you don’t meet other people as you would in a campground.
Views from our first boondock campsite, just outside of Oatman, AZ – along historic route 66. See more on the video.
Next stop – Sand Hollow, Utah.
Thanks for joining us on our journey!
Tif, Park & Petey
Have you been to Oatman?
If so please comment below and tell he how you enjoyed it.
Did you know that Parker (outside of Havasu, maybe on the CA side) also has roaming burros!!!!!
No, but we’re definitely planning on heading over there for some off-road adventures, now I’m even more motivated to go. Thanks for sharing this info. T.
I lived down in Parker for 17 years and for one year about 1980-83, I lived on the California side in the trailer park across from Sundance (the bar) and a wild burro had come running through the park so we had deep pit BBQ and a pot luck. They’re really stringy. (I only had one bite).
I also took a oil painting class in Havasu and we painted that Oatman mountain peak that you’ve got a picture of.
I live in Kanab..
We have been there. You don’t mention the gun fights
We didn’t see any gunfights. Many of the shops and restaurants were closed, so possibly it was the time of year or maybe even the day of the week. That sounds like fun! Assuming it was a “wild west” type show? T.
There’s a famous donkey in Oatman who has his own Facebook page! His name is Walter the Wonder Donkey! He was rescued by Brad & Kelly Blake. He was rejected by his mom and at 10 hours old Kelly & Brad took him home and he’s been their pet ever since! He’s three years old now and was raised with their German Shepherd dogs. He thinks he’s a dog and they do almost daily live walks on Facebook in the desert where they live on Route 66. Its really cute and fun. The Facebook page is “Walter the Orphan from Oatman’s happy new life”
and their website is http://www.walterthewonderdonkey.com. He’s become so famous he has two or three kids books written about him already! Walter loves his fans and periodically visits the kids at local schools. Heehaw!
LOVE this! Thanks for sharing it.
T.