Quick Details
Your Oatman, AZ adventure begins the moment you board our comfortable passenger transport van. The creator and owner is locally cultivated; He grew up exploring the wonders of Northwest Arizona from its history, and desert terrain to wildlife. His ancestral roots date back to the 1800s and his family’s vintage collections have been featured in Mohave Museum of History & Arts exhibitions.
The first stop on this old west gold mine tour in Arizona is the Powerhouse Visitors Center/Arizona Route 66 & Electric Vehicle Museums. Thousands of visitors from around the world travel on Route 66 for adventure, education and to enjoy the charming and imaginative displays. Modern-day explorers will discover a variety of information, including vehicles, photographs, and artifacts gathered over the history of “The Mother Road.” Following, we take an exciting trip through time as we view the different homes of our ancestors. After the museums, we take a short trip in downtown Kingman, where you can see a Historic Sears catalog home from the early 1900s built by the founder’s grandfather! Next up on this journey into deep history with homes that date back even further: The 1800-century home which was originally owned by great grandparents still stands today.
Second stop, is Route 66 Rock shop, minerals mined from the Black Mountains where Oatman is located, and then to Cool Springs Station. From the beginning of Route 66’s heyday, Cool Springs camp and service station was an important stop for motorists. Built-in the mid-1920s, the legacy of Cool Springs echoes the larger legend of Route 66. The Mother Road gave it life. Cool Springs (the inspiration for the movie Cars) was literally born on Route 66 and remains an antiquated spawn of the Mother Road today. This Route 66 Black Mountain scenic 8-mile stretch to Oatman known as “Sidewinder,” has 191 curves, turns, and switchbacks.
Panoramic views from Sitgreaves Pass during your travel of the Black Mountains – which borders the eastern shore of the south-flowing Colorado River from Hoover Dam – is, as one guest said, “stunning!”
As you descend the once gold-filled mountains into the small town of Oatman, it won’t take long to notice one particular feature of the old western town, with its wooden sidewalks and antiquated historical structures, the celebrity Oatman burros! These wild but mostly docile creatures take over the town daily to the delight of tourists from around the world. The honorary mayor of the town, Walter, has his own book, an adoptive family of humans and stars on his own Facebook channel.
Desert Wonder Tours creates memories as rich as the historic periods it tours.
For a party larger than 8, please call to book.