Don’t know if you know this, but the original London Bridge was purchased and moved to Lake Havasu City, Arizona in the late 1960’s. Yep, that’s right – London Bridge is now in a small town in western Arizona! It was purchased by a developer for (I believe) $2.4 million and was then “disassembled” and put back together again in Lake Havasu. The bridge reopened in 1971 and has been a tourist attraction for the city ever since!
Oatman, Arizona, on the other hand, hasn’t changed much in the last 100 years. It was a former mining town, but operations ceased (again, I believe) in the 1940’s. Almost all of the towns inhabitants left, leaving a single family in the area. The mine also released all the donkeys used in mining operations to wander the hills and mountains in the area. There are still donkeys walking through the streets of town and ambling down the highways to the north and south of town (so be careful when driving to Oatman – slow down because the donkeys won’t move!). The town is a fun stop and make sure to visit the Olive Oatman Cafe and try the Indian Tacos – they were delicious! Also visit the hotel where Clark Gable and Carol Lombarde spent their honeymoon together – there is also a ghost in the hotel (so they say), but I only saw the apparition once…or twice.
