Yesterday we took a trip to Oatman, AZ, an old gold mining town, now a town trying to survive. At one time the population was almost 10,000 and dropped to 15 and currently about 150 people live here full time. There are wild burros that roam freely through the old mining town. The burros were used to bring supplies to the area. Later, they were used to haul rock and oar from the mines. When the gold gave out and the mines closed the burros were left to fend for themselves. Today, they roam the streets of Oatman and beg for food. You are allowed to feed them in town but not outside the city limits.

There are all kinds of old time shops and outside one of the businesses there is a sign that says that the people and businesses maintain the right to carry and use firearms. A right given to them by the state of Arizona, as well as all those in the state.

The burros are two kinds, as we saw in town, a brown and white burro with distinctive black stripes over the shoulders and down the middle of the back and down the tail. The others are white or mostly white with some dark areas. You would think that in this many years they would all look alike due to inbreeding, but that is not the case here.

This morning we got things hooked up and secured ready to travel and hit the road. We went down US95 in Arizona toward Quartzsite and are at the Hi Jolly LTVA, a free camping area for 14 days. You can spend the winter here or in any LTVA for $180.00 until April of 2011. Not a bad price, however there are no services or water. You have to go to Quartzsite for that.

Tomorrow we will go to Mesa, AZ and get set to sit tight until after the first of the year and attend a couple of HTC lunch bunch gatherings.