The Roving Ranchers at the Oatman Hotel
Pat Sand
The Roving Ranchers trekked to Laughlin, Nev., on March 19 to enjoy three days of fun and adventure. Twenty-five Ranchers checked into the Aquarius Hotel in Laughlin. The group met before dinner for a meet and greet then walked to the casino next door for dinner. Afterwards, several Ranchers returned to the Aquarius to test their luck at the tables and with the one-armed bandits.
On March 20, the Ranchers dined at Big Belly Nelly’s on the old Route 66 for lunch. All the food was homemade and delicious. This is the second time the Ranchers have dined there. The next stop was Keepers of the Wild in Valentine, Ariz. This zoo rescues exotic animals, many who were used in Las Vegas shows. Although the weather was quite cool at 3,500 feet elevation, the Ranchers braved the cold and took the tram tour of the zoo. Viewing the planned habitats of tigers, lions, camels, coyotes, and wolves, all being cared for and living in a safe environment was worth the entry fee.
Bubba Gump’s was the dinner choice that evening. The Ranchers enjoyed a unique meal from this novel chain restaurant.
On March 21, the Ranchers took a ride to Oatman, Ariz., to see the burros that dominate the old mining town. Due to all the rain and snow the area had, the burros had plenty of vegetation to munch on and had no need to visit the town for food. Oatman did not disappoint, however, and the group dined at the Oatman Hotel, which is said to be haunted. The hotel walls are adorned with an estimated $600,000 in dollar bills. According to folklore, the miners would put a dollar on the wall at breakfast and when they came back at dinner if they needed that dollar, they would take it. The tradition continues today with thousands of one dollar bills on the walls.
After lunch, the group visited the stores for some souvenir shopping before heading back to the Aquarius. Some Ranchers headed back to Robson Ranch, but the rest of the group dined at Outback and then tried their luck in the casino after dinner.
The Roving Ranchers are a fun, social group of neighbors who get together and enjoy the surrounding areas’ unique tours to tasty food emporiums. Robson Ranch residents can join the group on Nextdoor or Facebook to keep up on planned trips.