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Published: September 10th 2008
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Leila and Dorice
Sunset from the top of Flower Rock During the month of January 2008 I traveled the state of Arizona.
I was in the process of researching my History Master Thesis titled “Migrations, Exchanges, Connections and Legacy: Reconsidering Hopi and Maya History”.
I had already spent significant time in the Yucatan, home of the Yucatec Maya. For this trip I spent time in the homeland of the Hopi and their ancestors, known as the Sinagua, Anasazi and Hohokam. My trip began by driving from Phoenix south to Tucson, north to the Hopi Mesas, and concluded by driving back south to Phoenix.
Some people describe the desert as lifeless, others as full of life. I can understand how one might perceive the desert as dry and drab if only looking from a vehicle racing down a highway. I got out of my car and became acquainted with the desert and it is no less than an array of colors, sounds, plants and animals; it is full of life! (look at the pictures from Eloy and you might agree)
My first stop was Casa Grande National Monument and Prehistoric Ruins.
The Hohokam built the Casa Grande community during the 1300s and abandoned the site
during the 1400s. The Hohokam were desert farmers and maintained trade relations with communities throughout the American Southwest and Mesoamerica. For information on Casa Grande visit www.nps.gov/cagr
My next destination was Tucson.
I stayed at the Hotel Congress. Built in 1919, it is a lively hotel with endless character. The rooms are original, the café floor is made of pennies, and the front desk still holds real keys for guests (not the new-aged plastic keycards) and uses a switchboard.
From Hotel Congress I visited Arizona State Museum and the Arizona History Museum. The two museums have wonderful exhibits which portray a full gamut of Arizona history and culture.
From Tucson, I went to Eloy.
I stayed with my friend Dorice. She introduced me to some of her friends at the dropzone and we went hiking in the desert and climbed to the top of Flower Rock to watch a beautiful desert sunset. There were choya, barrel, palo verde and saguaro cacti. It is very sad that the saguaro takes 100 years to form one arm and is destroyed in an instant by a foolish person with a gun! I was very happy that
the people I met were very much appreciative and respectful of their surroundings!!
After spending time in Tucson and the desert around Eloy I headed north. As I drove north I also climbed in elevation; I knew because there were signs proclaiming 3,000 feet, 4,000 feet and so on. It was fascinating to notice changes in vegetation as a traveled northward and upward.
After about 4,000 feet the snow began to fall and it fell fast! I was very grateful that most of the other drivers immediately began to drive slower. I was also very much missing my four-wheel drive truck.
I arrived to Flagstaff before dark, checked into the Roadway Inn on Route 66 and went for dinner at a Sushi restaurant. That afternoon it snowed a foot and by the next morning it snowed another foot.
In the morning I went to the Museum of Northern Arizona on the north side of Flagstaff. Another wonderful museum with exhibits that, again, portrayed much of the history and culture of the surrounding area, which is the Colorado Plateau. After the museum I went for dinner at a Mexican restaurant and returned to my hotel
room.
Throughout that day and night it snowed another foot! The next morning my car was buried; I was going nowhere. I spent the day reading and writing notes. By about five in the afternoon my car and the hotel parking lot had been cleared of snow (mostly by one man with a shovel). I did my laundry and grabbed Taco Bell for dinner.
The next day I left Flagstaff and first drove to Walnut Canyon National Monument, located east of Flagstaff. The Park Rangers, who were busy clearing snow, informed me that all of the trails were closed because of recent slides and that the Site would not open until about noon that day since they needed the morning to clear the recent snow.
As it was only 8am I decided to skip Walnut Canyon and drive to Wupatki and Sunset Crater National Monuments, about an hour north of Flagstaff.
Sunset Crater was named from the eruption that occurred in 1064 CE. Along the road that loops from Sunset Crater to Wupatki there are places to stop and take in the views, all of which were beautiful. Along the loop road I was
surrounded by hills lined with ponderosa pines, lava flow fields and views of the mountains and desert.
The first ruin I arrived to was Wukoki Pueblo. There were three living areas and the structures here were built from moenkopi redstone. It was awesome to explore in and around these structures with nothing and no one else around!
Next was Wupatki Pueblo with a large cluster of structures, a ball court, a plaza or courtyard and a blow hole. There is a carving of a serpent along the path. Other ruins along the loop road included Nalakihu and Citadel Pueblos.
When I was walking around the ruins and crows flew overhead I could hear the wind in their wings; very awe inspiring!
Next I drove north again through Navajo country on my way to Hopi. The area was comprised of multicolored and many layers of rock growth, very beautiful. I had to laugh as I drove by a Navajo store advertising “Nice Indians” to passersby; too funny!
A needed note:
The Hopi villages DO NOT allow picture taking, note taking, video recording. The Hopi people DO NOT appreciate and they DO NOT tolerate
Homolovi
Damage by Looters rudeness. If a person goes to Hopi they should be respectful of this. After all, how would you feel if a bunch of people showed up in your backyard taking pictures of your home and your family and scribbling notes about how you live? Probably, you would call 911!
When I arrived to Hopi everything was covered with a blanket of clean, fresh, thick white snow. For about 30 miles I drove through a dense fog, actually I think it was a snow cloud. Once the fog ended I looked back and could see what looked like a wall of clouds, quite impressive, indeed. The drive reminded me of the Chiapas highlands, only everything was white from snow and ice crystals catching light from the sun. The people at Hopi were very friendly, happy, helpful and welcoming. I stayed at the Hopi Culture Center Hotel, apropos of Hopi being identified by Spaniards as Pueblo people, the hotel looked like a pueblo. While at Hopi I was surrounded by beautiful people at a truly beautiful place.
During my time at Hopi I experienced many things, all of which I will remember and appreciate for the rest of my
life. I went to Hopi with an open heart and an open mind, and I left Hopi feeling fulfilled and full of respect.
When I left Hopi I drove south to Homolovi State Park, just north of Winslow, Arizona.
Homolovi was another awesome site. There was a rock art trail with many rock carvings which tell of Hopi history. The park chose to leave a looted area intact, that is to say how it was left by looters, so visitors can see the damage done by careless people out to make only a monetary profit.
When I was planning my trip I thought it would be fun to stand on a corner in Winslow Arizona. When I arrived though, there was no fine sight to see, so I kept going and instead stayed in the Verde Valley.
On my way I visited Moctezuma’s Castle and Well; much finer sights to see! The Verde Valley is very beautiful with hills, desert, trees, and streams.
My last day I spent in the Phoenix area with my daughters parents-in law, Ed and Marie Pederson. We spent the day just talking and getting to know one
another. They are wonderful and welcoming people, and I am thankful that we are now a part of their family.
I had a wonderful trip to Arizona. I met great people and saw beautiful places, and I am thankful to all of the people I spent time with for always making me feel at home.
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