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Published: October 23rd 2012
Route 66
This photo pretty well sums up Route 66What an awesome day! We spent most of the day driving through the Navajo Nation Reservation. Some interesting landscape that change from desert, to Painted Desert and back to desert, but with lots of greenery and trees that were beautiful bright golden yellow. The temperature was perfect with mid-70's and a slight chill in the breeze. The skies continue to be clear and blue with lots of sunshine.
Coming from Seattle I feel like I am always comparing the weather with that, but I can stop as we now are living in the SW and it is always sunny!
Our first stop in Navajo Nation was at the town of Chambers. Obviously we had to stop there. The Post Office was located at the corner of Route 66...see photo. I posted some post cards in the PO and when I asked the clerk what there was to do in Chambers, she said, 'this is it.' All of Chambers was just the PO. We took our photos out front and headed on.
We visited the Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site. This was a real treat. I always enjoy the history of the places we visit and this one
Post Office in Chambers
Here I am in Chambers, Arizona in Navajo Nation was full of history. The Hubbell Trading Post has been left just as it was in its day. It began in 1901. Inside the trading post, it was as it would have been in its operating days. They sold all kinds of Native American artifacts including fabulous old turquoise jewelry, baskets and new and old Navajo blankets. I would have liked to purchase a piece of the jewelry, but unfortunately the prices were outrageous. Some of the blankets measuring 3' X 4' were $6,000....a little out of our price range and rings started at $150 for the simplest small piece. We were able to walk the site and see all the buildings that had not been changed in all these years. See more photos.
From there we carried on through NN. We took note that we were the only Caucasian people around. You truly felt that you were in their world. Before leaving NN and entering New Mexico, we stopped at the NN Museum. The history and story told there is one we all know and it is very sad. All the history of what happened to their people when they were forced to walk from their homes; the
Hubbell Trading Post
National Historic Site Trail of Tears. They were given bacon, flour, and coffee beans, but no one told them how to prepare it. So many of them died when they ate a paste they made of the flour, ate raw bacon and tried to cook the coffee beans like they would any bean. They had copies of treaties that were written for them, signed and never fulfilled. Not a proud moment in our countries history.
On the positive side, there was the history of their clothing, pottery, weaving, lifestyle and culture. It was interesting, well told and informative. We were both very glad we had stopped there. Shortly after leaving there we crossed over into New Mexico.
The landscape changed and became desert with trees. Lots of pine trees and colorful Mesas with changing landscape. A Mesa is what we would refer to as a Plateau of land. It rises up and is flat on the top. The weather here in New Mexico is warmer as there is not the chill in the air we were feeling while traveling through Arizona and Navajo Nation.
We arrived in Albuquerque about 5pm and had a good meal here at the Best Western.
Old Wooden Door
Hubbell Trading Post Homemade tamales, green chilies and salad. This morning we were up and out of the hotel for a good power walk in the local residential area. Homes are a mix of Adobe and typical American homes. We will spend the day exploring the Historical area and local sites.
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